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The differences between quality improvement managers and quality assurance managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a quality improvement manager and a quality assurance manager. Additionally, a quality assurance manager has an average salary of $99,894, which is higher than the $78,698 average annual salary of a quality improvement manager.
The top three skills for a quality improvement manager include quality improvement, performance improvement and patients. The most important skills for a quality assurance manager are continuous improvement, product quality, and corrective action.
| Quality Improvement Manager | Quality Assurance Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $78,698 | $99,894 |
| Hourly rate | $37.84 | $48.03 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 78,509 | 62,293 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A quality improvement manager has a variety of duties and responsibilities. These include conducting research and creating quality improvement programs, developing standard operating procedures and facility policies, and performing audits to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Additionally, you will be responsible for establishing work plan metrics, analyzing performance metrics, and monitoring various department processes such as care complaints in the healthcare setting. You are also expected to review the latest industry data, clinical quality studies, and best practice interventions.
A Quality Assurance Manager's responsibility varies on the organization or industry where one is assigned. Most of the time, the duties will revolve around quality control, such as overseeing a company's manufacturing operations, ensuring that the process followed all of the necessary protocols, and the products met all of the standards in adherence to the company's policies and regulations. Furthermore, one must be able to detect and identify mistakes, conduct constant inspections, coordinate with various staff and supervisors, develop the workforce's quality by training employees, and come up with strategies that will help the company attain financial gains.
Quality improvement managers and quality assurance managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Improvement Manager | Quality Assurance Manager | |
| Average salary | $78,698 | $99,894 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $111,000 | Between $70,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Portland General Electric | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a quality improvement manager and a quality assurance manager in terms of educational background:
| Quality Improvement Manager | Quality Assurance Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between quality improvement managers' and quality assurance managers' demographics:
| Quality Improvement Manager | Quality Assurance Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1% | Male, 67.1% Female, 32.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 9.2% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 8% |