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The differences between quality control supervisors and quality control engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a quality control supervisor, becoming a quality control engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a quality control engineer has an average salary of $70,845, which is higher than the $63,930 average annual salary of a quality control supervisor.
The top three skills for a quality control supervisor include safety procedures, product quality and food safety. The most important skills for a quality control engineer are product quality, quality standards, and corrective action.
| Quality Control Supervisor | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $63,930 | $70,845 |
| Hourly rate | $30.74 | $34.06 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 110,617 | 109,745 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A quality control supervisor specializes in carrying out and implementing systems and procedures that ensure product quality within an organization. They are primarily responsible for devising priorities and standards, managing schedules to abide by the production timeline, monitoring activities, coordinating with production and quality control personnel, assessing employee performance, and thoroughly discussing new systems for all staff. There are also instances when a quality control supervisor must perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and assessments, responding to calls and correspondence, even disseminating notices.
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 supervisors and quality control engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Control Supervisor | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average salary | $63,930 | $70,845 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $87,000 | Between $53,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | San Rafael, CA |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | AbbVie | Intuitive Surgical |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Technology |
There are a few differences between a quality control supervisor and a quality control engineer in terms of educational background:
| Quality Control Supervisor | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | 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 supervisors' and quality control engineers' demographics:
| Quality Control Supervisor | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.7% Female, 30.3% | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 6% | 4% |