Where do quality control professionals work?
Quality control professionals or technicians work for every product-based company.
Be it a furniture manufacturing company or a food production company, it will need a quality control inspector to deliver the best quality products.
In 2020, we encountered 557,990 quality control inspectors working across the United States. The statistics might fascinate you to follow this career niche for a bright future.
If you want to become a quality control manager in 2022, these questions will help you throughout your journey:
- What is quality assurance?
- What does a quality control inspector do?
- What is the education required for a quality control inspector in the US?
- What are the essential skills for a quality control manager?
- How much a quality control inspector earns in the United States?
What is Quality Assurance?
Quality assurance is a predefined method to ensure that the final product is up to the quality standards as specified by the user or client.
Generally, the quality analysis of any product is compared with the ISO 9000 international standards. As a result, numerous companies worldwide use ISO 9000 to maintain the quality of their products.
What Does a Quality Control Inspector do?
A quality control inspector examines product quality and filters defects or deviations from industry specifications.
Here are the fundamental duties of a quality control manager:
- Read and understand specifications & blueprints
- Recommend changes in the assembly or process
- Monitor operations to ensure their alignment with production standards
- Inspect, test, and measure new products
- Reject or accept finalized items
- Measure significant products with calipers, micrometers, rulers, or gauges
- Discuss inspection outcomes with the responsible team or person
- Remove the products that do not meet desired specifications
- Report inspection results and test data
Here you can see quality control job descriptions of different level professionals with their duties:
Entry Level Quality Assurance Job Description
Have a glance at the entry-level quality assurance job description to know the real-world responsibilities of a Quality Assurance professional in 2022:
We are looking for a quality assurance tester to support our Quality Assurance department. The ideal QA tester will test digital products before release to keep up the reliability and quality. Being a QA tester, You will assist the Quality Assurance Manager directly. This role includes working with product and development teams to polish your knowledge and skills related to the entire product development cycle.
Additionally, as a QA tester at our company, you will:
- Test products for conformance to the required specifications
- Analyze, identify, and document problems arose while testing the product
- Compare complete product functionality with testing documents and templates
- Analyze testing data and make important calculations to get required results
- Document product defects via a bug tracking system and reporting defects to the development team
- Provide user feedback to the development teams on product functionality and usability
- Notify development teams and supervisors regarding the problems found
- Install, configure, maintain, and use required testing software programs
Mid Level Quality Inspector Job Description
Here is a real-time example of a mid-level quality control inspector job description. It is an aerospace engineering-based position in the United States:
We seek an experienced quality control inspector at our facility to perform quality checks on our aircraft. As a quality control inspector, you will report to the Quality Manager. The perfect fit for this position will accept and inspect completed and in-process flights.
Take a look at the major quality control inspector duties at our company:
- Performing inspections on various product lines, including composites, assemblies, and complex machine parts
- Developing quality control points and inspection plans within the manufacturing process
- Creating standard work instructions for detailed inspections
- Evaluating products and composite structures for acceptance criteria
- Initiating nonconformance process wherever necessary
- Performing safe operations on heavy parts via different inspection tools
Senior Quality Assurance Job Description
Here you can see an example of a senior quality assurance job description. You can check out the responsibilities at the senior profile in this real-time example:
We seek a senior quality assurance professional to inspect our incoming returns, vendor parts, and quality assurance throughout the pre-defined order fulfillment process. As a senior QA inspector, you will have to integrate data in Oracle and follow up on quality issues. In addition, the perfect fit for this position must assist the quality engineering team in rectifying product quality and process concerns.
The major responsibilities assigned with this role are:
- Performing electrical and mechanical testing to ensure product and process quality
- Checking and verifying components quality used via Starkey manufacturing
- Measuring, analyzing, and reporting part details
- Documenting and communicating incoming inspection results
- Monitoring and communicating to the higher authorities about rejected products
- Updating and maintaining flagged item reports in Oracle
- Assisting GDC departments with all the delivery performance issues
Education Required for QC Inspector Jobs
You can apply for quality inspector jobs after getting your high school diploma. You do not need a bachelor’s degree to get an entry-level QC inspector job. However, a degree will emphasize your value in the recruitment process.
The quality assurance degree program focuses on technical communications, manufacturing, safety, reliability, and engineering. You can also find many universities offering online courses in quality assurance.
Top 10 Institutions Offering Quality Control Courses in the United States
You can choose any of these below given institutions of the United States to get a quality control certification and start your journey as a quality control inspector in the United States:
- Parkland College
- Northeastern University
- Virginia Tech
- Florida Institute of Technology
- Temple University
- University of Wisconsin
- Alamo Colleges District
- George Washington University
- Lawrence Technological University
- Stevens Institute of Technology
Also Read: How to Build a QA Tester Resume in 2022?
Quality Control Manager Certifications
Though it is not mandatory to be a certified professional to become a quality control inspector, getting one can boost your career and add value to your profile.
Here are some certifications that can enhance the effectiveness of your portfolio:
- Certified Quality Auditor | American Society for Quality
- Certified Quality Engineer | American Society for Quality
- Certified Welding Inspector | American Welding Society
- Master Quality Manager | American Academy of Project Management
- Certified Quality Assurance Professional | Mortgage Bankers Association of America
- Certified Manager of Quality | American Society for Quality
Quality Control Inspector Skills
You need to have all the required quality assurance skills to grow professionally as a quality control inspector. Here are some skills that you can learn to beat your competitors:
| Quality Control Inspector Skills | Quality Control Inspector Skills |
|---|---|
| Magnetic Particle Testing | Product Quality Testing |
| Micrometer Measurement | Safety Standards |
| Product Inspection | Quality Assurance |
| ISO Comparison | Data Tracking |
| Inspection Procedures | Raw Material Testing |
| Engineering Drawings | Capability Maturity Model |
Average Quality Control Inspector Salary in The US
The average quality control inspector salary in the United States is $19.20 per hour.
However, the salary can differ based on the company's geographical location and experience of a professional.
Quality Control Inspector Salary by Location in The US
Have a look at the salary difference between different locations of the United States given below:
| City Name | Average Quality Control Inspector Salary (Per Hour) |
|---|---|
| Irvine, CA | $20.84 |
| Chicago, IL | $20.66 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $19.04 |
| Fort Worth, TX | $18.74 |
| Greer, SC | $17.02 |
Quality Control Salaries for Different Profiles in the US
Quality control departments have different profiles that you can attain as per your experience and selected industry.
Here you can see some popular quality control profiles and their salaries in the United States:
| Profile Title | Average Quality Control Salary (Per Hour) |
|---|---|
| Quality Control Inspector | $19.15 |
| Quality Control Supervisor | $20.65 |
| Quality Assurance Analyst | $25.09 |
| Quality Technician | $20.69 |
| Quality Assurance Engineer | $67,329 (Per Annum) |
Key Takeaways
You can apply for QC inspectors jobs after completing your highlight school diploma. These steps will help you grow as a quality control manager in 2022:
- Acquire modern quality assurance skills such as quality inspection etc.
- Get certified to beat your competitors and increase your value as a quality control inspector
- Analyze your targeted quality inspector job description to know the requirements
- Build a resume and apply for your targeted QC inspector jobs with a cover letter
You can use Hiration’s 360-degree Career Service Platform to build an effective quality control resume and cover letter. You will get 24/7 support in this digital tool for a seamless operating experience. For additional career assistance, feel free to reach us at support@hiration.com.
