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The differences between quality control technicians and quality control supervisors 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 quality control supervisor takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a quality control supervisor has an average salary of $63,930, 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 quality control supervisor are safety procedures, product quality, and food safety.
| Quality Control Technician | Quality Control Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $40,337 | $63,930 |
| Hourly rate | $19.39 | $30.74 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 98,407 | 110,617 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 45 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
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.
Quality control technicians and quality control supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Control Technician | Quality Control Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $40,337 | $63,930 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $51,000 | Between $46,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Boehringer Ingelheim | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a quality control technician and a quality control supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Quality Control Technician | Quality Control Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between quality control technicians' and quality control supervisors' demographics:
| Quality Control Technician | Quality Control Supervisor | |
| Average age | 45 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% | Male, 69.7% Female, 30.3% |
| 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, 11.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |