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Job outlook for quality systems engineers in the United States
Quality systems engineer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected quality systems engineer job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 30,600 new jobs for quality systems engineers are projected over the next decade.
Quality systems engineer salaries have increased 6% for quality systems engineers in the last 5 years.
There are over 83,202 quality systems engineers currently employed in the United States.
There are 149,279 active quality systems engineer job openings in the US.
The average quality systems engineer salary is $88,543.
Are quality systems engineer jobs in demand?
Quality systems engineer job and salary trends over time
Quality systems engineer jobs over time
Quality systems engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 83,202 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 81,693 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 82,380 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 79,106 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 75,117 | 0.02% |
Average quality systems engineer salary over time
Quality systems engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $88,543 | $42.57 | +1.1% |
| 2025 | $87,617 | $42.12 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | $86,641 | $41.65 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $85,487 | $41.10 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $83,924 | $40.35 | +1.0% |
Quality systems engineer jobs by state
Most common states for quality systems engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 594 | 86% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 3,684 | 43% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 2,493 | 41% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 557 | 41% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 324 | 34% |
| 6 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 1,017 | 33% |
| 7 | Vermont | 623,657 | 203 | 33% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 334 | 32% |
| 9 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,273 | 31% |
| 10 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,762 | 31% |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,091 | 30% |
| 12 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,660 | 30% |
| 13 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,242 | 30% |
| 14 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 209 | 28% |
| 15 | California | 39,536,653 | 10,301 | 26% |
| 16 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 1,288 | 26% |
| 17 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 506 | 26% |
| 18 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 150 | 26% |
| 19 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,583 | 25% |
| 20 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,675 | 24% |
Most common cities for quality systems engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florence | 2 | 6% | $75,164 |
| 2 | Burlington | 1 | 4% | $98,703 |
| 3 | Cambridge | 3 | 3% | $98,835 |
| 4 | Andover | 1 | 3% | $98,589 |
| 5 | Gloucester | 1 | 3% | $98,728 |
| 6 | Hawthorne | 2 | 2% | $104,717 |
| 7 | Sparks | 2 | 2% | $98,847 |
| 8 | Carol Stream | 1 | 2% | $79,038 |
| 9 | Cupertino | 1 | 2% | $119,526 |
| 10 | Arlington Heights | 1 | 1% | $79,246 |
| 11 | Asheville | 1 | 1% | $75,124 |
| 12 | Kent | 1 | 1% | $100,013 |
| 13 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $92,389 |
| 14 | Fremont | 1 | 0% | $119,692 |
| 15 | Gilbert | 1 | 0% | $89,711 |
Quality Systems Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of quality systems engineer experts
University of Alabama at Huntsville
University of Pittsburgh
Clarkson University
University of Washington
Bakersfield College
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Pennsylvania State University
North Carolina State University
Wichita State University
University of New Hampshire
University of California
Northeastern University
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Kennesaw State University
Kettering University
The Ohio State University
Pennsylvania State University - Great Valley
Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
What general advice would you give to a Quality Systems Engineer?
Ana Wooley Ph.D.: People skills for sure. Industrial engineers collaborate and interact with so many other areas. The biggest trait you could have is to be able to effectively communicate and interact with peers.
What Quality Systems Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ana Wooley Ph.D.: For a graduate beginning their career in Industrial Systems Engineering, my advice is to be genuinely proactive and to take initiative. This field, like any other, comes with a steep learning curve as you familiarize yourself with the company's operations, culture, and processes. Actively seek out and engage with experienced colleagues who can mentor and guide you. Don’t hesitate to volunteer for challenging tasks, as these opportunities will significantly improve your learning and skill development. Another piece of advice I would give is not to be discouraged if you find yourself not enjoying your first job. It's important to remember that you never truly know until you experience it firsthand. This initial job can be a great learning opportunity, helping you identify what aspects of the field you don't enjoy and guiding you towards roles that are a better fit for your interests and skills. Every experience, even those that are not ideal, contributes to your overall career growth and helps you identify your career path.
What will help Quality Systems Engineers increase their earning potential?
Ana Wooley Ph.D.: I would say to build a strong network. There's so many opportunities for the ISE area out there and building a strong professional network can open doors to higher-paying opportunities within the same company or outside.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Quality Systems Engineers?
Karen Bursic Ph.D.: Right now, the Lean Six Sigma certifications as well as certifications or coursework in Supply Chain Management.
What's a good job out of college for Quality Systems Engineers?
Tracy Farrell: A "good" job out of college, in my opinion, is an entry-level position with a company that provides advancement. I would recommend that if graduates did not take advantage of internship opportunities, early and often, they will be at a disadvantage to "think they know it all" and have proven not to be as successful. Entry positions offer valuable training and teach transferable skills that can only be gained in entry-level positions (or internships) like communication skills, time management, organization, teamwork, aspects of all positions.
I strongly recommend that a graduate start interning well before they graduate. Internships can serve as "entry-level positions" providing opportunities for learning, growth, and hands-on experience they would not have otherwise. NYS high school business education programs have been offering internships for years, for credit, and many students do not take advantage of these programs.
What technical skills for a Quality Systems Engineer stand out to employers?
Tracy Farrell: Technical skills that employers are seeking include "real" computer skills like Microsoft Office Suite tools, proper communication skills via email and website development and postings, developing proper document format that is appropriate to send to stakeholders (i.e., letter formatting, report writing, email formatting); strong communication skills that include speaking professionally and respectfully to stakeholders as well as writing professionally (i.e., making eye contact when speaking, proper handshake, respectful dialogue including questioning); project management - knowing how to organize work and develop a timeline that includes who will be responsible for what and follow through; data analysis - being able to not only present data in an organized and understandable manner; but, be able to interpret data correctly offering the justification behind what they are interpreting and why.
Respectfully, today's graduates do not understand that being able to text and use social media does not prepare them for "real" computer skills. Many students that I have in high school and in college do not have proper writing skills, document formatting skills, or document management skills to know how to save documents properly and where to save to.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Quality Systems Engineers?
Les Atlas: Most certainly an impact, a very strong impact. The best lesson for us is from the 1919 Spanish Flu pandemic. That strain of flu still circulates as a seasonal virus. Over 100 years laters, it is now considered a Phase 6 pandemic by the World Health Organization. While it is reduced due to current social distancing and mask wearing, the 1919 Spanish Flu virus still causes community-level outbreaks in multiple parts of the globe. Societal changes from this event of over 100 years ago are still with us.
In fact, they changed society. As is well-documented, after a high level of immunity was reached in the 1920's, the resulting labor shortage enabled workers to demand better living and working conditions, as well as better wages and public health care. As just one example of the societal changes due to the 1919 pandemic, the drop in the male labor force empowered male workers, and also changed the gender composition.
The aftermath of the 1919 pandemic was the start of women joining the labour force. In the United States, the proportion of women in the labour force rose from 18 per cent in 1900 to almost 21 per cent in 1920. In that same year, with the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the Constitution, the Congress of the United States guaranteed all American women the right to vote.
The current COVID-19 pandemic will certainly change the way we live, be it our mobility or the kinds of career options people have. After our current year-long experience in remote learning and work, will we go back to the inefficiencies of going to our office every work day? Or will remote work be acceptable, where one's residence will not be dependent upon the locations of employment. Will we avoid future hotspots of infection, choosing to instead reside and travel in areas where infection is decreasing? Will we prefer to travel on aircraft which are certified to be virus-free and frequent restaurants which are documented to be safer? Future marketing will likely make a sharp turn in this direction.
What general advice would you give to a Quality Systems Engineer?
Maryam Farahani: Thinking about the fields they want to experience or try. And to be intentional about their job search. The best advice is learning as much as they can about what company offers. Visualizing themselves in the next 5 years as a starting point. Do they want to travel a lot, or be in management positions? Do they want to be subject matter expert, or a hands-on engineer or technologist? Their goal may change as they progress in their career but having one makes a big difference in their career choices and keeping them on track.
Dr. T.S. Kalkur
Department ChairUniversity of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Quality Systems Engineers?
Dr. T.S. Kalkur: Yes, students complained that, while they are earning an online degree, they aren't learning as much.
What experience really stands out on Quality Systems Engineer resumes?
Dr. T.S. Kalkur: Internship experience and tools used in design.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Quality Systems Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Charles Purdum: Candidates looking for companies who are effectively managing this uncertain business environment with creativity and diverse mindset to take advantage of students who love a fun, challenging environment.
What Quality Systems Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Charles Purdum: Certification, certification, certifications! Lean or Six Sigma green belt (e.g., ASQ.com), project management (e.g., PMI.com), and leadership skills.
Dr. Kanton Reynolds Ph.D.
Director, Undergraduate Programs & Associate Teaching ProfessorNorth Carolina State University
Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Quality Systems Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Kanton Reynolds Ph.D.: In addition to the transformation into remote work, I think you will see more companies hiring consultants. This unprecedented time has allowed companies to realize that they can reconceptualize the way they do business. They can be more agile while realizing operational efficiencies that correspond well with the prevailing environment. They will lean on experts to help them recognize the value proposition in transforming their business models. You will see more companies rely on consultants as they move to new paradigms and streamline their operations. They will also want to leverage this contingent group of experts to maximize these transformation opportunities before bringing in additional talent.
Dr. Atul Rai Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorWichita State University
School of Accountancy, Barton School of Business
What experience really stands out on Quality Systems Engineer resumes?
Dr. Atul Rai Ph.D.: Employers are looking for people who can integrate in multi-disciplinary environments to solve complex problems. They are looking for resumes that show quick learning. Such resumes will permanently be in great demand. Because the world is interconnected much more than it ever was, employees today will deal with customers, supply-chains, and fellow employees who are spread all over the world. It means that an experience that showcases the global perspective will be in demand over the long-term.
Marc Lessard
ProfessorUniversity of New Hampshire
Physics and Astronomy Department and Space Science Center
What type of skills will young Quality Systems Engineers need?
Marc Lessard: This is a very good and important question. Graduates who can address complex problems in creative ways will be the most successful. This might sound obvious, but there seems to be a trend developing where younger engineers tend to want to follow written procedures or instructions for solving problems.
What is more valuable, of course, is being able to use a broad-based background to provide new and creative solutions, or at least to suggest new ideas and engage in discussions to further develop those ideas. The cliche of "thinking outside the box" will always be important.
What experience really stands out on Quality Systems Engineer resumes?
Marc Lessard: Students who have been significantly involved in research projects have a distinct advantage over those who haven't. Those who began such work (which is typically paid) as sophomores or juniors often will have played a significant role in these real-world research efforts, which can be very different than what might be tackled as part of a capstone project.
Written and oral presentation skills are also essential!
What experience really stands out on Quality Systems Engineer resumes?
Diran Apelian: Graduates who have never had industry experience are at a disadvantage. Those who stand out have taken risks and have exposed themselves to various engineering venues through summer jobs and various internships. Theory and practice stands out.
What general advice would you give to a Quality Systems Engineer?
Laura A. Meyer M. Ed.: I tell my students often do not give up! Resilience is so important right now and with that comes being mindful about how they are applying to positions and to what positions they are applying. Really crafting their resumes and cover letters for each position they are applying is very important. Also, stay sharp - keep honing your skills and be consistent about doing so.
What Quality Systems Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Kamran Abedini: First of all, I do not recommend a gap year or any interruptions in education as it could require additional warm-up and setup for starting it again in the future. However, if they "need" to do so, I recommend they at least take one course so that they understand the trend and the expectations of students in an educational environment. For example, in the last couple of semesters, both faculty and students have learned and experienced new methods of virtual learning and assessment. If you just plan on coming to school after a few semesters, you would be highly surprised by the changes, taking you much time to prepare, and it would cause falling behind your coursework.
What experience really stands out on Quality Systems Engineer resumes?
Adeel Khalid Ph.D.: It is the age of diversity. A graduate can stand out when their resume shows a broad portfolio of experiences. In addition to a solid academic record, students who demonstrate that they can take on challenging tasks and work beyond a degree's basic requirements are more likely to be successful. I advise students to get involved in various activities, including undergraduate research projects, student design competitions, student organizations, internships, co-ops, etc. All of these should be highlighted on the resume. When a recruiter sees an overview of a student that shows relevant work experience in the form of work-study, internships, or co-op or research, their resume automatically comes to the top of the pile.
Srinivas R. Chakravarthy Ph.D.
Professor of Industrial Engineering and StatisticsKettering University
Departments of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering & Mathematics
What experience really stands out on Quality Systems Engineer resumes?
Srinivas R. Chakravarthy Ph.D.: Having an internship or even better co-op experience (like Kettering graduates) goes a long way. This is true for any engineering discipline but more so for Industrial Engineers. While specific engineering programs, such as Chemical, Electrical, and Mechanical are well-understood by a common person (based on the names associated with these programs), the same cannot be said about Industrial Engineering. However, if one looks at what industrial engineers do, it will be very clear that they are indeed the backbone for continuous improvement in our day-to-day activities. They work with other engineers, as well as management, and offer ways to improve the products and processes that they are associated with. At the end of the day, the graduates in IE improve the lives of people in one form or the other. A great profession to be in. Thus, having co-op experience gives them a head-start as compared to the others.
How do you envision technology impacting Quality Systems Engineers in the next 5 years?
Srinivas R. Chakravarthy Ph.D.: Technology is changing every second, and all of us need to adapt to the situations presented. Recent COVID situation has shown that, if only proper data collection and analysis were done, from almost the minute the virus spread was noticed, things would probably be different. This leads to my answer to this question as follows. Technology will enable superfast computing capabilities making Data Analytic and AI to be even more effective in almost all fields, moreso in IE. This is due to the fact data is one of the key ingredients for the IE profession. The faster the data is analyzed, the quicker the decisions will be offered to the management. The reaction time is very critical for the manufacturing and service sectors. Another major development to be seen is in self-driving vehicles (either for personal use or for commercial use), which require data analysis on a different scale, as a small delay in feedback to the system will cause a tremendous cost to the service provider. So IE graduates will step up to the plate in devising schemes working with other engineers and management people.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Quality Systems Engineers?
Srinivas R. Chakravarthy Ph.D.: Yes, without a doubt. The impact will be both positive and negative. The negatives, unfortunately, would be the (lack of) confidence in the depth and level of the materials learned during (mostly) virtual classes. Virtual classes, as is known, involve different mentality and approach in the learning process. Not all students/faculty are on the same page with regard to the absorption/coverage of the materials. This might have some consequences, initially, but eventually will fade off. So, hopefully, nothing to be overly concerned about. Another negative aspect is, in some courses, hands-on experience has been replaced with videos, and it might take additional time for the graduates to get that knowledge, should that become crucial in their workplace.
With regard to the positive impact of Covid (no pun intended), IEs, with a special background in logistics and supply chain areas will be able to offer solutions. To distribute the millions and millions of vaccines to hospitals, pharmacists, and other service providers to inoculate the citizens across the globe is a real challenge and requires modeling/simulation and strategies. IEs will have to face the challenges and opportunities, and to lead groups of various engineers and scientists across a wide spectrum.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Quality Systems Engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Theodore T. Allen Ph.D.: The IIOT methods mean that people are entering factories and other production systems with much better knowledge of causes and effects and possibilities for system modeling and optimization. We, at the Ohio State University, are investing a lot of time training ourselves in PTC Thingworx, Microsoft Power BI, Siemens Mindsphere, and other enablers of IIOT. These platforms enable vastly more streamlined workflows and permit many more people to see the optimization and modeling needs more clearly.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Quality Systems Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Theodore T. Allen Ph.D.: The biggest trend is that people are really using optimization. Yet, they are doing it at a large scale and with words often not associated with IEOR. We will see continued use of IE techniques but with more emphasis on those methods associated with Artificial Intelligence and meta-heuristics. The obsession of the research community with rigorous solution methods and aversion to meta-heuristics is foolish. Meta-heuristics work! Also, the skills for rigorous modeling can position developers well in meta-heuristic development for specific applications.
Other key trends include wider use of image analysis methods and that Industry Internet of Things (IIOT) approaches are entering widespread use. These topics are too important to be left to computer scientists alone. Our digital twin simulations and optimization models are critical. Further, there may be an important link between IIOT and augmented reality and human factors. People will start to see exactly how they and their devices are getting sick/worn and how to heal/repair them much more clearly.
What experience really stands out on Quality Systems Engineer resumes?
Nil Ergin Ph.D.: Knowledge of analytical skills, methods, and tools for analysis, design, and management of complex systems and experience working with interdisciplinary teams are essential for systems engineering professionals. Experience in applying systems thinking and design thinking approaches to understanding organization, technical, and non-technical factors that influence the design and performance of complex systems stands out on resumes.
James Swisher
Director of Continuing EducationInstitute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
What general advice would you give to a Quality Systems Engineer?
James Swisher: It's truly an exciting time to be an Industrial and Systems Engineer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects demand for ISEs to grow by 10% over the next ten years, which is much faster than the rate for all occupations. Firms across a broad range of industries will continue to focus on the skills that ISEs bring to improve efficiencies, enhance quality, and lower costs. In addition, ISEs bring skills in the related fields of big data, artificial intelligence, and project management that make them extremely valuable to organizations. ISEs ability to quickly make an impact in an organization also means that their potential for promotion is very good. It's a great profession to be in.