what is a quality engineer?

As a quality engineer, your primary role is maintaining and improving the quality of manufactured products. Quality engineers monitor and test manufactured products, and they submit regular product quality reports. Your duties may also include testing systems to ensure they meet technical and performance standards. If you discover an issue or problem, you will be expected to document it and collaborate with other engineers to find a solution. If you become a quality engineer, you could work in software development, manufacturing, textile production and many other industries.

Quality engineers should have excellent communication and interpersonal skills as they are expected to train new workers. This involves explaining the production process and demonstrating how manufacturing equipment is used. To perform your duties as a quality engineer, you need to be familiar with industry quality standards and have experience in engineering. It is also crucial to be familiar with industry quality standards and tools and techniques used for quality analysis like root cause and statistical analysis.

As a quality engineer, you analyze complaints received through customer feedback systems. Your job is to check the issues mentioned by customers to identify potential problems. When problems are discovered, you can recommend changes to the manufacturing process that could address them.

Would working as a quality engineer suit your analytical thinking skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a quality engineer role.

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factors affecting quality engineer salary

The amount you earn as a quality engineer will be based largely on your experience and qualifications. If you accept an entry-level position, your compensation may increase significantly as you gain experience and develop skills. Obtaining additional qualifications such as the American Society for Quality’s quality engineer certification could also lead to a salary increase.

The industry you choose to work in could also influence your compensation. If you enter a highly specialized field like aerospace or electronics, you are likely to be paid more than quality engineers in industries with less rigorous standards. Larger companies may offer higher salaries and more perks than employers with modest payrolls, but this is not always the case. Quality engineers also tend to earn more when they work in cities where the cost of living is higher.

male wearing protective eyeglass and gloves
male wearing protective eyeglass and gloves
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types of quality engineers

Some of the types of quality engineers include:

  • quality assurance engineers develop products to make sure that they meet customer expectations. They ensure the products don’t have defects or mistakes, which maintains product credibility and boosts customer confidence.
  • new product development quality engineers work as part of a team that develops new products and improves existing products. These quality engineers review design prototypes and designs and perform product quality tests.
  • research and development quality engineers test the viability of proposed new products and design changes. They coordinate new product testing and experimentation, and they troubleshoot design and manufacturing issues.
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working as a quality engineer

Working as a quality engineer is exciting and allows you to add value to products and improve customer satisfaction. Let’s explore some of the duties and responsibilities of quality engineers.

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quality engineer education and skills

Here are the steps to becoming a quality engineer in the United States:

  • earning a bachelor’s degree: Companies in need of quality engineers usually look for candidates with bachelor’s degrees. A degree in any engineering field will open doors for you, but a bachelor’s degree in mechanical, industrial or quality engineering would make your job search easier. Once you have earned your bachelor’s degree, you may want to remain in school to earn a master’s degree. Earning a master’s degree would take another two years, but it could open up doors to management and supervisory positions.
  • gaining experience: Your career options will improve as you gain experience. Once you have demonstrated how competent and capable you are, opportunities for career advancement would open up.
  • obtaining credentials: Many organizations with quality engineering credential programs could help you to earn a promotion or pay raise. These organizations include the International Association for Six Sigma Certification, the American Society for Quality, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

quality engineer skills and competencies

You will need to possess or develop the following skills to work effectively as a quality engineer:

  • process knowledge: Quality engineers must have extensive knowledge of engineering principles and practices. To identify ways to improve product quality and reliability, you’ll need to be familiar with all aspects of the manufacturing process and the methods used to test and evaluate them.
  • technical skills: As a quality engineer, you’ll be tasked with ensuring that products meet the standards that customers expect and deserve. This means that you would have to develop the technical skills needed to identify defects and solve manufacturing problems.
  • analytical abilities: As a quality engineer, you’ll have to pay attention to fine details as you evaluate and improve production processes. This requires an analytical mind and sharp focus and concentration.
  • communication skills: Quality engineers work with teams of professionals to achieve their goals. You’ll need to be comfortable working with others to be a productive member of these teams.
woman checking in the warehouse
woman checking in the warehouse
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FAQs about working as a quality engineer

Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about quality engineers.

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