How to become a Quality Control Analyst

Official title: Quality Control Analysts

Also called: Lab Analyst, Lab Technician (Lab Tech), Laboratory Analyst, Microbiology Lab Analyst, QA Auditor (Quality Assurance Auditor), QA Lab Tech (Quality Assurance Lab Technician), QA Tech (Quality Assurance Technician), Quality Control Analyst (QC Analyst), Quality Control Lab Technician (QC Lab Tech), Quality Control Technician (QC Tech)

Conduct tests to determine quality of raw materials, bulk intermediate and finished products. May conduct stability sample tests.

Main tasks

• Conduct routine and non-routine analyses of in-process materials, raw materials, environmental samples, finished goods, or stability samples.
• Interpret test results, compare them to established specifications and control limits, and make recommendations on appropriateness of data for release.
• Calibrate, validate, or maintain laboratory equipment.
• Ensure that lab cleanliness and safety standards are maintained.
• Perform visual inspections of finished products.
• Complete documentation needed to support testing procedures, including data capture forms, equipment logbooks, or inventory forms.
• Compile laboratory test data and perform appropriate analyses.
• Identify and troubleshoot equipment problems.

How to become one

Typical education to start: Associate's degree

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Quality Control Analyst.
• College: Science degrees, Offered by 36 universities in the US
• Certificate or associate's degree: Associate's degree. Programs such as Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General; Materials Science; Materials Chemistry

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $62,280 a year The middle half earn $48,030 to $79,780.
• About 89,500 people work in this job now, and about 93,400 are projected by 2035. (+4.4%)
• People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Related jobs

• Forensic Science Technicians
• Remote Sensing Technicians
• Hydrologic Technicians
• Agricultural Technicians
• Precision Agriculture Technicians
• Food Science Technicians

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Quality Control Analyst?

Ways in include: Science degrees; Associate's degree; Quality Control Analyst.

How much does a Quality Control Analyst earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $62,280 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $48,030 to $79,780.

Is a Quality Control Analyst a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 89,500 to about 93,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Quality Control Analyst?

Not always. 52% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Science degrees; Associate's degree; Quality Control Analyst.

Will AI change the work of a Quality Control Analyst?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.