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Quality Control Technology

Types of Degrees Quality Control Technology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Quality Control Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	76
Associate’s Degree	76
Bachelor’s Degree	1
Master’s Degree	266

What Quality Control Technology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Quality Control Technology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Quality Control Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Quality Control Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Production and Processing — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Quality Control Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Quality Control Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Perceptual Speed — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Quality Control Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.4 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	3.8 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Quality Control Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Extensible markup language XML	Enterprise application integration software	—
Medical condition coding software	Medical software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	—
Computer assisted design software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Computer-aided inspection software	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—
Selenium	Program testing software	—
Verisurf Metrology	Industrial control software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Data entry software	Data base user interface and query software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Quality Control Technology graduates include:

• Optical Instrument Inspector
• Molded Parts Inspector
• Klystrom Tube Tester
• Box Inspector
• Ampoule Examiner
• Welding Inspector
• Upholstery Parts Sorter
• Tooth Inspector
• Switchboard Inspector
• Speedometer Inspector
• Lump Inspector
• Engine Dynamometer Tester
• Alloy Weigher
• Steel Inspector
• Spring Inspector

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Quality Control Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	69.8%
Postsecondary certificate	26.9%
Some college courses	2.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Quality Control Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 71.8% of Quality Control Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	119	28.2%
Men	303	71.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Quality Control Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	236	55.9%
Asian	26	6.2%
Hispanic or Latino	84	19.9%
Black or African American	43	10.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.2%
Two or More Races	14	3.3%
Race Unknown	11	2.6%
International Students	7	1.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Quality Control Technology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Quality Control Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,389
4 years	$70,808
5 years	$79,621

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $79,621 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Quality Control Technology Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Quality Control Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	5	1
Master’s	2	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Quality Control Technology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Quality Control Technology graduates earn a median of $70,808 four years after completion — roughly 86% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	3,938
Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician	3,147
Industrial Safety Technology/Technician	258
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians, Other	111
Hazardous Materials Information Systems Technology/Technician	—
Process Safety Technology/Technician	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.