Quality Control Technology

Types of Degrees Quality Control Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many quality control technology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	1,579
Associate Degree	719
Basic Certificate	553
Undergraduate Certificate	132

What Quality Control Technology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to quality control tech were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Quality Control Tech Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Quality Control Tech Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to quality control tech:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities for Quality Control Tech Majors

As you progress with your quality control tech degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Quality Control Technology Major?

People with a quality control tech degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Environmental Engineering Technicians	12.4%	$50,560

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Quality Control Technology?

Quality Control Technology runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #30 out of all the trade school majors we track. In 2021, about 766 graduates completed their associate’s degree in this field. This major attracts more men than women. About 71% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of quality control tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	15
Black or African American	77
Hispanic or Latino	157
White	354
International Students	2
Other Races/Ethnicities	114

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Quality Control Tech, too. About 0.3% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• Saudi Arabia
• Nigeria
• India
• China
• Pakistan

How Much Do Quality Control Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $42,010 to $74,940 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to quality control tech. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Quality Control Technology

Some careers associated with quality control tech require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for quality control tech careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	9.1%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	35.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	11.3%
Some College Courses	5.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	6.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	27.3%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.7%
Master’s Degree	3.4%

Online Quality Control Technology Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	45	3
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	75	13
Bachelor’s Degree	22	8
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	24	8
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Quality Control Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a quality control tech grad is $54,800 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 37% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $298,000 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Quality Control Technology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to quality control tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Industrial Production Technology	11,288
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	10,780
Environmental Control Technology	9,376
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	8,822
Electronics Engineering Technology	8,347
Engineering-Related Fields	6,553
Mechanical Engineering Technology	6,205
Construction Engineering Technology	4,299
General Engineering Technology	3,841
Computer Engineering Technology	3,509
Engineering Technology (Other)	1,907
Energy Systems Technologies	1,277
Architectural Engineering Technology	1,239
Civil Engineering Technology	1,155
Engineering-Related Technologies	969
Mining & Petroleum Technology	410
Nuclear Engineering Technology	235
Nanotechnology	104

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Gina Collecchia under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.