Side-by-side distribution
Process Engineer
$119,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 29.2%
- Live roles
- 2,572
Quality Assurance
$106,838
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 35.4%
- Live roles
- 836
Highest-paying jobs
Forward Deployed Process Engineer Lead - R37
Director, Process Engineer – Dry Etch
Forward Deployed Process Engineer Lead - R37
Finance Transformation Process Engineer
Process Design Engineer - IT
MEMs Microfabrication Process Engineer (Metrology, Test, BEOL, or Bond)
Sr. Staff Engineer - Process & Equipment Design
Director, Process Engineer
Intel Foundry Process Development Engineer - Lithography
Senior Process Engineer (Power Generation / Gas-to-Power)
Highest-paying jobs
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, Medical Device (Sustaining)
Senior Manager Quality Assurance, Drug Product (Filling)
Software Quality Assurance Specialist/Applications Tester
Software Quality Assurance Specialist/Applications Tester
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Applied Materials
|
$147,500 | 90 |
Samsung
|
$107,500 | 35 |
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$111,800 | 26 |
|
Intel
|
$167,330 | 13 |
Anduril Industries
|
$155,750 | 12 |
Abbott
|
$117,000 | 11 |
Blue Origin
|
$119,041 | 10 |
| GV GE Vernova | $114,100 | 10 |
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 |
Process Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $170,000 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $128,750 | 10 |
| New York | $124,675 | 20 |
| Seattle | $119,041 | 15 |
| Boston | $115,000 | 5 |
| Denver | $112,011 | 3 |
| Austin | $110,500 | 21 |
Quality Assurance salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $139,490 | 4 |
| New York | $124,331 | 10 |
| Toronto | $117,038 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $110,000 | 4 |
| Chicago | $85,250 | 6 |
Process Engineer vs Quality Assurance: which pays more?
The median for Process Engineer is $119,000 per year (typically $96,100–$143,985), versus $106,838 for Quality Assurance ($78,253–$134,063). That puts Process Engineer about 11% 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.