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The differences between quality control specialists and quality control engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a quality control engineer has an average salary of $70,845, which is higher than the $49,281 average annual salary of a quality control specialist.
The top three skills for a quality control specialist include GMP, patients and customer service. The most important skills for a quality control engineer are product quality, quality standards, and corrective action.
| Quality Control Specialist | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $49,281 | $70,845 |
| Hourly rate | $23.69 | $34.06 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,535 | 109,745 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A quality control specialist is responsible for maintaining the quality of the products during production before storing for use and deliveries. Quality control specialists evaluate the products through internal specifications and processes. They conduct thorough inspections of finished products to identify any inconsistencies and malfunctions, immediately replacing or reproducing defective items. They also create a record of production issues to discuss with the management, developing strategic procedures to address quality problems for accuracy. A quality control specialist must have excellent communication skills, as well as be detail-oriented to identify areas of improvement and ensure customer satisfaction.
A quality control engineer is responsible for conducting quality assessments for the company's products and services to ensure adherence to federal regulations and quality standards. Quality control engineers recommend strategic methods by analyzing processes and writing test results. They also identify opportunities for more services that meet public demands and market trends, helping the business generate more resources for revenues. A quality control engineer utilizes various software tools and applications to document findings, requiring them to have excellent communication and technical skills.
Quality control specialists and quality control engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Control Specialist | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average salary | $49,281 | $70,845 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $75,000 | Between $53,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rockville, MD | San Rafael, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Apple | Intuitive Surgical |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a quality control specialist and a quality control engineer in terms of educational background:
| Quality Control Specialist | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between quality control specialists' and quality control engineers' demographics:
| Quality Control Specialist | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 4% |