Quality Control Technology

Types of Degrees Quality Control Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many quality control technology/technician graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	136
Undergraduate Certificate	109
Associate Degree	85
Bachelor’s Degree	3

What Quality Control Technology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, quality control tech majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Quality Control Tech Majors

Quality Control Tech majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• 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.
• 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.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Quality Control Tech Majors

When studying quality control tech, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
• 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.

Abilities for Quality Control Tech Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a quality control tech student include the following:

• 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.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

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

This major tends to be male dominated. About 68% of recent graduates are men.

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	1
Black or African American	1
Hispanic or Latino	15
White	55
International Students	1
Other Races/Ethnicities	12

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Quality Control Tech, too. About 1.2% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Quality Control Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Quality Control Tech majors often go into careers with median salaries of $42,010. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

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.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to quality control tech have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	14.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	52.2%
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)	14.0%
Some College Courses	7.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	9.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	2.8%

Online Quality Control Technology Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 67 schools offered some type of quality control technology/technician program. 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)	15	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	21	3
Bachelor’s Degree	9	4
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	6	1
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	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 $42,010 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 5% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $42,200 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
Occupational Safety & Health Technology	2,399
Industrial Safety Technology	260
Other Quality Control & Safety Technologies	96
Hazardous Materials Information Systems Technology	0

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.