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The differences between quality control technicians and lead quality controls can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a quality control technician, becoming a lead quality control takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a lead quality control has an average salary of $85,375, which is higher than the $40,337 average annual salary of a quality control technician.
The top three skills for a quality control technician include lab equipment, quality control tests and test results. The most important skills for a lead quality control are GMP, safety procedures, and quality checks.
| Quality Control Technician | Lead Quality Control | |
| Yearly salary | $40,337 | $85,375 |
| Hourly rate | $19.39 | $41.05 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 98,407 | 83,633 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 45 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Usually assigned in a manufacturing plant, a quality control technician's role focuses on testing and assessing materials before, after, and during a production process to ensure its efficiency. They also have responsibilities in implementing the policies and regulations of the company, all to maintain a safe and productive working environment for every employee. Furthermore, a quality control technician must produce necessary reports and documentation, coordinate with managers and supervisors, maintain accurate documentation, and oversee a team to secure quality standard outcomes.
Lead quality control agents are manufacturing professionals who are responsible for supervising and coordinating the activities of workers to meet the required quality standards of finished products. These professionals are required to review the calibration of manufacturing equipment to ensure they perform correctly and on time. They must assist in identifying and developing procedures and processes that are related to the quality management system. Leads quality control must also perform quality testing on materials while participating in team meetings to discuss safety and quality issues.
Quality control technicians and lead quality controls have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Control Technician | Lead Quality Control | |
| Average salary | $40,337 | $85,375 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $51,000 | Between $66,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Brookhaven, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New York |
| Best paying company | Boehringer Ingelheim | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a quality control technician and a lead quality control in terms of educational background:
| Quality Control Technician | Lead Quality Control | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between quality control technicians' and lead quality controls' demographics:
| Quality Control Technician | Lead Quality Control | |
| Average age | 45 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% | Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 9.1% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |