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As of October 2025, the average salary for an Associate Director of Quality Assurance in the United States is approximately $131,112 per year, translating to about $63 per hour. This figure reflects the importance of the role in maintaining product quality and compliance in various industries.
The salary for this role can differ based on location, with states like California and New York offering some of the highest pay rates. For instance, professionals in metropolitan areas often enjoy higher compensation due to the cost of living and demand for quality assurance expertise.
Understanding these dynamics can help job seekers and current professionals navigate their career paths more effectively in the quality assurance field.
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The highest-paying states for associate directors, quality assurance are Alaska, Washington, and California. The lowest average associate director, quality assurance salary states are Georgia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $146,143 | $70.26 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $131,458 | $63.20 |
| 3 | Washington | $149,922 | $72.08 |
| 4 | Arizona | $130,857 | $62.91 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $130,627 | $62.80 |
| 6 | Alaska | $164,521 | $79.10 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $131,057 | $63.01 |
| 8 | Utah | $117,801 | $56.64 |
| 9 | Vermont | $129,603 | $62.31 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $124,743 | $59.97 |
| 11 | Nevada | $127,666 | $61.38 |
| 12 | New York | $131,184 | $63.07 |
| 13 | Maryland | $125,607 | $60.39 |
| 14 | Michigan | $117,493 | $56.49 |
| 15 | Oregon | $120,690 | $58.02 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $114,501 | $55.05 |
| 17 | Mississippi | $107,250 | $51.56 |
| 18 | Idaho | $122,468 | $58.88 |
| 19 | Virginia | $121,581 | $58.45 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $144,382 | $69.41 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $108,125 | $51.98 |
| 22 | Texas | $118,275 | $56.86 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $116,658 | $56.09 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $109,286 | $52.54 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $112,656 | $54.16 |
| 26 | Kansas | $113,419 | $54.53 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $112,945 | $54.30 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $113,563 | $54.60 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $102,552 | $49.30 |
| 30 | Alabama | $98,776 | $47.49 |
| 31 | Delaware | $107,186 | $51.53 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $104,036 | $50.02 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $100,531 | $48.33 |
| 34 | Illinois | $104,633 | $50.30 |
| 35 | Maine | $105,418 | $50.68 |
| 36 | Ohio | $101,026 | $48.57 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $104,351 | $50.17 |
| 38 | Indiana | $96,537 | $46.41 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $102,678 | $49.36 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $100,584 | $48.36 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $99,832 | $48.00 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $94,804 | $45.58 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $85,166 | $40.95 |
| 44 | Colorado | $99,381 | $47.78 |
| 45 | Missouri | $100,451 | $48.29 |
| 46 | Florida | $100,405 | $48.27 |
| 47 | Montana | $101,592 | $48.84 |
| 48 | Georgia | $95,460 | $45.89 |
| 49 | Iowa | $87,866 | $42.24 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $88,803 | $42.69 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $85,807 | $41.25 |
The highest-paying cities for associate directors, quality assurance are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Urban Honolulu, HI.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $160,042 | $76.94 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $154,114 | $74.09 |
| 3 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $145,127 | $69.77 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $132,041 | $63.48 |
| 5 | Albany, NY | $131,615 | $63.28 |
| 6 | Concord, NH | $131,341 | $63.14 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $131,158 | $63.06 |
| 8 | East Brunswick, NJ | $130,544 | $62.76 |
| 9 | Baltimore, MD | $126,023 | $60.59 |
| 10 | Hartford, CT | $124,959 | $60.08 |
| 11 | Richmond, VA | $121,300 | $58.32 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $120,306 | $57.84 |
| 13 | Detroit, MI | $117,887 | $56.68 |
| 14 | Salt Lake City, UT | $117,213 | $56.35 |
| 15 | Harrisburg, PA | $116,211 | $55.87 |
| 16 | Washington, DC | $113,657 | $54.64 |
| 17 | Charleston, WV | $111,187 | $53.46 |
| 18 | Saint Paul, MN | $109,433 | $52.61 |
| 19 | Jackson, MS | $107,412 | $51.64 |
| 20 | Dover, DE | $107,161 | $51.52 |
An associate director, quality assurance's salary ranges from $93,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $183,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $183,000 | $15,250 | $88 |
| 75th Percentile | $156,000 | $13,000 | $75 |
| Average | $131,112 | $10,926 | $63 |
| 25th Percentile | $109,000 | $9,083 | $52 |
| 10th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
The highest paying types of associate directors, quality assurance are quality assurance director, director of quality, and vice-president of quality.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Improvement Coordinator | $75,382 | $6,282 | $36.24 | 72,892 |
| Quality Supervisor | $60,486 | $5,041 | $29.08 | 61,400 |
| Laboratory Manager | $74,314 | $6,193 | $35.73 | 43,321 |
| Lead Quality Control | $85,375 | $7,115 | $41.05 | 83,633 |
| Quality Control Manager | $87,679 | $7,307 | $42.15 | 82,389 |
| Vice-President Of Quality | $128,198 | $10,683 | $61.63 | 89,115 |
Top companies hiring associate directors, quality assurance now:
Associate director, quality assurance salaries at Corcept Therapeutics and Exelixis are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average associate director, quality assurance salary at companies like Tonix Pharmaceuticals and Moody's are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corcept Therapeutics | $157,491 | $75.72 |
| 2 | Exelixis | $156,629 | $75.30 |
| 3 | Tonix Pharmaceuticals | $151,088 | $72.64 |
| 4 | Moody's | $147,934 | $71.12 |
| 5 | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | $141,859 | $68.20 |
| 6 | Regeneron | $141,523 | $68.04 |
| 7 | Merck | $139,426 | $67.03 |
| 8 | AstraZeneca | $138,851 | $66.76 |
| 9 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $138,851 | $66.76 |
| 10 | Eli Lilly and Company | $138,377 | $66.53 |
| 11 | Novartis | $138,306 | $66.49 |
| 12 | Gilead Sciences | $136,611 | $65.68 |
| 13 | Cytokinetics | $135,665 | $65.22 |
| 14 | FibroGen | $134,930 | $64.87 |
| 15 | Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | $133,742 | $64.30 |
| 16 | Mersana Therapeutics | $133,128 | $64.00 |
| 17 | Organon | $132,635 | $63.77 |
| 18 | IAVI | $132,399 | $63.65 |
| 19 | Seres Therapeutics | $131,098 | $63.03 |
| 20 | UBS | $130,782 | $62.88 |
The average associate director, quality assurance salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $138,744 | $66.70 |
| 2 | Finance | $131,419 | $63.18 |
| 3 | Pharmaceutical | $128,567 | $61.81 |
| 4 | Media | $105,877 | $50.90 |
| 5 | Health Care | $81,473 | $39.17 |
The average associate director, quality assurance salary has risen by $24,827 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average associate director, quality assurance earned $106,285 annually, but today, they earn $131,112 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for associate directors, quality assurance over the last decade.
Compare associate director, quality assurance salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare associate director, quality assurance salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $131,000 | $63.03 | +3.0% |
| 2025 | $127,000 | $61.12 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $125,000 | $59.90 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $121,000 | $58.28 | +3.4% |
| 2022 | $117,000 | $56.28 | +3.3% |
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