Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior quality engineers and quality leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a senior quality engineer, becoming a quality lead takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior quality engineer has an average salary of $101,339, which is higher than the $90,301 average annual salary of a quality lead.
The top three skills for a senior quality engineer include continuous improvement, ISO and corrective action. The most important skills for a quality lead are continuous improvement, product quality, and quality standards.
| Senior Quality Engineer | Quality Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $101,339 | $90,301 |
| Hourly rate | $48.72 | $43.41 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 88,333 | 62,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A Senior Quality Engineer ensures that a company's goods meet the quality standards required. They may work in various industries, such as the automobile, textile, clothing, food, and electronics industries.
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.
Senior quality engineers and quality leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Quality Engineer | Quality Lead | |
| Average salary | $101,339 | $90,301 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $130,000 | Between $63,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Bruno, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a senior quality engineer and a quality lead in terms of educational background:
| Senior Quality Engineer | Quality Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | New York University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior quality engineers' and quality leads' demographics:
| Senior Quality Engineer | Quality Lead | |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5% | Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 12.9% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 4% | 8% |