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The differences between quality systems specialists 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 systems specialist and a quality assurance director. Additionally, a quality assurance director has an average salary of $140,937, which is higher than the $74,283 average annual salary of a quality systems specialist.
The top three skills for a quality systems specialist include quality system, FDA and ISO. The most important skills for a quality assurance director are continuous improvement, quality standards, and oversight.
| Quality Systems Specialist | Quality Assurance Director | |
| Yearly salary | $74,283 | $140,937 |
| Hourly rate | $35.71 | $67.76 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 120,243 | 66,888 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A quality systems specialist is responsible for conducting audit checks with the company's current quality systems and technologies to ensure adherence to regulatory policies and internal guidelines. Quality systems specialists evaluate the components of the system and recommend process improvement strategies, requiring them to have excellent technical skills to design or revise system interfaces. They also write comprehensive reports about the system's performance in meeting client requirements and determining usability to deliver outputs timely and efficiently.
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 systems specialists and quality assurance directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Systems Specialist | Quality Assurance Director | |
| Average salary | $74,283 | $140,937 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $95,000 | Between $97,000 And $203,000 |
| Highest paying City | Everett, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | General Motors | Upstart Network |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a quality systems specialist and a quality assurance director in terms of educational background:
| Quality Systems Specialist | Quality Assurance Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between quality systems specialists' and quality assurance directors' demographics:
| Quality Systems Specialist | Quality Assurance Director | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 69.8% 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% |