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The differences between quality managers and quality assurance directors 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 manager and a quality assurance director. Additionally, a quality assurance director has an average salary of $140,937, which is higher than the $91,357 average annual salary of a quality manager.
The top three skills for a quality manager include continuous improvement, corrective action and quality standards. The most important skills for a quality assurance director are continuous improvement, quality standards, and oversight.
| Quality Manager | Quality Assurance Director | |
| Yearly salary | $91,357 | $140,937 |
| Hourly rate | $43.92 | $67.76 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 63,422 | 66,888 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A quality manager is an individual who is responsible for ensuring that the level of quality of the company's product outputs is met for customers. Quality managers monitor and evaluate the internal production process so that they can produce statistical reports on the standard of quality and communicate them to upper management. To ensure health and safety standards, quality managers must create and maintain up-to-date product or process specifications. They also train employees on quality assurance standards and processes.
The job of a quality assurance (QA) director is to oversee all QA functions across the company. Your duties typically include working closely with other department heads to deliver high-quality products on time, hiring managers and analysts, and establishing and maintaining a quality system to make sure that company guidelines and regulatory standards are met. Additionally, you will be responsible for ensuring quality by monitoring, appraising job results, and planning. You are also expected to maintain technical and professional knowledge by reviewing professional publications, participating in professional associations, and attending workshops.
Quality managers and quality assurance directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Manager | Quality Assurance Director | |
| Average salary | $91,357 | $140,937 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $128,000 | Between $97,000 And $203,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Meta | Upstart Network |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a quality manager and a quality assurance director in terms of educational background:
| Quality Manager | Quality Assurance Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between quality managers' and quality assurance directors' demographics:
| Quality Manager | Quality Assurance Director | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.1% Female, 27.9% | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 9.2% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 9.1% White, 69.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |