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Quality Control Analysts

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipModerate pressure

What they do

Conduct tests to determine quality of raw materials, bulk intermediate and finished products. May conduct stability sample tests.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $62,280 Median per year · $29.94/hr Most earn $39,000–$102,690

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Complete documentation needed to support testing procedures, including data capture forms, equipment logbooks, or inventory forms.
  • Identify quality problems and recommend solutions.
  • Receive and inspect raw materials.
  • Train other analysts to perform laboratory procedures and assays.
  • Supply quality control data necessary for regulatory submissions.
  • Serve as a technical liaison between quality control and other departments, vendors, or contractors.

Job outlook

United States
4% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 11,200 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools36.6%
  • Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences10.6%
  • Self-employed (their own business)7.4%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service6.3%
  • Temporary help services5.4%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Quality Control Analyst is an entry-level career. Many people start with a certificate or apprenticeship and roughly 6 months to 1 year of hands-on testing experience, so you don't need a four-year degree to get started.

  1. High school diploma or GED

    4 years (high school)

    A diploma and solid math and science classes give you the basics for lab work and testing, and it's the usual entry requirement for training programs.

  2. Quality Control Inspector

    6 months to 1 year

    You check samples and products against standards, record results, and learn how testing equipment and quality procedures work, which builds the experience employers look for.

  3. Quality Control Analyst

    Ongoing career

    With a certificate or apprenticeship and hands-on experience, you run lab tests on raw materials and finished products to decide whether they meet quality standards.

Where it can lead

  1. Validation Engineer

    2 to 4 years of experience first

    You move from running tests to planning and proving that processes and equipment consistently meet requirements, which usually calls for a bachelor's degree in a technical field.

  2. Quality Control Systems Manager

    4 to 6 years of experience first

    You oversee the whole quality system, including teams, audits, and standards, and you're responsible for making sure the company's processes stay compliant.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take chemistry, biology, and mathThese classes teach you how lab tests work and how to read measurements, which you'll use every day in quality control.
  • Join a science or robotics clubHands-on projects teach you to follow procedures, test carefully, and record results, which are core analyst skills.
  • Get a starter job at a grocery, food, or manufacturing businessWorking on a production line or in a stockroom shows you how products are checked and gives you early work experience.
  • Volunteer at a local hospital or community labSeeing how samples are handled and labeled teaches you the importance of precision and careful procedures.
  • Ask a school counselor about certificate programsKnowing which local programs in lab or manufacturing technology exist helps you plan your path after graduation.

In college

  • Take chemistry, statistics, and lab coursesLab techniques and statistics are central to running tests and judging whether results are reliable.
  • Get a part-time lab assistant job on campusCampus labs often need helpers who prepare samples and log data, which is direct experience for quality control work.
  • Look for internships or co-ops in manufacturing, food, pharmaceutical, or materials testingHands-on time in a real production or testing setting is what employers look for in entry-level analysts.
  • Earn a certificate in lab or quality assurance technologyA short certificate from a community college or technical school can help you qualify for analyst roles and show employers you're trained.
  • Join a student chapter of a professional or engineering groupMeeting people in quality and manufacturing fields can lead to job leads and mentors.

Tips for getting started

  • Take math, chemistry, and any lab or shop classes you can. Being comfortable with measurements and careful record-keeping matters a lot in this job.
  • Look for part-time or summer work at a factory, food plant, or lab, even as a helper or sorter. Experience on a production floor is often what gets you hired as an analyst.
  • Pay attention to detail and practice writing clear notes. Quality work depends on accurate records that others can follow.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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