Side-by-side distribution
Assembler
$54,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 41.5%
- Live roles
- 171
Quality Assurance
$108,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 28%
- Live roles
- 246
Highest-paying jobs
R&D Assembly Technician
Assembly Technician
Optomechanical Assembly Technician
Optical Assembly Technician
Production Optical Assembly Technician
Electromechanical Assembly Technician
Electromechanical Assembly Technician
Mechanical Assembly Technician
Mechanical Assembly Technician
Electromechanical Assembly Technician
Highest-paying jobs
Senior QA Manager, GMP GxP Auditing & Vendor Management
Senior Manager, Clinical Quality Assurance
Sr. Manager, Quality Assurance for Quality Control
Quality Assurance Manager
QA Manager, Training Services
Manager, Clinical Review and Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance and Documentation Manager
Principal Analytical QA Specialist, Drug Substance
Senior Technical Program Manager, QA & Developer Experience
Senior Construction Quality Assurance & Control Manager
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$89,492 | 8 |
Zone 5 Technologies
|
$53,560 | 8 |
SpaceX
|
$52,000 | 5 |
Thorlabs
|
$40,560 | 3 |
Apex Technology, Inc.
|
$86,840 | 2 |
GILLIG
|
$82,202 | 2 |
Stoke Space
|
$75,421 | 2 |
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$67,600 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Genetix Biotherapeutics
|
$142,000 | 3 |
Career Team
|
$51,000 | 3 |
|
Revolution Medicines
|
$159,750 | 2 |
Genezen
|
$97,500 | 2 |
Legend Biotech US
|
$90,478 | 2 |
| OP OpenEye | $54,600 | 2 |
|
Corcept Therapeutics
|
$188,730 | 1 |
|
Verra Mobility
|
$180,000 | 1 |
Assembler salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $86,320 | 3 |
| New York | $43,659 | 3 |
Quality Assurance salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $151,500 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $92,500 | 3 |
Assembler vs Quality Assurance: which pays more?
The median for Assembler is $54,500 per year (typically $44,720–$78,500), versus $108,000 for Quality Assurance ($79,375–$137,588). That puts Quality Assurance about 98% 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.