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The differences between senior quality managers and laboratory managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior quality manager and a laboratory manager. Additionally, a senior quality manager has an average salary of $127,285, which is higher than the $74,314 average annual salary of a laboratory manager.
The top three skills for a senior quality manager include continuous improvement, oversight and project management. The most important skills for a laboratory manager are lab equipment, patients, and customer service.
| Senior Quality Manager | Laboratory Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $127,285 | $74,314 |
| Hourly rate | $61.19 | $35.73 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 62,683 | 43,321 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior quality manager is in charge of designing and developing quality control measures to ensure that a company's products are according to standards. They typically coordinate with analysts and other experts to identify the market and clients' needs, evaluate existing quality control methods, and create strategies to improve production procedures. Aside from optimizing quality control, a senior quality manager must also monitor the workflow and the workforce's performance to ensure efficiency and their adherence to the company's standards and regulations.
Laboratory managers provide accurate laboratory diagnosis through evaluating specimen procedures and coordinating with pathologists to validate laboratory findings. They are responsible for maintaining laboratory tools and equipment, ensuring the proper sterilization of instruments before and after use, organizing equipment based on its function, and immediately repairing or replacing defective items. A laboratory manager also secures the confidentiality of laboratory systems, keeping records of results, and releasing information to the appropriate personnel. Laboratory managers must have a broad knowledge of the scientific industry, as well as excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills.
Senior quality managers and laboratory managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Quality Manager | Laboratory Manager | |
| Average salary | $127,285 | $74,314 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $178,000 | Between $49,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Upstart Network | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a senior quality manager and a laboratory manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Quality Manager | Laboratory Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Biology |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior quality managers' and laboratory managers' demographics:
| Senior Quality Manager | Laboratory Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 9.3% White, 69.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |