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What is a senior specialist quality assurance and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

A senior specialist in quality assurance ensures that a company's products or services meet established quality and safety standards. They oversee the development and implementation of quality control processes, review and analyze data to identify areas for improvement, and work with other departments to ensure compliance with regulations and industry standards. They may also lead quality audits and provide guidance on corrective actions.

ScoreSenior Specialist Quality AssuranceUS Average
Salary
7.2

Avg. Salary $91,993

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.1

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 11.99%

Black or African American 6.24%

Hispanic or Latino 8.82%

Unknown 4.70%

White 67.73%

Gender

female 51.81%

male 48.19%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress level
5.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a senior specialist quality assurance?

Pros

  • High level of responsibility and decision-making power

  • Competitive salary and benefits

  • Exposure to a variety of industries and technologies

  • Involvement in critical business decisions

  • Potential for remote work arrangements

Cons

  • High-pressure environment with tight deadlines

  • Frequent communication challenges with cross-functional teams

  • Possibility of burnout due to high workload and stress levels

  • Potential for pushback from management if quality assurance efforts slow production

  • Risk of negative impact on company reputation in the event of product or service failures.

Senior specialist quality assurance career paths

Key steps to become a senior specialist quality assurance

  1. Explore senior specialist quality assurance education requirements

    Most common senior specialist quality assurance degrees

    Bachelor's

    67.5 %

    Master's

    13.5 %

    Associate

    13.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior specialist quality assurance skills

    SkillsPercentages
    GMP7.95%
    CAPA6.31%
    Quality System5.89%
    Continuous Improvement5.31%
    FDA5.04%
  3. Complete relevant senior specialist quality assurance training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior specialist quality assurances learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior specialist quality assurance based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior specialist quality assurance resumes.
  4. Research senior specialist quality assurance duties and responsibilities

    • Manage the inventory database for the computers, applications and users via SharePoint.
    • Replace a paper/pencil driven reporting process with a SQL database to automate data collection and reporting for entire customer facing organization.
    • Experience with API, ASTM, ASME, NACE, AWS, ASQ, BSI, and ISO.
    • Review batch records, QC testing records, and all supporting records.
  5. Get senior specialist quality assurance experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a senior specialist quality assurance. The most common roles before becoming a senior specialist quality assurance include quality assurance specialist, quality assurance analyst team lead and quality assurance engineer.
  6. Prepare your senior specialist quality assurance resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior specialist quality assurance resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior specialist quality assurance resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable senior specialist quality assurance resume templates

    Build a professional senior specialist quality assurance resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior specialist quality assurance resume.
    Senior Specialist Quality Assurance Resume
    Senior Specialist Quality Assurance Resume
    Senior Specialist Quality Assurance Resume
    Senior Specialist Quality Assurance Resume
    Senior Specialist Quality Assurance Resume
    Senior Specialist Quality Assurance Resume
    Senior Specialist Quality Assurance Resume
    Senior Specialist Quality Assurance Resume
    Senior Specialist Quality Assurance Resume
  7. Apply for senior specialist quality assurance jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior specialist quality assurance job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first senior specialist quality assurance job

Zippi

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Average senior specialist quality assurance salary

The average senior specialist quality assurance salary in the United States is $91,993 per year or $44 per hour. Senior specialist quality assurance salaries range between $70,000 and $119,000 per year.

Average senior specialist quality assurance salary
$91,993 Yearly
$44.23 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do senior specialist quality assurances rate their job?

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5 stars

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Senior specialist quality assurance reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Cons

administrative tasks - lack of basic QA tools such as MS Project for scheduling


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Pros

New field to work with compassion.

Cons

Low pay structure as compared to the efforts put in.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

Quality compliance, Concurrent documentation, Good Laboratory practice


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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