Quality Control Analysts: Career Overview
Conduct tests to determine quality of raw materials, bulk intermediate and finished products. May conduct stability sample tests.
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What Tasks Do Quality Control Analysts Do?
The core tasks performed by quality control analysts cover:
- Conduct routine and non-routine analyses of in-process materials, raw materials, environmental samples, finished goods, or stability samples.
- Interpret test results, compare them to established specifications and control limits, and make recommendations on appropriateness of data for release.
- Calibrate, validate, or maintain laboratory equipment.
- Ensure that lab cleanliness and safety standards are maintained.
- Perform visual inspections of finished products.
- Complete documentation needed to support testing procedures, including data capture forms, equipment logbooks, or inventory forms.
- Compile laboratory test data and perform appropriate analyses.
- Identify and troubleshoot equipment problems.
What Quality Control Analysts Need to Know
Top quality control analysts draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Quality Control Analysts Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Chemistry Quality Control Analyst (Chemistry QC Analyst)
- Chemistry Quality Control Technician (Chemistry QC Technician)
- Data Quality Analyst
- IT Quality Control Analyst (Information Technology Quality Control Analyst)
- Lab Analyst
- Lab Technician (Lab Tech)
- Laboratory Analyst
- Laboratory Technician (Lab Tech)
How Many Quality Control Analysts Are There?
There are roughly 93,809 quality control analysts working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +12.9% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Quality Control Analysts Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $53,423 |
| Hourly median | $25.68 |
| 10th percentile | $33,159 |
| 25th percentile | $43,291 |
| 75th percentile | $63,554 |
| 90th percentile | $73,686 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Quality Control Analysts Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $75,780 |
| Oklahoma | $73,940 |
| Connecticut | $72,090 |
| District of Columbia | $70,680 |
| Washington | $70,650 |
| Alaska | $68,600 |
| Maryland | $67,040 |
| North Carolina | $66,090 |
| North Dakota | $65,800 |
| Georgia | $65,070 |
| Vermont | $63,960 |
| Massachusetts | $62,610 |
| New York | $62,500 |
| Colorado | $62,180 |
| Wyoming | $61,740 |
| Kansas | $61,740 |
| Indiana | $61,610 |
| Virginia | $61,470 |
| Rhode Island | $61,160 |
| Kentucky | $60,340 |
| West Virginia | $60,250 |
| South Carolina | $59,900 |
| Maine | $59,690 |
| Mississippi | $59,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,590 |
| New Hampshire | $57,880 |
| Florida | $57,840 |
| New Mexico | $57,180 |
| New Jersey | $56,950 |
| Oregon | $55,890 |
| Illinois | $54,720 |
| Arkansas | $54,290 |
| Nevada | $53,990 |
| Alabama | $53,910 |
| Utah | $52,400 |
| Missouri | $52,400 |
| Nebraska | $52,000 |
| Michigan | $51,400 |
| Montana | $50,510 |
| Texas | $48,550 |
| Louisiana | $48,240 |
| Idaho | $47,870 |
| Tennessee | $47,520 |
| Arizona | $47,330 |
| Minnesota | $47,130 |
| Ohio | $46,540 |
| Hawaii | $45,710 |
| Wisconsin | $44,120 |
| Iowa | $44,040 |
| South Dakota | $41,250 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,710 |
Where Quality Control Analysts Earn the Most
Compensation for quality control analysts differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $70,824 | 19.9% | 1.39 |
| New England | $62,638 | 2.0% | 1.00 |
| Middle Atlantic | $61,924 | 21.0% | 1.58 |
| Southeast | $59,820 | 22.6% | 1.17 |
| Rocky Mountains | $56,011 | 5.8% | 1.50 |
| Plains States | $51,642 | 8.4% | 1.29 |
| Great Lakes | $51,001 | 7.1% | 0.52 |
| Southwest | $49,985 | 12.4% | 1.11 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $112,040 | 50 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | OK | $106,850 | 240 |
| Spartanburg, SC | SC | $105,350 | 260 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | GA | $86,350 | 150 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | CA | $82,290 | 70 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $81,030 | 1,880 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $80,100 | 2,000 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $79,360 |
Industry Breakdown
Most quality control analysts work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 21,830 | $60,130 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 16,840 | $62,460 |
| Manufacturing | 8,800 | $62,990 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 5,980 | $46,750 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 4,050 | $59,370 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1,210 | $60,980 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 730 | $64,720 |
| Finance and Insurance | 670 | $61,600 |
Below are examples of industries where quality control analysts work:
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Content workflow software: Atlassian JIRA (hot technology)
- Development environment software: C (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Microsoft ASP.NET (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for quality control analysts tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Education and Training
Typical quality control analysts positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Quality Control Systems Managers (Primary-Short)
- Software Developers (Supplemental)
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers (Primary-Long)
- Penetration Testers (Supplemental)
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors (Supplemental)
- Industrial Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Validation Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Future quality control analysts commonly pursue programs in:
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
4 programs across 2 majors
Science Technologies/Technicians
4 programs across 3 majors
Physical Sciences
3 programs across 2 majors
Social Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 19-4099.01 (Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other).
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