Quality Control & Safety

Requirements for quality control and safety jobs vary widely. Some jobs, which require a simple pass/fail assessment of a product, typically require only a high school diploma and a period of training. More complex work assignments require more training--either through the company itself or through a technical school. Training often covers the operation of any special tools needed for the job, such as meters, computers, and gauges, plus other quality control methods such as blueprint reading and reporting.

Your chances of finding work in this field can in increase by taking college classes, online courses, or attending a technical school for industrial trades including computer-aided design. Some colleges now offer an associate's-level quality control and safety degree programs. The American Society for Quality also offers a variety of certification programs in quality control, which can help you advance in your career.

Median annual wage for quality control and safety workers (which include inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers) was $32,330 in 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those workers in aerospace products and parts manufacturing earned one of the highest median salaries at $47,330.

Unfortunately, because this profession is so closely tied with a declining manufacturing industry jobs--and because of the increasing use of automation to perform quality control duties--quality control and safety jobs are expect to decline by 4 percent over the next decade.