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The differences between quality leads and quality control engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a quality lead, becoming a quality control engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a quality lead has an average salary of $90,301, which is higher than the $70,845 average annual salary of a quality control engineer.
The top three skills for a quality lead include continuous improvement, product quality and quality standards. The most important skills for a quality control engineer are product quality, quality standards, and corrective action.
| Quality Lead | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $90,301 | $70,845 |
| Hourly rate | $43.41 | $34.06 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 62,018 | 109,745 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A quality assurance (QA) lead is responsible for organizing and managing the testing of products prior to its release. Your duties will include defining testing standards and strategies, establishing formal QA processes, and overseeing all aspects of QA, such as using best practices and establishing metrics. Additionally, you are responsible for supervising and mentoring QA team members, and developing and implementing scripts, test cases, and procedures. You are also responsible for managing off quality products and developing and institutionalizing ISO complaints.
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 leads and quality control engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Lead | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average salary | $90,301 | $70,845 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $127,000 | Between $53,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Rafael, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Intuitive Surgical | |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a quality lead and a quality control engineer in terms of educational background:
| Quality Lead | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between quality leads' and quality control engineers' demographics:
| Quality Lead | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3% | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 9.1% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 8% | 4% |