Side-by-side distribution
Assembler
$49,920
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 28.7%
- Live roles
- 181
Quality Assurance
$106,250
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 32.2%
- Live roles
- 258
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)
Electronics Assembly Technician (Vendor)
Assembly, Integration & Test (AI&T) Technician
Assembly and Test Technician
Highest-paying jobs
QA Engineering Manager
QA Engineering Manager
Senior Manager, GxP Electronic System Validation QA
ClearCalc Quality Assurance Manager
Nuclear Quality Assurance Manager
QA Manager, Training Services
Senior Manager, Quality Assurance Operations
QA Manager
Senior Manager, Quality Assurance
Senior Technical Program Manager, QA & Developer Experience
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Trexon
|
$43,420 | 6 |
Unusual Machines
|
$54,912 | 5 |
New Flyer
|
$54,912 | 3 |
Crusoe
|
$53,040 | 3 |
SpaceX
|
$52,000 | 3 |
AST SpaceMobile
|
$41,600 | 3 |
|
Apex Technology, Inc.
|
$87,360 | 2 |
Parallel Employment
|
$41,080 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
HireHawk
|
$21,600 | 8 |
|
Revolution Medicines
|
$99,000 | 3 |
Olema Oncology
|
$170,000 | 2 |
Vaxcyte
|
$163,500 | 2 |
|
Radformation
|
$162,500 | 2 |
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals
|
$144,000 | 2 |
|
General Matter
|
$142,500 | 2 |
Genetix Biotherapeutics
|
$142,000 | 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 | $170,000 | 3 |
| New York | $162,000 | 3 |
| San Francisco | $147,000 | 6 |
| Los Angeles | $86,500 | 3 |
Assembler vs Quality Assurance: which pays more?
The median for Assembler is $49,920 per year (typically $42,770–$57,876), versus $106,250 for Quality Assurance ($67,318–$151,375). That puts Quality Assurance about 113% 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.