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The differences between supplier quality managers and quality assurance 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 supplier quality manager and a quality assurance manager. Additionally, a supplier quality manager has an average salary of $102,346, which is higher than the $99,894 average annual salary of a quality assurance manager.
The top three skills for a supplier quality manager include continuous improvement, supply chain and sigma. The most important skills for a quality assurance manager are continuous improvement, product quality, and corrective action.
| Supplier Quality Manager | Quality Assurance Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $102,346 | $99,894 |
| Hourly rate | $49.20 | $48.03 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 63,918 | 62,293 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Supplier quality managers are professionals who are responsible for managing the day-to-day activities and operations of the supplier quality department. These managers are required to monitor the performance of suppliers while identifying potential issues to improve quality and efficiency. They must implement product and process improvement strategies so that they can increase customer satisfaction, employee morale, and organization value. Supplier quality managers must also develop and maintain a supplier quality system by certifying their suppliers to ensure continuous product flow.
A Quality Assurance Manager's responsibility varies on the organization or industry where one is assigned. Most of the time, the duties will revolve around quality control, such as overseeing a company's manufacturing operations, ensuring that the process followed all of the necessary protocols, and the products met all of the standards in adherence to the company's policies and regulations. Furthermore, one must be able to detect and identify mistakes, conduct constant inspections, coordinate with various staff and supervisors, develop the workforce's quality by training employees, and come up with strategies that will help the company attain financial gains.
Supplier quality managers and quality assurance managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Supplier Quality Manager | Quality Assurance Manager | |
| Average salary | $102,346 | $99,894 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $135,000 | Between $70,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a supplier quality manager and a quality assurance manager in terms of educational background:
| Supplier Quality Manager | Quality Assurance Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between supplier quality managers' and quality assurance managers' demographics:
| Supplier Quality Manager | Quality Assurance Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.0% Female, 18.0% | Male, 67.1% Female, 32.9% |
| 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, 13.2% Asian, 9.2% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |