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The differences between supplier quality managers and quality leads 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 lead. Additionally, a supplier quality manager has an average salary of $102,346, which is higher than the $90,301 average annual salary of a quality lead.
The top three skills for a supplier quality manager include continuous improvement, supply chain and sigma. The most important skills for a quality lead are continuous improvement, product quality, and quality standards.
| Supplier Quality Manager | Quality Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $102,346 | $90,301 |
| Hourly rate | $49.20 | $43.41 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 63,918 | 62,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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 (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.
Supplier quality managers and quality leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Supplier Quality Manager | Quality Lead | |
| Average salary | $102,346 | $90,301 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $135,000 | Between $63,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Genentech | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a supplier quality manager and a quality lead in terms of educational background:
| Supplier Quality Manager | Quality Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between supplier quality managers' and quality leads' demographics:
| Supplier Quality Manager | Quality Lead | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.0% Female, 18.0% | Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3% |
| 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, 13.1% Asian, 9.1% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |