QA Technician Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a QA technician. You can use our job description template in this article to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a QA technician.
Who is a QA Technician?
A QA technician, also known as a quality assurance technician, is an expert who works with a team of engineers, scientists, and other specialists to identify problems in the production process and implement fixes to ensure consistent quality in each good or service.
Specialists in quality assurance ensure that consumer and organizational standards are being met. In order to detect flaws or problems in raw materials or produced components, they are entrusted with creating new methods or tests.
In accordance with defined requirements, practices, and rules, QA technicians carry out product and incoming material audits, audits to guarantee accuracy in outbound product orders, and other audits.
To carry out their responsibilities, the QA technician must keep up with changes in the industry, such as those regarding equipment and quality initiative programs.
QA Technician Job Description
Below are the QA technician job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a job description for your employee. The employer can use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The roles and responsibilities of a quality assurance technician include:
- Investigating cutting-edge methods and technologies that can improve the efficiency and standard of goods.
- Monitoring the quality of raw materials entering the plant and completed products leaving the plant.
- Identifying a fix, and looking at the root causes of product problems.
- Ensuring that production is not hindered by quality control procedures.
- Checking the efficiency and proper operation of production equipment and machinery.
- Coordinating efforts with other divisions to ensure smooth production.
- Determining if final products or raw materials adhere to industry standards or requirements.
- Giving advice on how to improve the efficacy of production.
- Notifying the QA manager of safety and quality problems.
- Taking part in projects to improve the creation of new products through research and development.
- Using computer programs to track production data, such as the input and Output.
- Analyzing client complaints about a product’s or service’s quality.
- Examining if plastics, metals, and other materials comply with quality, size, and shape requirements.
- Teaching quality control practices to new hires.
- Monitoring compliance with quality requirements.
- Ensuring that tools, machinery, and equipment are functioning properly by doing basic maintenance on them.
- Producing reports on quality control operations.
- Preserving the production facilities’ cleanliness and security.
- Producing certificates of analysis (COAs) for products that have undergone the required analysis
Qualifications
QA technicians must possess these qualifications:
- A minimum of three years of experience in a comparable role.
- An undergraduate degree in quality management or a closely connected discipline.
- Competence in creating and enforcing standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Knowledge of the standards for quality assurance.
- Exceptional communication skills
- A scientific mindset.
- Excellent analytical, mathematical, and data-interpreting skills.
- Extensive knowledge of testing automation software.
- Exceptional organizational skills.
Essential skills
QA technicians require the following skills to succeed:
- Technical proficiency:
QA technicians must be informed about the manufacturing process and testing protocols in order to guarantee that products fulfill quality standards. They have to be knowledgeable on how to use and comprehend how machines and tools function.
- Project Management
QA technicians require great project management skills because they usually work on projects with other team members. They must have the ability to efficiently manage their time and resources if they are to complete the job by the deadline. Project management skills are used by QA technicians when creating a plan for testing a website or application.
- Flexibility
As a quality assurance technician, you might have to adjust your working hours or travel to different locations for meetings and training sessions. Being adaptive will help you fulfill deadlines and maintain a healthy work-life balance. It also permits you to be open to novel ideas and strategies that could improve your efficiency in your role.
Communication capabilities:
Communication takes place between quality technicians and the clients, management, and other members of their team. They employ verbal and nonverbal communication strategies to convey concepts and offer solutions. They also employ communication skills to reply to queries and resolve issues. The ability to talk clearly and concisely is a quality technician’s most important communication skill.
- Auditing:
Quality assurance specialists frequently audit their own or the work of other quality assurance professionals to make sure that every component of a project was carefully checked. You can identify any knowledge gaps you may have and, if necessary, seek out extra training by completing an audit.
- Ability to operate independently:
QA technicians regularly work alone or in small groups. They could also be in charge of identifying and resolving merchandise issues. Independent work can help proficient quality assurance technicians do their work more rapidly.
- Time management:
Depending on the problems faced, a QA technician’s time requirements can fluctuate wildly. Additionally, they usually have to satisfy arbitrary deadlines. The ability of quality assurance technicians to successfully plan and manage their time determines how well they can perform their duties.
- Resistance to pressure:
Quality assurance technicians usually work in stressful environments where they might have to meet strict deadlines. Being able to operate under pressure might help you maintain composure and focus when you have a task that needs to be completed fast.
- Ability to solve problems
A product’s quality is ensured by skilled technicians who fix problems. They use problem-solving approaches to identify problems, develop solutions, and evaluate the effectiveness of those solutions. QA technicians employ their problem-solving skills in order to identify quality issues and ensure product quality. The development of customer-centered solutions also makes use of these skills.
- The ability to work with others in a group
You should comprehend as a quality assurance technician how the work that others in your department conduct affect your own. With this understanding, you may collaborate to meet your company’s quality requirements. You can help your coworkers when they’re overwhelmed or give them responsibilities while you’re busy to maintain quality standards.
- SOP development:
QA technicians develop SOPs by studying the manufacturing process and defining the necessary phases, the processes for carrying out quality checks, and the documentation needs. They also create training materials for the employees who will be responsible for these tasks.
- Knowledge of quality standards
For quality assurance technicians, understanding quality standards is a requirement. The majority of employees are expected to perform within the constraints imposed by their employers. Understanding extra significant quality requirements, such as those set forth by the Food and Drug Administration, will help you meet customer expectations for quality.
- Documentation
QA technicians utilize documentation to record their observations and keep track of any problems they encounter with the product.
They are able to prepare reports for senior management that describe the product’s quality and any possible improvement plans.
- Attention to detail
Quality technicians must pay special attention to every detail to ensure that their team and clients receive accurate information. Focusing on the details might also enable you to identify issues with a product or service before the customer ever notices them. This can help you and your team identify problems and resolve them before they affect the client.
- Objectivity of reasoning
Because quality assurance technicians must examine diverse data and statistics in order to design a process, analytical thinking is necessary to learn how to transform enormous data amounts into usable outcomes. They decide which data is a piece of vital information and what they can discard to get favorable outcomes.
- Cooperation Ability:
This pertains to a person’s ability to function as a team member. QA technicians usually collaborate with other team members like inspectors, assembly line employees, and managers to carry out their jobs.
- Organization:
This skill can help you maintain attention, complete work swiftly, and find resources when you need them. It will be simpler for you to obtain information later on if you keep records for each project you evaluate and keep them structured. When creating checklists or other sorts of documentation, you can use your organizing abilities to ensure that all the project’s intricacies are covered.
How to Become a QA Technician
Individuals interested in this professional path can follow the strategies outlined below to become highly sought-after quality assurance technicians:
- Obtain a bachelor’s degree
The least education requirement for the majority of quality assurance technician employment is a bachelor’s degree. Some businesses might prefer candidates with degrees in computer science or information technology, but others might accept candidates with degrees in fields that are closely related, such as network administration, software development, or information systems.
To prepare for this career, you should take programming and software development courses as an undergraduate. You might also consider taking additional courses in quality assurance to learn more about the topic.
- Acquire relevant experience
The majority of QA technicians had some prior professional experience before finding a position. Gaining QA technician experience might qualify you for a variety of professions due to your professional training. You can get experience by participating in an internship, shadowing a QA specialist, taking a course, or doing entry-level work.
Another option is to go to seminars, conferences, and workshops. These programs help you develop your skills as a QA technician.
A few colleges, companies, and government agencies also offer internships and apprenticeships that introduce students to the manufacturing industry. These apprenticeships typically include instruction in the technical skills necessary to become a skilled QA technician.
- Consider obtaining certification
Although certification as a QA technician is not required for this employment, doing so can help you develop critical skills and knowledge. Many organizations prefer individuals who have finished a certification program because they provide a more dependable source of skilled candidates
Some employers might insist that applicants hold the Certified Quality Technician (QCT) certification offered by the American Society of Quality (ASQ). You require a passing exam score, four years of schooling, and four years of quality control job experience to be eligible for this certification. The exam covers fundamental inspection techniques, testing equipment, quality auditing, and corrective actions.
As well as the QCT certification, ASQ also provides other useful certifications. For instance, eight years of study and work experience are needed for the Certified Quality Engineer certification. For this accreditation, three years in a decision-making role, which can include supervising roles is also required.
- Apply for Jobs
Once you have satisfied all academic criteria and achieved some experience, you can apply for open QA technician roles. Look for job openings in a profession that appeals to you and matches your skill set. To make your cover letter and CV more targeted, create them with the job description for each position in mind. Engage your professional network to locate opportunities and get referrals from other professionals.
Additionally, job listings for open positions are published by regional newspapers and job boards. If you receive multiple job offers, you can choose between them by taking into account where you want to live as well as the pay and benefits that each employer is prepared to provide.
- Join groups that will help you in your career, such as the International Association for Food Protection.
The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), a recognized authority, provides instruction and certification in food safety, quality assurance, and other related fields. By joining the IAFP, you can find out about recent advancements in the food business and job prospects. Either on your own or through your work, you can register for the IAFP.
Where to Work as a QA Technician
QA technicians can work in production or manufacturing environments where they inspect products and materials for defects and ensure they meet quality standards. They may work in offices, factories, or warehouses if they are employed in the food and beverage, healthcare, or software development industries. They may have to stand for extended periods of time as well as lift and move large objects as part of their employment. QA technicians normally work conventional daytime hours, though they may occasionally need to work late into the night or on the weekend to meet production deadlines. Some quality technicians may visit different job locations, gatherings, or training sessions.
QA Technician Salary Scale
According to the National Compensation Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a QA technician at entry level with less than a year of experience can anticipate earning $29,123 annually. More so, an early career QA technician with three to four years of experience earns $35,631. A QA technician in the middle of their career with five to nine years of experience earns, on average, $46,310 annually. The average yearly salary for a QA technician with ten to nineteen years of experience is $55,872. QA technicians in their late careers (20 years or more) earn an average yearly pay of $72,059.