Side-by-side distribution
Plant Manager
$143,102
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 40%
- Live roles
- 433
Quality Assurance
$110,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 35.1%
- Live roles
- 838
Highest-paying jobs
Plant Manager (Arizona)
Principal Product Manager, AI Factory
Product Manager, Software Factory
Manager, ML Solutions Architecture - Token Factory
Plant Manager
Sr. Manager - Factory Automation
3M Clarkston Plant Manager
Plant Manager
Manufacturing Plant Manager
Senior Plant Manager – Jacintoport
Highest-paying jobs
QA Manager, Personal Health Care, External Supply Solutions
Contract QA/QC Program Implementation Manager
Cx, QA, & Field Engineer, Site Manager
Senior Manager, Quality Assurance
AI Quality Assurance Engineering Manager
Senior Manager / Associate Director, Clinical Quality Assurance
Engineering Manager, QA
Software Quality Assurance Manager 2
Software Quality Assurance Specialist/Applications Tester - TS/SCI with Polygraph
Principal QA Specialist (Assembly & Packaging), CVRM
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| JC J.Crew | $45,604 | 29 |
Heidelberg Materials
|
$128,273 | 9 |
Greif
|
$146,500 | 5 |
Niagara Bottling
|
$136,879 | 5 |
LG Electronics
|
$97,500 | 4 |
|
Blue Origin
|
$193,880 | 3 |
| AX Axalta | $150,000 | 3 |
Scotts Miracle-Gro
|
$141,600 | 3 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Regeneron
|
$103,700 | 16 |
Cardinal Health
|
$86,588 | 10 |
Gilead Sciences
|
$142,155 | 7 |
Bristol Myers Squibb
|
$111,118 | 7 |
Loblaw
|
$80,750 | 7 |
|
GDIT
|
$155,217 | 6 |
Siemens Healthineers
|
$114,523 | 6 |
| AB AbCellera | $65,411 | 6 |
Plant Manager salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $184,053 | 4 |
| Los Angeles | $160,956 | 4 |
| Chicago | $135,900 | 3 |
| New York | $130,361 | 3 |
Quality Assurance salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $151,800 | 4 |
| New York | $131,431 | 8 |
| Los Angeles | $110,000 | 4 |
| Toronto | $108,322 | 4 |
| Chicago | $105,500 | 7 |
Plant Manager vs Quality Assurance: which pays more?
The median for Plant Manager is $143,102 per year (typically $115,000–$170,000), versus $110,000 for Quality Assurance ($80,625–$135,000). That puts Plant Manager about 30% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Plant Manager 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.