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The differences between senior specialist quality assurances 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 specialist quality assurance, becoming a quality lead takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior specialist quality assurance has an average salary of $91,993, which is higher than the $90,301 average annual salary of a quality lead.
The top three skills for a senior specialist quality assurance include GMP, CAPA and quality system. The most important skills for a quality lead are continuous improvement, product quality, and quality standards.
| Senior Specialist Quality Assurance | Quality Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $91,993 | $90,301 |
| Hourly rate | $44.23 | $43.41 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 70,539 | 62,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 44 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A senior specialist in quality assurance is responsible for analyzing operational processes and procedures, determining necessary adjustments for the current methodologies that would maximize service efficiency and staff productivity. Senior specialists in quality assurance follow strict quality parameters and write test reports for reference and improvement. They must have excellent technical skills to identify business solutions for successful product launch across various market platforms to increase and generate revenue resources for the business and gain more business partnerships.
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 specialist quality assurances and quality leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Specialist Quality Assurance | Quality Lead | |
| Average salary | $91,993 | $90,301 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $119,000 | Between $63,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | NBCUniversal | |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a senior specialist quality assurance and a quality lead in terms of educational background:
| Senior Specialist Quality Assurance | Quality Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior specialist quality assurances' and quality leads' demographics:
| Senior Specialist Quality Assurance | Quality Lead | |
| Average age | 44 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8% | Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 11% | 8% |