Kinds of Quality Control Jobs
There are many kinds of quality control jobs. Workers with food quality assurance jobs are responsible for determining if food has been properly prepared, stored, and packaged. Software quality assurance workers test programs before they are used on computers to make sure that they are free from bugs that could affect their performance. Electronics QA workers make sure that technical and entertainment devices perform properly and will not cause electrical fires or shorts. Materials inspectors check products to make sure that they are free of flaws, missing pieces, or damaged seams. Mechanical inspectors are responsible for making sure that parts have the proper fit, finish, and tolerances to work together smoothly.
Not all quality assurance jobs involve products. Many quality assurance jobs involve making sure that services or processes are functioning at desired standards. For example, testers working in water or air quality control jobs are responsible for making sure that the water we drink and the air we breathe are clean and safe. Workers in aviation quality assurance jobs check aircraft over before flight to make sure that they will be safe to fly in. They also monitor the work of aviation mechanics and ground crews to make sure that the aircraft they work on have had the required maintenance at the prescribed times. Materials inspectors also check for lubrication, electrical wiring, and other things needed to make sure that a machine or vehicle is functioning properly. Meanwhile, customer-based businesses often have their own types of quality assurance inspectors, who track customer satisfaction and make sure that employees deliver services at the level customers have come to expect.
Day-to-Day Tasks of a Quality Control Job
Much of the day-to-day work of a quality control inspector involves inspecting, counting, or checking a particular element of a production line or process. Food inspectors use taste, touch, and smell to check for spoilage or other harmful problems with food. Materials inspectors check and sample raw materials as they pass through an assembly line or other checkpoint. Safety inspectors visually check vehicles and machines looking for wear, damage, or signs of potential parts failures. In addition to using their senses, quality control inspectors also use calipers, scanners, samplers, x-ray machines, biochemical sampling kits, and other types of data gathering tools in their work. As industry becomes more and more automated, quality control inspectors also rely on onboard electronic sensors and robotic monitors to keep constant track on the status of various products’ quality.
Many quality control jobs take place in factories or other manufacturing areas, although in the case of software QA jobs and customer service inspection jobs, the setting may be an office rather than a shop floor. Inspectors who deal in materials failure and other types of scientific testing work in laboratory settings where they have access to x-ray machines, scanners, and other types of specialized testing tools.
Quality Control Job Requirements
There isn’t one particular way to train for a career in quality assurance. As a rule, this job requires good math skills, strong hand-eye coordination, sharp eyes, and some mechanical aptitude. Jobs for QA testers in manufacturing or business applications often gain their experience working on the job; it’s not uncommon for an assembly line worker to move up to a quality control position after years of service. If the job involves specialized skills — such as using sophisticated test tools or a particular type of knowledge — candidates are expected to hold at least a two-year technical school or bachelor's degree in an applicable field, as well as any other required technical degrees or certifications (such as an American Society for Quality inspector certification). The process for hiring regarding quality assurance jobs in the US is similar to many other engineering jobs, with an ability to work with complex technical specifications a must. Programming skills may be are required if the job involves computers for analysis or if the inspections are performed on software.
Quality Control Job Salaries
As of 2006, median hourly salaries in the quality assurance industry were approximately $14.14, with the middle 50% earning $10.84 to $18.79 hourly.
Employment Outlook for QC jobs
As of 2006, there were approximately 491,000 workers in the quality assurance industry. About 70% of these individuals worked in the manufacturing sectors, dealing with vehicle parts, plastics, and electronic components. As with other manufacturing sector jobs, this area is expected to show moderate decline over the next decade as the inspection role is filled by automation or is outsourced to offshore production.
