Quality Control Technology

Types of Degrees Quality Control Technology Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	655
Graduate Certificate	78
Doctor’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:

• 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

A major in quality control tech prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• 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.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• 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

A major in quality control tech will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• 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
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	8.1%	$73,020

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Quality Control Technology?

This major attracts more men than women. About 65% 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	16
Black or African American	91
Hispanic or Latino	47
White	335
International Students	11
Other Races/Ethnicities	155

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Quality Control Tech. About 1.7% 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?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

According to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a master’s degree in quality control tech have a median salary of $73,610 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $70,463 (25th percentile) and $80,675 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in quality control tech, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

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 degrees associated with quality control tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 170 schools offered some type of quality control technology 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)	44	4
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	78	12
Bachelor’s Degree	23	8
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	25	9
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!

Majors 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
Engineering-Related Fields	4,838
Industrial Production Technology	440
Engineering Technology (Other)	288
Construction Engineering Technology	264
General Engineering Technology	255
Computer Engineering Technology	179
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	145
Mechanical Engineering Technology	104
Nanotechnology	98
Energy Systems Technologies	95
Environmental Control Technology	89
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	43
Architectural Engineering Technology	39
Electronics Engineering Technology	39
Engineering-Related Technologies	15
Nuclear Engineering 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.