Quality Control Analysts
Life, Physical, and Social Science
The job is to run routine and non-routine tests on raw materials, in-process batches, finished goods, environmental samples, or stability samples, then compare the results with specs and control limits. That comparison leads to a recommendation on whether the data are sound enough for release. Time also goes to calibrating and maintaining lab equipment, keeping the lab clean and safe, visually checking finished products, and filling out forms, logbooks, and inventory records. When an instrument fails, the same person often traces the problem. It suits people who like precise, repeatable lab work and who are comfortable judging numbers against written standards.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$62'280
Median Wage Market Position
$62'280
What you might do
- Test raw materials and finished products
- Judge whether test results meet specifications
- Calibrate and maintain laboratory equipment
- Look over finished products for defects
- Complete test forms and equipment logbooks
- Track down problems with lab instruments
Skills that matter
- Testing materials against quality specifications
- Reading procedures and control-limit rules
- Tracking whether batches stay within limits
- Writing test records and equipment logbooks
- Judging whether data support product release
- Finding and fixing equipment problems
AI & the future of this role
Routine assays, stability checks, and pass-fail scoring against fixed specs can be sped up by sensors and model-assisted review. Exception handling, method judgment when results look odd, and accountability for release decisions still matter, but much testing work appears increasingly automatable.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details