Quality Control Engineer

Quality Control engineers are responsible for developing and applying quality control standards in industry. These standards may be related to the manufacturing process, materials utilized, overall product or a combination of the three. In some cases, engineers specialize in a specific area of quality control such as design, process evaluation, product reliability, automated procedures or research and development.

Quality control engineers are involved in testing, inspecting and evaluating procedures and products. The knowledge to do so may be drawn from the chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering fields.

Quality Control Engineering Degrees

It is becoming increasingly common to require a bachelor’s degree for this profession. Local, state and federal certificates may also be required depending on the geographic region and the type of industry. Management and/or training positions may also require a master’s degree.

Quality Control Engineer Job Description

Designing and implementing quality control standards are the primary duties for this occupation. The standards may relate to the product being developed, work environment or manufacturing process. Becoming a quality control engineer means being responsible for all standards related to a specific location and industry.

Product Development engineers typically perform the following duties:

• Create quality standards for the work environment, manufacturing and final product
• Oversee the implementation of those standards
• Write and develop materials and training workshops to educate employees about the standards
• Test, measure and analyze production equipment and methods
• Evaluate procedural methods
• Manage employees for testing products and formulating appropriate data
• Conduct research and development or lead a research and development team to establish new product standards.

This type of engineering requires excellent written and verbal skills. Understanding the thorough operation of the industry and the ability to foresee challenges that may arise is a major part of the job.

Quality Control Engineer Salary

Advancements in technology have not eliminated the essential need for quality control engineers. Improved education does increase salary by at least $10,000 annually depending on the degree level.

The salary range for a mechanical engineer is $46,000 to $112,000 annually according to The Department of Labor. Geographic region, level of responsibility and educational degree affect overall annual salary.