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The differences between senior supplier 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 supplier quality engineer, becoming a quality lead takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior supplier quality engineer has an average salary of $91,025, which is higher than the $90,301 average annual salary of a quality lead.
The top three skills for a senior supplier quality engineer include continuous improvement, sigma and ISO. The most important skills for a quality lead are continuous improvement, product quality, and quality standards.
| Senior Supplier Quality Engineer | Quality Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $91,025 | $90,301 |
| Hourly rate | $43.76 | $43.41 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 74,475 | 62,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A senior supplier quality engineer is in charge of overseeing the delivery of supplies in a company, ensuring its quality and efficiency by designing and developing quality assurance systems and procedures. Their responsibilities include gathering and analyzing data, analyzing existing systems to identify areas needing improvement, and implementing solutions against problem areas. They may also monitor the performance of the suppliers, building positive relationships with them. Furthermore, a senior supplier quality engineer must maintain an active communication line with staff, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
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 supplier quality engineers and quality leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Supplier Quality Engineer | Quality Lead | |
| Average salary | $91,025 | $90,301 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $115,000 | Between $63,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a senior supplier quality engineer and a quality lead in terms of educational background:
| Senior Supplier Quality Engineer | Quality Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior supplier quality engineers' and quality leads' demographics:
| Senior Supplier Quality Engineer | Quality Lead | |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% | Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 13.1% White, 66.9% 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% |