Salary guide, May 2025

QA Manager pay, United States

Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.

This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.

The median annual wage for Industrial Production Managers in the United States was $126,060 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $98,160 and $161,880.

Also searched as: Quality Assurance Manager. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.

Broader occupation · SOC 11-3051 Industrial Production Managers

BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.

Industrial Production Managers in U.S.: median $126,060; published 25th to 75th percentile $98,160 to $161,880.

Annual wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$78,000	$98,160	$126,060	$161,880	$205,520

Industrial Production Managers in U.S.: median $60.61; published 25th to 75th percentile $47.19 to $77.83.

Hourly wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$37.50	$47.19	$60.61	$77.83	$98.81

BLS estimated 246,250 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-3051 Industrial Production Managers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.

How does pay compare in the target metros?

QA Manager pay in target metros (May 2025)
Metro	Median	25th to 75th	Employment	Location quotient
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$120,090	$86,300 to $164,900	2,300	0.51
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$119,360	$84,210 to $160,800	1,550	0.68
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$121,840	$89,090 to $166,420	1,050	0.47
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$130,120	$97,770 to $164,810	1,010	0.86
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$151,630	$117,020 to $178,570	7,220	0.48
Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$151,630	$117,020 to $178,570	7,220	0.48
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$132,990	$98,770 to $171,080	5,890	0.92
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$129,840	$103,990 to $165,090	8,850	1.24

Rank every metro for QA Manager

What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?

Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.

Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$155,730
Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$135,530
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$133,830
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$131,510
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$130,480
Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$129,500
Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$128,300
Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$127,420
Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$127,140
Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$124,850
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$118,960
Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$116,250
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$109,920
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$107,810
Printing and Related Support Activities (NAICS 323000)$104,240

Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.

QA Manager (SOC 11-3051) by manufacturing industry, national, May 2025
NAICS / scope	Industry	Employment	25th	Median	75th
31-33 · sector	Manufacturing	185,250	$98,370	$125,280	$159,150
336000 · 3-digit	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	25,800	$104,500	$131,510	$162,800
332000 · 3-digit	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	23,450	$90,010	$109,920	$138,480
325000 · 3-digit	Chemical Manufacturing	21,440	$106,190	$135,530	$169,170
311000 · 3-digit	Food Manufacturing	19,440	$95,170	$116,250	$148,320
333000 · 3-digit	Machinery Manufacturing	17,600	$98,400	$124,850	$156,920
334000 · 3-digit	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	12,170	$104,940	$133,830	$171,590
326000 · 3-digit	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	11,450	$96,720	$118,960	$145,370
3330A1 · 4-digit	Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)	11,250	$98,450	$124,790	$155,830
326100 · 4-digit	Plastics Product Manufacturing	9,620	$96,550	$117,930	$142,340
336400 · 4-digit	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	9,520	$124,810	$140,800	$169,400
3250A1 · 4-digit	Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)	9,340	$107,310	$139,500	$172,510
325400 · 4-digit	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	8,080	$116,550	$138,990	$169,920
3320A1 · 4-digit	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)	7,960	$96,560	$119,690	$149,230
336300 · 4-digit	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	7,960	$99,800	$124,910	$143,850
339000 · 3-digit	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	7,820	$99,010	$128,300	$164,320
327000 · 3-digit	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	6,940	$88,100	$107,810	$137,940
3320A2 · 4-digit	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)	6,690	$93,950	$114,900	$140,350
322000 · 3-digit	Paper Manufacturing	6,640	$100,720	$129,500	$161,330
335000 · 3-digit	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	6,260	$99,380	$127,140	$161,060
332700 · 4-digit	Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	6,210	$84,420	$105,370	$134,470
331000 · 3-digit	Primary Metal Manufacturing	6,010	$102,000	$127,420	$164,710
334500 · 4-digit	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	5,650	$110,400	$135,490	$173,780
321000 · 3-digit	Wood Product Manufacturing	4,750	$80,030	$101,510	$129,620
334400 · 4-digit	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	4,720	$104,010	$135,190	$171,590
332710 · 5-digit	Machine Shops	4,630	$83,940	$103,660	$134,740
322200 · 4-digit	Converted Paper Product Manufacturing	4,580	$97,660	$122,280	$150,980
339100 · 4-digit	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	4,480	$108,750	$135,850	$172,360
336100 · 4-digit	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	4,390	$100,130	$131,560	$165,450
311600 · 4-digit	Animal Slaughtering and Processing	4,200	$99,300	$119,820	$150,790
3250A2 · 4-digit	Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only)	4,010	$98,820	$124,440	$157,780
323000 · 3-digit	Printing and Related Support Activities	3,730	$82,840	$104,240	$131,880
323100 · 4-digit	Printing and Related Support Activities	3,730	$82,840	$104,240	$131,880
311900 · 4-digit	Other Food Manufacturing	3,640	$90,990	$112,850	$147,090
339900 · 4-digit	Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	3,340	$82,870	$107,730	$137,700
337000 · 3-digit	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing	3,140	$82,770	$103,250	$134,010
333500 · 4-digit	Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	2,980	$93,550	$109,790	$136,320
3370A1 · 4-digit	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only)	2,840	$82,580	$103,230	$133,630
321900 · 4-digit	Other Wood Product Manufacturing	2,760	$77,930	$98,860	$125,740
311800 · 4-digit	Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing	2,750	$88,190	$109,640	$137,820
335900 · 4-digit	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	2,720	$100,300	$129,200	$161,690
312000 · 3-digit	Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing	2,710	$101,850	$130,480	$166,040
324000 · 3-digit	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	2,650	$114,730	$155,730	$174,110
324100 · 4-digit	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	2,650	$114,730	$155,730	$174,110
332800 · 4-digit	Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities	2,600	$80,590	$102,030	$127,720
312100 · 4-digit	Beverage Manufacturing	2,450	$99,890	$130,100	$165,580
311500 · 4-digit	Dairy Product Manufacturing	2,420	$100,010	$123,960	$155,080
335300 · 4-digit	Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	2,310	$104,000	$131,970	$165,250
311400 · 4-digit	Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing	2,230	$96,430	$119,590	$146,490
333600 · 4-digit	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	2,180	$107,140	$135,300	$176,080
322100 · 4-digit	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	2,060	$128,610	$139,030	$171,120
326200 · 4-digit	Rubber Product Manufacturing	1,830	$97,400	$123,430	$154,350
331500 · 4-digit	Foundries	1,820	$96,830	$118,220	$137,500
311100 · 4-digit	Animal Food Manufacturing	1,810	$93,860	$104,400	$128,970
336200 · 4-digit	Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing	1,720	$93,120	$112,700	$142,080
332720 · 5-digit	Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	1,580	$87,090	$112,130	$134,040
331100 · 4-digit	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	1,520	$121,640	$145,280	$207,820
336600 · 4-digit	Ship and Boat Building	1,340	$101,600	$126,570	$164,590
313000 · 3-digit	Textile Mills	1,250	$83,270	$102,070	$135,120
333300 · 4-digit	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	1,190	$96,450	$123,440	$160,260
321200 · 4-digit	Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing	1,150	$80,180	$100,730	$129,730
311200 · 4-digit	Grain and Oilseed Milling	1,140	$100,890	$127,450	$163,410
331400 · 4-digit	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	1,010	$100,900	$125,940	$156,800
314000 · 3-digit	Textile Product Mills	980	$79,580	$101,670	$136,960
311300 · 4-digit	Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	930	$81,750	$118,380	$155,350
331300 · 4-digit	Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing	890	$104,530	$131,300	$165,050
321100 · 4-digit	Sawmills and Wood Preservation	840	$95,360	$121,560	$143,900
315000 · 3-digit	Apparel Manufacturing	810	$75,880	$98,720	$136,410
331200 · 4-digit	Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel	760	$102,320	$125,530	$155,360
334200 · 4-digit	Communications Equipment Manufacturing	760	$92,270	$126,780	$170,350
313200 · 4-digit	Fabric Mills	740	$82,170	$104,030	$137,730
335200 · 4-digit	Household Appliance Manufacturing	710	$93,260	$105,140	$128,430
334100 · 4-digit	Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	690	$80,150	$105,880	$140,240
314900 · 4-digit	Other Textile Product Mills	680	$74,720	$97,070	$128,960
315200 · 4-digit	Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing	570	$75,290	$98,710	$138,000
335100 · 4-digit	Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing	520	$86,660	$111,270	$143,240
336900 · 4-digit	Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	470	$84,940	$111,130	$147,630
336500 · 4-digit	Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing	390	$103,820	$118,170	$135,280
313300 · 4-digit	Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills	320	$83,910	$94,480	$129,990
311700 · 4-digit	Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging	300	$81,630	$104,270	$137,390
314100 · 4-digit	Textile Furnishings Mills	300	$95,220	$122,520	$146,210
337900 · 4-digit	Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing	300	$84,410	$104,380	$135,230
312200 · 4-digit	Tobacco Manufacturing	270	$111,280	$138,300	$174,020
334300 · 4-digit	Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing	250	$84,150	$123,250	$158,980
316000 · 3-digit	Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing	220	$77,090	$99,800	$131,740
339910 · 5-digit	Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing	220	$82,370	$114,560	$137,020
313100 · 4-digit	Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills	190	$89,700	$100,820	$125,840
315900 · 4-digit	Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing	180	$79,150	$99,230	$124,890
316900 · 4-digit	Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing	110	$71,920	$90,990	$130,520
334600 · 4-digit	Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media	100	$82,560	$126,730	$185,000
316200 · 4-digit	Footwear Manufacturing	70	$94,960	$104,090	$136,190
315100 · 4-digit	Apparel Knitting Mills	50	$76,600	$94,230	$132,750
316100 · 4-digit	Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing	40	$79,410	$91,090	$143,360

What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?

For QA Manager, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.

An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.

Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.

What should you know about two BLS releases?

QA Manager in the United States, annual wages, May 2024 and May 2025
Release period	25th	Median	75th
May 2024	$94,620	$121,440	$156,330
May 2025	$98,160	$126,060	$161,880

These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.

Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.

What should you know about recall and traceability readiness?

Ask whether the candidate has run a mock recall, how long it took to trace a lot forward and backward, and what gaps they found. In food and pharma this is the central test of the system.

What should you know about questions?

Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.

What is the median pay for a QA Manager?

What does the 10th percentile mean here?

10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $78,000. 90% earned less than $205,520.

Does this include overtime or bonuses?

Is this the pay for a QA Manager at a plant?

BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.

How many people work in this occupation?

BLS estimated 246,250 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.

What should you know about related?

Underlying BLS figures for this role (JSON)

Reading this wage estimate

What does this data mean for your opening?

The QA Manager role is currently tracked under the broader SOC 11-3051, Industrial Production Managers. For QA Manager in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $126,060; the May 2024 median is $121,440. Their arithmetic difference is $4,620.

They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. With a very wide middle-band width of $63,720, the compensation for this role varies dramatically. Manufacturing Headhunters observes that industry-specific medians, such as $155,730 in Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing and $145,280 in Iron and Steel Mills, reflect the higher pay tiers for quality leaders in critical-process environments. For QA Manager in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.

Regional employment hubs show higher pay than the national median. The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area reports a median of $129,840, and the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, area shows a median of $128,540. The large middle-band width across the country highlights the gap between departmental QA supervisors and site-level quality executives. For QA Manager in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $126,060; the May 2024 median is $121,440. Their arithmetic difference is $4,620. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.

When recruiting for a QA Manager, it is vital to remember that BLS data is cross-industry. A production manager in a low-complexity environment is grouped with a high-level QA manager in a chemical or energy facility. Consequently, the median wage may be lower than the realistic market rate for a candidate capable of managing audits, team leadership, and regulatory affairs in a manufacturing environment. For QA Manager in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $98,160 to $161,880 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.

Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?

What does the large middle-band width tell me about budgeting?

It signals that experience, size of the facility, and industry-specific hazards cause massive variance in pay. A one-size-fits-all salary target is ineffective for this role.

Are the hub salaries reflective of higher costs of living?

They reflect local competitive pressures for industrial production leadership. These hubs serve as benchmarks for large-scale operations rather than small niche facilities.

Does this SOC differentiate between a QA manager and a plant manager?

No, it groups all industrial production managers together, regardless of their specific functional focus like Quality Assurance, Safety, or Plant Operations.