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Advanced ManufacturingTop JobColorado Talent Pipeline Report-aligned occupation with strong annual openings, growth, and wage signals.Green JobOccupation aligned to O*NET green economy classifications.

Quality Assurance Specialist

Design or plan protocols for equipment or processes to produce products meeting internal and external purity, safety, and quality requirements.

Annual openings

438

Median wage

$109,750

Typical education

Bachelor's degree

Growth 2026–2032

+11%

Median wage source: Colorado BLS OEWS (2025).

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Career requirements

What does this career require?

Explore education, required qualifications, voluntary credentials and employer preferences for this role. Check the details to see which apply.

Typical education

Bachelor's degree

Credential requirement

Credential requirements not reported

Credential detail

No credential is required. Some manufactured goods must meet special quality requirements, such as Aerospace Manufacturing meeting AS 9100 Certification standards. In those cases, those certifications will be valued.

Work experience

No previous work experience is required. However, jobs as a technician can help you gain experience for this job.

Employer competency information

  • Feedback from employers identified the following competencies as being critical to success: Effective communication with peers when a problem is found, the ability to read blueprints, and the use of hand and precision tools.
Salary/Demand information crosses multiple jobs in multiple industries.
A Quality Assurance Specialist evaluates products and their performance throughout the production cycle - from raw material to distribution. You will review, evaluate and recommend changes to product or processes in order to have the best product or process available.
If you like to question and evaluate things and have an idea of how things should be improved, a career in quality assurance may be perfect for you.

Is this work a fit?

What the work actually feels like

How people in this career tend to spend their time, the interests it draws on, and a look at a typical day.

Work style

The type of work can vary by job and employer.

  • With childrenNo
  • On a computerYes
  • OutdoorsNo
  • With your handsNo

Interests it draws on

  • Engineering and Science
  • Engineering

Automation exposure

Moderate exposure

Some routine tasks may shift as tools improve, but the role is likely to adapt.

A typical day

  1. Study product characteristics or customer requirements to determine validation objectives and standards.
  2. Analyze validation test data to determine whether systems or processes have met validation criteria or to identify root causes of production problems.
  3. Develop validation master plans, process flow diagrams, test cases, or standard operating procedures.
  4. Prepare detailed reports or design statements, based on results of validation and qualification tests or reviews of procedures and protocols.
  5. Maintain validation test equipment.
  6. Conduct validation or qualification tests of new or existing processes, equipment, or software in accordance with internal protocols or external standards.
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