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.
view jobs near youfactors 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.
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.
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 job description
Quality engineers play a crucial role in product development and manufacturing. Their duties include:
- developing testing methods: One of your primary roles as a quality engineer is identifying and solving problems and developing new testing methods to measure product quality. If your company already has testing protocols in place, you'll study them and adjust their parameters to match the new requirements.
- analyzing problems: As a quality engineer, you identify problems or potential problems in products and processes. That means you should be familiar with every step in your company’s manufacturing process and be aware of any industry standards that must be met.
- solving problems in production processes: When you become a quality engineer, you will join a problem-solving team that is dedicated to finding long-term solutions to product and manufacturing issues.
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quality engineer work environment
As a quality engineer, you could work in industries ranging from automobile manufacturing to aerospace engineering. You’ll spend most of your time indoors or in a controlled factory environment, but your working conditions should be pleasant because most manufacturing facilities are climate-controlled. You may have to wear protective equipment when you work near production machines, and you could be given an office to perform research.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include production managers, designers, and other specialists. You might also work closely with product development and testing teams, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, marketing managers, production engineers, and machine operators.
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work schedule
As a quality engineer, you can expect to work about 40 hours per week. Typical office hours begin at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. If you are paid an hourly rate instead of a salary, you’ll be entitled to a rate at least one and a half times your standard rate if you work overtime. Most manufacturing facilities are closed on weekends and public holidays, but not all of them are. Most quality engineers work full-time, but part-time positions are sometimes available.
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job outlook for quality engineer
Quality engineers have flexible roles, which means they have many career growth opportunities. After a few years in the role, you should have a team working under you. When you become a senior quality engineer, you may be offered an executive position like senior project manager. Emerging industrial sectors like biotechnology and robotics often need experienced quality engineers, so you may be able to find exciting opportunities if you keep track of your local job market.
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benefits of working for randstad as a quality engineer
Working through Randstad offers you a range of benefits:
- being paid weekly
- flexibility
- always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
- many training opportunities
- a range of jobs in your area
Want a permanent contract? But you wonder why it would be interesting for you to work with a staffing company? A temporary job as a quality engineer is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
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.
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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how much does a quality engineer earn?
Quality engineers in the United States earn an average of between $92,000 and $117,000 per year. Quality engineers in parts of the country where the cost of living is high earn more, but even quality engineers who live in affordable cities usually make more than $90,000 per year. The pay is highest in emerging fields like automation and technology.
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how do I become a quality engineer?
You will need a bachelor’s degree in an engineering field if you want to pursue a career as a quality engineer, which would take four years of college. A master’s degree would open up more doors than a bachelor’s degree, but you do not need one to enter the field.
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is a quality engineer a good career?
Working as a quality engineer is an excellent career because product quality is a concern in every industry. As a quality engineer, your job prospects will be good because there would always be employers looking for candidates with your skill set.
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is quality engineering a stressful job?
Quality engineers rarely work overtime or have to meet strict deadlines, but the job can still be stressful at times. If you discover a manufacturing problem or product defect, you may be put under pressure to find a solution quickly. This is not something that you should worry about too much because you would have a team of qualified professionals to help you.
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what does a quality engineer do?
As a quality engineer, your duties will be monitoring manufacturing processes and testing products to ensure quality standards are met. When you discover manufacturing issues or product defects, you’ll be expected to work with your team to find solutions that improve production processes and product quality.
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how do I find a job as a quality engineer?
Applying for a quality engineer job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our quality engineer jobs for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV. If you do not have a resume, no worries. Just check out our resume builder. This state-of-the-art tool will help you to create your own resume. Need help with your application? Check out all our job-hunting tips!
submit your resume
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