Side-by-side distribution
Assembler
$22.50/hr
per hour · USD
- Disclosing
- 42.1%
- Live roles
- 1,658
Quality Assurance
$107,625
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 35.1%
- Live roles
- 832
Highest-paying jobs
R&D Assembly Technician
Sr. Electronics Assembler
Assembly Technician
Senior Assembly Integration & Test Technician
Assembly & Test Technician (1st shift)
Mechanical Manufacturing Assembly Technician
Master Manufacturing Technician, Autoinjector Assembly
Robotics Assembly Technician
Electronics Assembler B - 1st or 2nd shift
Engine Assembly Technician - Journeyperson
Highest-paying jobs
Contract QA/QC Program Implementation Manager
Senior Manager, Quality Assurance
Senior Manager / Associate Director, Clinical Quality Assurance
Engineering Manager, QA
Software Quality Assurance Manager 2
Sr. Quality Manager - Process Assurance
Sr. Quality Manager - Design Assurance
Senior Manager Quality Assurance, Drug Product (Filling)
Senior Manager Quality Assurance, Medical Device (Sustaining)
Software Quality Assurance Specialist/Applications Tester
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Teledyne FLIR
|
$45,500 | 38 |
| UL US LBM | $42,224 | 29 |
RTX
|
$44,980 | 28 |
Novanta
|
$44,318 | 20 |
Regal Rexnord
|
$36,213 | 20 |
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$61,200 | 18 |
Curtiss-Wright
|
$49,161 | 18 |
Jabil
|
$47,601 | 18 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Regeneron
|
$96,429 | 21 |
Cardinal Health
|
$92,425 | 11 |
Abbott
|
$130,000 | 7 |
Cumming Group
|
$117,833 | 6 |
Novartis
|
$99,236 | 6 |
| AB AbCellera | $65,411 | 6 |
GDIT
|
$144,762 | 5 |
Gilead Sciences
|
$142,155 | 5 |
Quality Assurance salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $139,490 | 4 |
| New York | $130,361 | 9 |
| Toronto | $117,038 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $110,000 | 4 |
| Chicago | $85,250 | 6 |
Assembler vs Quality Assurance: which pays more?
The median for Assembler is $22.50/hr per year (typically $20.20/hr–$25.75/hr), versus $107,625 for Quality Assurance ($80,098–$134,100). That puts Quality Assurance about 130% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Assembler and Quality Assurance are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.