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The differences between quality managers 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 manager, becoming a quality control engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a quality manager has an average salary of $91,357, which is higher than the $70,845 average annual salary of a quality control engineer.
The top three skills for a quality manager include continuous improvement, corrective action and quality standards. The most important skills for a quality control engineer are product quality, quality standards, and corrective action.
| Quality Manager | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,357 | $70,845 |
| Hourly rate | $43.92 | $34.06 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 63,422 | 109,745 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
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 managers and quality control engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Manager | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,357 | $70,845 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $128,000 | Between $53,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Rafael, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Meta | Intuitive Surgical |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a quality manager and a quality control engineer in terms of educational background:
| Quality Manager | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between quality managers' and quality control engineers' demographics:
| Quality Manager | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.1% Female, 27.9% | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% |
| 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, 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% |