Quality technician vs quality control inspector

The differences between quality technicians and quality control inspectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a quality technician has an average salary of $37,007, which is higher than the $35,018 average annual salary of a quality control inspector.

The top three skills for a quality technician include calipers, quality standards and corrective action. The most important skills for a quality control inspector are calipers, magnetic particle, and quality products.

Quality technician vs quality control inspector overview

	Quality Technician	Quality Control Inspector
Yearly salary	$37,007	$35,018
Hourly rate	$17.79	$16.84
Growth rate	3%	-3%
Number of jobs	80,291	92,794
Job satisfaction	3	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	-

What does a quality technician do?

Quality systems analysts are professionals who analyze the implemented quality standards of an organization's business procedures and policies. These analysts are required to execute test plans and resolve discrepancies with their technical personnel. They must coordinate all internal audits of the quality system while implementing corrective action to their audit findings. They are required to conduct weekly meetings with development staff to discuss defects and revised business requirements. Quality systems analysts must also identify the quality training needs for operations personnel working with supervisors and quality engineers.

What does a quality control inspector do?

Quality control associate scientist roles require good observation, critical thinking, and communication skills, in addition to knowledge of procedures and chemistry. They assist in laboratory experiments and research, while working in a team or independently. Working with the lead scientist, associates may compile reports of their data findings.

Quality technician vs quality control inspector salary

Quality technicians and quality control inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Quality Technician	Quality Control Inspector
Average salary	$37,007	$35,018
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $50,000	Between $25,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Broomfield, CO
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	Amphenol	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Health Care	Automotive

Differences between quality technician and quality control inspector education

There are a few differences between a quality technician and a quality control inspector in terms of educational background:

	Quality Technician	Quality Control Inspector
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Purdue University	-

Quality technician vs quality control inspector demographics

Here are the differences between quality technicians' and quality control inspectors' demographics:

	Quality Technician	Quality Control Inspector
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 60.4% Female, 39.6%	Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 8.6% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	4%

Differences between quality technician and quality control inspector duties and responsibilities

Quality technician example responsibilities.

Lead Kaizen events and utilize DMAIC, A3, VSM, COPQ, SIPOC, and FMEA to drive results.
Train test personnel and manage QC test technicians in a fast pace environment.
Interview, hire, and manage HEDIS temporary staff during annual HEDIS projects.
Manage and improve CAPA and MRB process by reducing quantity and value of material.
Manage RMA return process including issuance and closure of work orders and dispositions promptly.
Lead quality initiatives for two production lines via lean six sigma tools; root cause analysis , 8-D, and Kaizen.

Quality control inspector example responsibilities.

Coordinate joint surveys with SATORP inspectors and manage clearance of all issue active LBE and NCR.
Conduct measurements and verify critical dimensions using micrometers, calipers, measuring tape, protractors and other calibrate instruments.
Measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments including rulers, calipers, gauges and micrometers.
Use of the RF scanner to receive merchandises to their proper locations in a measure time.
Fill items correctly while tracking inventory using RF scan gun; manually correct product counts in system.
Complete lab checks on cook and raw pork products, as well as part of the HACCP team.

Quality technician vs quality control inspector skills

Common quality technician skills

Calipers, 6%
Quality Standards, 5%
Corrective Action, 4%
Continuous Improvement, 4%
ISO, 4%
Micrometers, 4%

Common quality control inspector skills

Calipers, 9%
Magnetic Particle, 9%
Quality Products, 8%
Micrometers, 7%
Safety Standards, 5%
Quality Standards, 4%

Quality Technician vs. similar jobs

Quality Technician related careers

Quality Technician related jobs

Quality Technician jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Architecture and Engineering Industry
Quality Technician
Quality Technician vs Quality Control Inspector

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse architecture and engineering jobs