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The differences between quality systems specialists and quality leads 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 lead. Additionally, a quality lead has an average salary of $90,301, 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 lead are continuous improvement, product quality, and quality standards.
| Quality Systems Specialist | Quality Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $74,283 | $90,301 |
| Hourly rate | $35.71 | $43.41 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 120,243 | 62,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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.
A quality assurance (QA) lead is responsible for organizing and managing the testing of products prior to its release. Your duties will include defining testing standards and strategies, establishing formal QA processes, and overseeing all aspects of QA, such as using best practices and establishing metrics. Additionally, you are responsible for supervising and mentoring QA team members, and developing and implementing scripts, test cases, and procedures. You are also responsible for managing off quality products and developing and institutionalizing ISO complaints.
Quality systems specialists and quality leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Systems Specialist | Quality Lead | |
| Average salary | $74,283 | $90,301 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $95,000 | Between $63,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | Everett, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | General Motors | |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a quality systems specialist and a quality lead in terms of educational background:
| Quality Systems Specialist | Quality Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between quality systems specialists' and quality leads' demographics:
| Quality Systems Specialist | Quality Lead | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% | Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3% |
| 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, 13.1% Asian, 9.1% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |