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The differences between quality engineers and quality control engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a quality engineer and a quality control engineer. Additionally, a quality engineer has an average salary of $79,672, which is higher than the $70,845 average annual salary of a quality control engineer.
The top three skills for a quality engineer include corrective action, continuous improvement and ISO. The most important skills for a quality control engineer are product quality, quality standards, and corrective action.
| Quality Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $79,672 | $70,845 |
| Hourly rate | $38.30 | $34.06 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 96,838 | 109,745 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A quality engineer's responsibilities include ensuring that the manufacturing processes are efficient and accurate, documenting findings that would raise concerns, conducting quality tests while observing parameters, and implementing changes as necessary to meet the highest quality standards. Quality engineers need to have excellent problem-solving and observation skills to detect any irregularities and possible malfunctions. They also must be able to communicate effectively with the clients for feedbacks and corrective adjustments, address complaints, and immediately resolve any inconsistencies made.
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 engineers and quality control engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average salary | $79,672 | $70,845 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $103,000 | Between $53,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Rafael, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Meta | Intuitive Surgical |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a quality engineer and a quality control engineer in terms of educational background:
| Quality Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between quality engineers' and quality control engineers' demographics:
| Quality Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 13.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 4% | 4% |