How to become a quality assurance technician

Official title: Quality assurance technicians

Also called: Qa technician, Qc technician, Ndt technician, Quality analyst, Quality officer, Test technician, Quality engineer, Quality technician, Quality coordinator, Materials technician, Water quality technician, Quality assurance auditor

Quality assurance technicians perform a variety of technical inspections and testing and monitoring tasks to detect processing, manufacturing and other defects.

Main tasks

• Sets up scientific, electronic, or other technical equipment to perform functional and inspection tests
• Analyses and interprets the results of tests undertaken and writes up reports upon completion
• Supervises the work of routine inspection staff and notes any defects reported
• Assists quality control engineers in undertaking production audits
• Liaises with production engineers and staff to maintain the quality of output and to develop quality management systems.
• Establishes product specifications
• Maintains equipment and systems used

How to become one

Entrants normally possess a degree, GCSEs/S grades, a BTEC/ SQA award or A levels/H grades. Training is typically received on-the-job, supplemented by training courses where instruction in specific techniques is required. Various industry-specific qualifications encompass aspects of quality control.

Ways in

• Apprenticeship (England): Non-destructive technologies technician (level 3). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0288.

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £33,972 a year The middle half earn £28,500 to £42,362.
• About 28,600 people work in this job now, and about 30,700 are projected by 2035. (+7.3%)

Related jobs

• Laboratory technicians
• Electrical and electronics technicians
• Engineering technicians
• Building and civil engineering technicians
• Planning, process and production technicians

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Questions people ask

How do I become a quality assurance technician?

Entrants normally possess a degree, GCSEs/S grades, a BTEC/ SQA award or A levels/H grades. Training is typically received on-the-job, supplemented by training courses where instruction in specific techniques is required. Various industry-specific qualifications encompass aspects of quality control.

How much does a quality assurance technician earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £33,972 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £28,500 to £42,362.

Is a quality assurance technician a growing career in the UK?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 7% by 2035, from about 28,600 to about 30,700 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a quality assurance technician?

Not always. 34% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Non-destructive technologies technician (level 3).

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03