Side-by-side distribution
Assembler
$47,492
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 30.9%
- Live roles
- 152
Quality Assurance
$112,112
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 33.5%
- Live roles
- 254
Highest-paying jobs
Custom Door Assembler
R&D Assembly Technician
Assembly Technician
Assembly Technician - Engines (Andromeda)
Technician: Assembly, Integration & Test
Technician: Assembly, Integration & Test (2nd Shift)
R&D Technician (electrical assembly)
Build Technician - Assembly Technician - (on-site 3 months temp)
Assembly and Test Technician
Assembly Technician
Highest-paying jobs
Technical Program Manager, QA Program
QA Engineering Manager
QA Engineering Manager
Senior Manager, CMC QA
Senior Manager, GxP Electronic System Validation QA
ClearCalc Quality Assurance Manager
Senior Manager, GMP QA Operations
QA Manager, Training Services
Project Quality Assurance Manager
Principal Analytical QA Specialist, Drug Substance
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Trexon
|
$43,420 | 6 |
Thorlabs
|
$40,560 | 4 |
|
Crusoe
|
$53,040 | 3 |
SpaceX
|
$52,000 | 3 |
|
Apex Technology, Inc.
|
$87,360 | 2 |
Quantum Fuel Systems LLC
|
$50,960 | 2 |
Flash
|
$46,800 | 2 |
AST SpaceMobile
|
$41,600 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Legend Biotech US
|
$90,478 | 4 |
Green Thumb
|
$107,500 | 3 |
|
Revolution Medicines
|
$99,000 | 3 |
|
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical
|
$171,425 | 2 |
Olema Oncology
|
$170,000 | 2 |
|
Radformation
|
$162,500 | 2 |
Genetix Biotherapeutics
|
$142,000 | 2 |
Quince
|
$117,500 | 2 |
Assembler salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $80,080 | 4 |
| New York | $43,659 | 3 |
Quality Assurance salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | $171,250 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $166,250 | 8 |
| New York | $161,250 | 4 |
Assembler vs Quality Assurance: which pays more?
The median for Assembler is $47,492 per year (typically $41,600–$55,260), versus $112,112 for Quality Assurance ($76,250–$161,000). That puts Quality Assurance about 136% 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.