State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Quality Control Systems Manager Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Quality Control Systems Managers earn a median of $126,060 per year ($60.61/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 1.9% through 2034, with about 17,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 11-3051ManagementLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $126,060
- Projected growth
- +1.9%
- Openings a year
- 17,100
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Product Quality Director, Quality and Food Safety Manager, Quality and Process Improvement Manager, Quality Assurance Director (QA Director), Quality Assurance Manager (QA Manager), Quality Control Manager (QC Manager).
How much do Quality Control Systems Managers make?
10th percentile$78,000
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$98,160
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$126,060
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$161,880
Upper quartile
90th percentile$205,520
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $126,060 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $60.61/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $134,170 |
| People employed | 246,250 |
Versus all US occupations
At $126,060, Quality Control Systems Managers earn 147% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $75,080 a year.
Versus management occupations
The median is typical for the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $205,520 or more while the bottom 10% earn $78,000, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 90% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Delaware posts the highest raw median ($153,000), but once local prices are taken into account Wyoming leads at $163,436 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Quality Control Systems Managers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $153,000 | $153,294 | 370 |
| Wyoming | $151,490 | $163,436 | 390 |
| Massachusetts | $148,050 | $139,991 | 4,470 |
| New Jersey | $147,260 | $135,343 | 6,780 |
| New Hampshire | $146,590 | $140,729 | 1,540 |
| Washington | $145,210 | $135,694 | 4,760 |
| Colorado | $141,020 | $136,844 | 1,730 |
| Connecticut | $134,780 | $130,084 | 3,360 |
| Louisiana | $133,210 | $151,020 | 2,680 |
| California | $132,620 | $119,780 | 25,130 |
Is Quality Control Systems Manager a growing career?
Quality Control Systems Managers1.9%
All US occupations3.1%
+1.9% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Quality Control Systems Managers to change 1.9% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 4,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 17,100 openings are projected each year, 7.1% of the 241,900 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Despite limited employment growth, about 17,100 openings for industrial production managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Industrial production managers will continue to be needed in manufacturing and other industries. However, in some industries with declining employment, fewer of these managers may be needed.
How to become a Quality Control Systems Manager
Industrial production managers typically need a bachelor’s degree and several years of related work experience.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | 5 years or more |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as quality control systems managers.
- Bachelor's Degree100.0%
What does a Quality Control Systems Manager do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate quality assurance programs. Formulate quality control policies and control quality of laboratory and production efforts.
Industrial production managers oversee the operations of manufacturing and related plants. They coordinate, plan, and direct activities involved in creating a range of goods, such as cars, computer equipment, and paper products.
Day-to-day tasks
- Identify quality problems or areas for improvement and recommend solutions.
- Review quality documentation necessary for regulatory submissions and inspections.
- Review and update standard operating procedures or quality assurance manuals.
- Direct the tracking of defects, test results, or other regularly reported quality control data.
- Communicate quality control information to all relevant organizational departments, outside vendors, or contractors.
- Produce reports regarding nonconformance of products or processes, daily production quality, root cause analyses, or quality trends.
- Monitor performance of quality control systems to ensure effectiveness and efficiency.
- Instruct staff in quality control and analytical procedures.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where quality control systems managers work
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | 10% |
|---|---|
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 9% |
| Chemical manufacturing | 8% |
| Food manufacturing | 8% |
| Machinery manufacturing | 7% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Writing3.9/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Monitoring3.9/5
- Critical Thinking3.8/5
- Active Learning3.6/5
- Mathematics3.1/5
Transferable skills
- Quality Control Analysis4.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0/5
- Coordination3.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.8/5
- Systems Evaluation3.8/5
- Systems Analysis3.6/5
- Time Management3.5/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.3/5
Tools and software
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Program testing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Quality Control Systems Manager?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic3.6
Investigativeprimary4.1
Artistic1.3
Social2.1
Enterprisingprimary5.1
Conventionalprimary5.4
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Quality Control Systems Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Quality Control Systems Managers make?
Quality Control Systems Managers earn a median of $126,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 147% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $60.61/hr. The middle half earn between $98,160 and $161,880. The top 10% earn $205,520 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Quality Control Systems Manager?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Quality Control Systems Managers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 100.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Quality Control Systems Manager a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.9% over 2024–2034 against 3.1% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 17,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Quality Control Systems Manager do?
Industrial production managers oversee the operations of manufacturing and related plants. A core O*NET task: identify quality problems or areas for improvement and recommend solutions. Employers most often ask for Content workflow software, Data base user interface and query software, Document management software.
Which states pay Quality Control Systems Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Quality Control Systems Managers are Delaware ($153,000), Wyoming ($151,490), Massachusetts ($148,050) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Wyoming moves to the top at $163,436.
What personality type suits a Quality Control Systems Manager?
O*NET scores Quality Control Systems Managers highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.