How to hire a quality manager

How to hire a quality manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step quality manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a quality manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new quality manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a quality manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a quality manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A quality manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, quality managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of quality manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Quality Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Quality Manager	Industrial production managers oversee the daily operations of manufacturing and related plants. They coordinate, plan, and direct the activities used to create a wide range of goods, such as cars, computer equipment, or paper products.	$30-61
   Director Of Quality	In the manufacturing industry, a director of quality is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing the daily operations in a quality assurance department. They work to ensure that products adhere to the company's quality standards and industry regulations by conducting research and assessments, developing quality test systems, and reviewing reports... Show more	$47-87
   Auditor/Quality	A quality auditor is responsible for inspecting the company's services and products, ensuring its adherence to business requirements and internal regulations. Quality auditors analyze the efficiency of operational functions and production processes to maintain high-quality deliverables with the utmost consideration for the safety and security of the production staff... Show more	$11-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Continuous Improvement
   • Corrective Action
   • Quality Standards
   • Product Quality
   • Sigma
   • Quality Management System
   • Customer Service
   • Quality Issues
   • Lean Six Sigma
   • QC
   • Process Improvement
   • Patients
   • Quality Procedures
   • Customer Complaints

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Manage UAT testing, including consolidation and report out to management on test results.
   • Utilize ITAR knowledge and manage vital certifications and registrations (UL, CSA, military / aerospace).

   More quality manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your quality manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A quality manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, quality managers' average salary in wyoming is 52% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level quality managers earn 50% less than senior-level quality managers.
   • Certifications. A quality manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a quality manager's salary.

   Average quality manager salary

   $91,357yearly

   $43.92 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level quality manager salary

   $64,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 21, 2025

   Average quality manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$126,045	$61
   2	Washington	$102,086	$49
   3	Massachusetts	$99,492	$48
   4	New Hampshire	$97,891	$47
   5	Maryland	$94,063	$45
   6	Arizona	$91,972	$44
   7	District of Columbia	$91,778	$44
   8	Pennsylvania	$90,474	$44
   9	New York	$90,266	$43
   10	Virginia	$87,027	$42
   11	North Carolina	$85,311	$41
   12	Ohio	$83,731	$40
   13	Texas	$82,115	$39
   14	Wisconsin	$82,103	$39
   15	South Carolina	$81,992	$39
   16	Indiana	$81,183	$39
   17	Tennessee	$80,514	$39
   18	Illinois	$79,445	$38
   19	Georgia	$79,039	$38
   20	Louisiana	$77,247	$37

   Average quality manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$161,518	$77.65	54
   2	SAP	$138,903	$66.78	21
   3	PayPal	$136,912	$65.82
   4	Microsoft	$135,092	$64.95	10
   5	Waymo	$132,772	$63.83	1
   6	Infineon Technologies	$127,840	$61.46	4
   7	ENERGY RECOVERY, INC.	$126,473	$60.80
   8	Amazon	$125,791	$60.48	129
   9	Citi	$124,916	$60.06	5
   10	Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC	$124,790	$60.00
   11	Federal National Mortgage Association	$124,355	$59.79	2
   12	Edwards Lifesciences	$123,877	$59.56	6
   13	Agilent Technologies	$122,831	$59.05	7
   14	Sonos	$122,530	$58.91
   15	Rivian	$121,753	$58.54	7
   16	Novartis	$121,493	$58.41	14
   17	Adobe	$120,788	$58.07	2
   18	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$120,314	$57.84	49
   19	TechnipFMC	$119,649	$57.52
   20	FireEye	$119,475	$57.44

4. Writing a quality manager job description

   A good quality manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a quality manager job description:

   Quality manager job description example

   What to Expect

   • Promotes a culture of quality.
   • Partners with Laboratory and Quality leadership to develop quality goals and objectives.
   • Develops positive and supportive working relationships with management and staff.
   • Ensures all laboratories within the assigned areas maintain current federal, state and local licensure and accreditations, as applicable.
   • Maintaining a regulatory readiness at all times.
   • Provides guidance for laboratories in implementing policies with respect to regulatory, accreditation requirements and best practices.
   • Audits laboratories to identify quality issues, nonconformities and opportunities for improvement.
   • Formulates responses to accreditation and regulatory citations, nonconforming events and complaints.
   • Monitors outcomes of root cause analysis, corrective action and effectiveness checks.
   • Facilitates process improvement activities.
   • Hosts meetings and records accurate minutes to communicate site or project progress as measured by Key Performance Indicators.
   • Collects summary data for management reports regarding quality indicators, internal and external audit outcomes, and complaints.
   • Participates and/or leads in Quality meetings, Improvement teams and Regulatory initiatives.
   • Provides and ensures training for Labcorp quality policies and procedures.
   • Maintains and coordinates communications between laboratories in the assigned areas, provides assistance where indicated on quality related issues.
   • Provides excellent communication with the Divisional Quality Director.
   • Other job duties as applicable.

   Education and Qualification(s)

   • Normally a Bachelors in Laboratory Science (or related field) w/4-5 years of Clinical Laboratory experience.
   • Notes: Prefer Quality Manager applicants from Washington State but can reside in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California
   • This Quality Professional will regionally travel up to 25% as needed.
   • Labcorp vehicle is available for site visit(s)
   • Mobile phone is provided
   • Prefer someone with Lean/Six Sigma experience

   Labcorp is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer:

   As an EOE/AA employer, the organization will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status.

   For more information about how we collect and store your personal data, please see our Privacy Statement.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find quality managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your quality manager job on Zippia to find and recruit quality manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with quality manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new quality manager

   Once you've selected the best quality manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new quality manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a quality manager?