How To Become A Quality Manager: What It Is and Career Path

Q: How much do quality managers earn?

Quality managers earn an average of $80,000 a year. There is, however, considerable range and how much a quality manager can earn - starting from as little as $54,000 a year to as much as $140,000 a year. Factors such as your location and the company impact how much you can earn as a quality manager.

Q: Is quality management a good career?

Yes, being a quality manager is a good career. Not only does quality management pay well, averaging around $80,000 a year, but there are also numerous opportunities to advance your career as a quality manager.

Q: What are the roles and responsibilities of a quality control manager?

The roles and responsibilities of a quality control manager are to ensure that manufactured products or software systems meet set standards of quality, reliability, and performance. Their job description entails setting and implementing internal/external quality requirements to ensure company products/services meet customer expectations.

Q: What degree do you need to be a quality manager?

A bachelor's degree is needed to be a quality manager. For an entry-level quality manager, one must have a bachelor's degree in a field related to business or quality control. Undergraduate courses in mathematics, systems management, measurements, and business management are ideal for students hoping to pursue careers as quality managers. Further degrees such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) are not typically required for quality manager positions, but they make you a stronger candidate.

Q: What training is needed to become a quality control manager?

The training needed to be a quality control manager includes the right set of educational and training credentials. If you are looking to work as a quality control manager, here are major employer requirements you will need to possess to qualify to be hired for the role by most companies:

What is a quality manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A quality manager ensures that products or services meet established standards and customer expectations. They develop quality control processes, train employees, and monitor production. Quality managers work with other departments to improve processes and ensure compliance with industry regulations. They analyze data to identify trends and areas for improvement, and report quality metrics to management. Ultimately, a quality manager helps maintain the reputation of a company by ensuring consistently high standards of quality.

ScoreQuality ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.1

Avg. Salary $91,357

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.8

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 9.18%

Black or African American 3.85%

Hispanic or Latino 13.22%

Unknown 3.87%

White 69.37%

Gender

female 27.87%

male 72.13%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress level

9.8

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a quality manager?

Pros

Building strong relationships with colleagues and customers
Opportunity for career advancement
Working with a diverse group of people
Job security and stability
Competitive salary and benefits

Cons

Need to be detail-oriented and organized
Time-consuming documentation requirements
Need to work with difficult or resistant employees or customers
Can be emotionally draining when quality issues arise
May require long hours or working on weekends/holidays to meet deadlines

Key steps to become a quality manager

Explore quality manager education requirements

Most common quality manager degrees

Bachelor's

62.4 %

Associate

16.0 %

Master's

13.9 %

Start to develop specific quality manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Continuous Improvement	7.67%
Corrective Action	5.52%
Quality Standards	5.06%
Product Quality	4.74%
Sigma	4.15%

Complete relevant quality manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New quality managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a quality manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real quality manager resumes.

Research quality manager duties and responsibilities

Achieve TS16949 accreditation during the year.
Plan and manage UAT test cycles with the business.
Manage six sigma projects concerning Sidematch claims savings $130K annually.
Manage drug product, API and component release for clinical and commercial.

Prepare your quality manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your quality manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a quality manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable quality manager resume templates

Build a professional quality manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your quality manager resume.