Salary guide, May 2025
Quality Technician 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 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in the United States was $48,570 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $39,890 and $61,440.
Also searched as: QC Technician, Quality Control Technician, QA Technician. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
The Quality Technician title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35,510 | $39,890 | $48,570 | $61,440 | $77,860 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $17.07 | $19.18 | $23.35 | $29.54 | $37.44 |
BLS estimated 597,370 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $46,820 | $36,760 to $59,760 | 6,830 | 0.63 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $47,180 | $38,420 to $57,620 | 3,760 | 0.68 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $45,630 | $37,230 to $59,060 | 2,790 | 0.51 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $49,460 | $44,150 to $59,610 | 1,420 | 0.5 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,160 | $41,120 to $62,720 | 16,370 | 0.45 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,160 | $41,120 to $62,720 | 16,370 | 0.45 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $46,210 | $38,390 to $59,280 | 16,440 | 1.06 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $48,230 | $41,620 to $60,340 | 23,080 | 1.33 |
Rank every metro for Quality Technician
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.
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$74,450
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$73,310
- Ship and Boat Building$64,560
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$64,420
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$64,420
- Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills$61,330
- Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing$61,140
- Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing$60,820
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing$60,620
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing$59,260
- Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing$59,190
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing$58,360
- Communications Equipment Manufacturing$57,780
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)$57,110
- Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing$56,280
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 382,920 | $43,050 | $49,270 | $61,460 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 63,910 | $47,390 | $60,620 | $77,420 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 47,990 | $44,350 | $49,410 | $60,470 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 46,600 | $38,690 | $46,100 | $51,520 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 35,730 | $38,770 | $45,820 | $50,530 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 32,800 | $44,970 | $50,120 | $61,740 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 32,480 | $45,540 | $55,250 | $65,450 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 29,910 | $38,680 | $45,630 | $49,600 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 28,190 | $46,460 | $54,760 | $62,540 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 26,120 | $60,260 | $74,450 | $93,290 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 21,920 | $40,470 | $47,070 | $55,850 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 19,460 | $40,490 | $48,480 | $60,400 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 18,660 | $46,570 | $53,970 | $62,430 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 17,830 | $43,660 | $48,640 | $59,190 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 17,440 | $46,950 | $59,260 | $72,860 |
| 311600 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 17,210 | $37,210 | $41,070 | $47,570 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 17,190 | $42,910 | $48,570 | $59,840 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 14,050 | $45,350 | $49,940 | $60,720 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 13,840 | $44,600 | $49,520 | $61,220 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 13,800 | $45,100 | $50,680 | $61,110 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 13,430 | $46,550 | $54,510 | $62,530 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 10,570 | $48,480 | $58,360 | $66,930 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 10,330 | $46,260 | $51,620 | $60,320 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 10,330 | $46,260 | $51,620 | $60,320 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 10,030 | $47,390 | $57,110 | $66,250 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 9,420 | $41,910 | $51,060 | $63,770 |
| 332710 | Machine Shops | 9,230 | $46,800 | $54,690 | $62,500 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 9,100 | $40,640 | $47,770 | $56,580 |
| 336100 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 7,030 | $63,060 | $73,310 | $78,410 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 6,680 | $40,340 | $47,420 | $59,740 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 6,330 | $38,690 | $45,960 | $50,760 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 6,240 | $45,110 | $49,640 | $60,390 |
| 321000 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 6,120 | $39,420 | $47,830 | $55,730 |
| 311400 | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 6,050 | $38,590 | $44,870 | $49,030 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 5,830 | $39,070 | $47,600 | $59,530 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 5,710 | $46,700 | $52,060 | $61,370 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 5,620 | $43,680 | $49,100 | $61,330 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 5,620 | $37,110 | $44,670 | $52,200 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 5,560 | $46,450 | $50,350 | $60,320 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 5,520 | $39,140 | $45,750 | $55,830 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 4,940 | $36,950 | $41,160 | $47,650 |
| 323000 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 4,850 | $37,030 | $41,720 | $48,530 |
| 323100 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 4,850 | $37,030 | $41,720 | $48,530 |
| 311500 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 4,590 | $47,310 | $52,070 | $58,980 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 4,570 | $38,790 | $46,970 | $58,040 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 4,440 | $37,100 | $41,850 | $47,960 |
| 311800 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 4,190 | $39,580 | $46,260 | $50,560 |
| 312000 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 4,100 | $47,500 | $53,620 | $61,460 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 4,060 | $43,070 | $49,330 | $60,400 |
| 313000 | Textile Mills | 4,020 | $35,630 | $38,610 | $45,130 |
| 336200 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 4,020 | $42,850 | $47,900 | $58,330 |
| 312100 | Beverage Manufacturing | 3,690 | $47,540 | $53,390 | $61,090 |
| 321900 | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 3,580 | $40,540 | $47,550 | $53,490 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 3,330 | $49,230 | $61,140 | $75,860 |
| 336600 | Ship and Boat Building | 2,980 | $55,840 | $64,560 | $82,130 |
| 324000 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,570 | $49,860 | $64,420 | $96,120 |
| 324100 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,570 | $49,860 | $64,420 | $96,120 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 2,390 | $29,520 | $45,200 | $55,760 |
| 331400 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 2,290 | $47,040 | $56,280 | $64,870 |
| 313200 | Fabric Mills | 2,280 | $36,220 | $39,000 | $46,360 |
| 311100 | Animal Food Manufacturing | 2,240 | $43,670 | $48,100 | $60,070 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 2,140 | $46,890 | $53,440 | $62,140 |
| 315000 | Apparel Manufacturing | 2,130 | $30,310 | $36,080 | $39,180 |
| 314000 | Textile Product Mills | 2,110 | $35,350 | $41,500 | $46,520 |
| 334200 | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 2,070 | $46,690 | $57,780 | $72,540 |
| 331200 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 2,020 | $46,910 | $54,140 | $60,450 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 2,010 | $48,830 | $59,190 | $66,890 |
| 335200 | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,640 | $44,310 | $47,980 | $56,980 |
| 339910 | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 1,600 | $37,110 | $37,110 | $40,350 |
| 331300 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 1,550 | $46,170 | $55,320 | $62,270 |
| 311200 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 1,530 | $46,910 | $51,860 | $61,310 |
| 315200 | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 1,340 | $30,960 | $36,390 | $43,690 |
| 321200 | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,300 | $39,010 | $47,270 | $55,900 |
| 321100 | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 1,240 | $39,200 | $49,840 | $59,130 |
| 311300 | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 1,160 | $41,660 | $50,000 | $61,700 |
| 322100 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 1,160 | $54,900 | $61,330 | $69,540 |
| 314100 | Textile Furnishings Mills | 1,070 | $38,210 | $43,240 | $46,230 |
| 314900 | Other Textile Product Mills | 1,040 | $31,200 | $37,560 | $47,060 |
| 336900 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 940 | $46,140 | $51,740 | $64,420 |
| 313300 | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 920 | $35,470 | $38,710 | $46,030 |
| 336500 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 880 | $48,170 | $60,820 | $70,560 |
| 313100 | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 830 | $34,640 | $37,420 | $40,560 |
| 311700 | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 540 | $34,430 | $44,840 | $48,760 |
| 337900 | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 510 | $32,210 | $37,860 | $46,060 |
| 335100 | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 450 | $39,730 | $48,770 | $59,700 |
| 316000 | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 430 | $28,710 | $36,580 | $44,810 |
| 312200 | Tobacco Manufacturing | 410 | $43,410 | $55,770 | $76,160 |
| 315100 | Apparel Knitting Mills | 410 | $28,140 | $35,500 | $36,830 |
| 334300 | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 400 | $43,660 | $47,170 | $59,730 |
| 315900 | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 380 | $33,400 | $36,280 | $36,820 |
| 316200 | Footwear Manufacturing | 210 | $28,370 | $30,870 | $42,360 |
| 334600 | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 180 | $40,230 | $47,790 | $47,930 |
| 316100 | Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing | 120 | $39,160 | $45,450 | $54,850 |
| 316900 | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 100 | $29,040 | $34,550 | $40,460 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Quality Technician, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. 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?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $38,740 | $47,460 | $59,970 |
| May 2025 | $39,890 | $48,570 | $61,440 |
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.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Production Supervisor pay (SOC 51-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about red flags when we screen a technician?
We listen for people who describe charts but never acted on them. We also listen for a habit of closing nonconformance reports without a real cause. A technician who always blames the operator or always blames the machine has not learned to look at the process.
We ask how they handled disagreement with production, and we look for steady, factual answers rather than defensiveness.
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 Quality Technician?
The median annual wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in the United States was $48,570 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $39,890 and $61,440. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $35,510. 90% earned less than $77,860.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
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.
Is this the pay for a Quality Technician at a plant?
The Quality Technician title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 597,370 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
The Quality Technician role is tracked under the broader SOC 51-9061 occupation. The May 2025 national median is $48,570, which is $1,110 higher than the May 2024 median of $47,460. The middle-band width is $21,550. This indicates significant variation in how manufacturing facilities value specific skills like gauge R&R, nonconformance management, and SPC monitoring.
Since the BLS occupation combines many different types of testers and samplers, candidates with specialized QC lab or diagnostic skills often fall on the higher side of this band.
National industry performance provides a clear contrast to the general occupation median. Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing reflects a median of $74,450, while Motor Vehicle Manufacturing shows $73,310. Ship and Boat Building reports $64,560. These figures demonstrate that technical manufacturing sectors pay more than the aggregate occupation average. Manufacturing Headhunters emphasizes that industry-specific requirements, such as familiarity with ASQ CQT standards, often lead to competitive pay above the standard median, though these incentives remain largely unmeasured by the official BLS report.
Employment in the two highest metros shows local variance. In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, the median is $48,230, with a middle-band width of $18,720 and a location quotient of 1.33. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA region reports a median of $51,560, a middle-band width of $19,260, and a location quotient of 0.94. These metrics show where the profession is most concentrated rather than defining availability or the precise value of a single technician. The figures do not include performance bonuses, shift differentials, or other cash incentives often provided to skilled quality technicians.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
How should a candidate use the $21,550 middle-band width for negotiations?
The bandwidth represents the variation in pay across a very broad range of inspection tasks. A candidate can use this to justify higher compensation by highlighting specialized skills like gauge R&R or SPC.
Does the data reflect the difference between an entry-level and experienced technician?
The BLS data does not explicitly separate by experience or seniority. The range is a result of aggregating all workers in the occupation, including various levels of responsibility.
Why is the aerospace industry median higher than the national aggregate?
High-precision manufacturing environments require advanced technical standards that justify higher compensation. This reflects the premium employers are willing to pay for workers who can manage complex quality documentation.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4