Side-by-side distribution
Process Engineer
$131,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.9%
- Live roles
- 389
Quality Assurance
$112,112
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 33.5%
- Live roles
- 254
Highest-paying jobs
Advanced Packaging Process Engineer
Process Engineer, Powder
Process Development Engineer
Principal Process Engineer, Fuel Cycle
Senior Process Engineer (Power Generation / Gas-to-Power)
Senior Additive Manufacturing Process Engineer
Senior Process Control Engineer
Senior Process Engineer, Fuel Cycle
Process Engineer
Lead Metallurgical Process Engineer — Metallurgy and Heavy Forging
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 |
|---|---|---|
Anduril Industries
|
$150,000 | 9 |
Phoenix Tailings
|
$140,000 | 5 |
|
Helion
|
$198,000 | 4 |
Mariana Minerals
|
$141,250 | 4 |
Blue Current
|
$135,800 | 4 |
Solid Power
|
$111,500 | 4 |
Scout Motors
|
$110,000 | 4 |
Apex Companies
|
$95,000 | 4 |
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 |
Process Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $154,750 | 4 |
| Boston | $130,000 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $116,250 | 4 |
Quality Assurance salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | $171,250 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $166,250 | 8 |
| New York | $161,250 | 4 |
Process Engineer vs Quality Assurance: which pays more?
The median for Process Engineer is $131,000 per year (typically $103,250–$160,156), versus $112,112 for Quality Assurance ($76,250–$161,000). That puts Process Engineer about 17% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Process Engineer 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.