Quality Control in Manufacturing: What It Is, Why It Matters and Career Paths
What Does Quality Control Do in Manufacturing?
Quality control plays a critical role in ensuring that manufacturing processes produce safe, reliable and consistent products. Whether it’s toiletries, automotive parts or pharmaceuticals, manufacturers must meet strict standards to protect consumers and maintain their reputation.At its core, quality control is the last line of defense before a product reaches the market. It involves checking for defects, verifying measurements, testing materials and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. These steps help companies avoid costly recalls, safety issues and customer dissatisfaction.
We spoke with Kimberly McHugh, Director of Strategic Sales, who has over 24 years of experience in the life sciences industry where quality control is non-negotiable. She explained that quality control is essential not only for maintaining compliance but also for building trust with end users.
Whether a company produces electronics, packaged goods, or medical devices, quality control helps ensure that each product performs as intended. It also gives manufacturers a competitive advantage by reinforcing their commitment to quality.
What is the Importance of Manufacturing Quality Control?
“A lack of quality control in manufacturing can damage a company’s reputation, cause them to lose customers and even create serious safety issues. If a company manufactures a pharmaceutical, a lifesaving medical device, or an infant car seat with a defect, these can be life-threating mistakes. This makes quality control in manufacturing important - it identifies these mistakes before a dangerous product goes out the door,” says McHugh.
No matter the sector of manufacturing, employers want to maintain their company’s reputation and ensure factory quality control. If their product falls below consumer expectations or errors cause delays in production, companies put themselves at risk of missing business goals. Additionally, many products have government regulations and standards to conform to, such as automobiles, electronics and pharmaceuticals.
The Manufacturing Quality Control Process
Quality control is a key part of manufacturing that helps ensure every product meets required standards. The exact steps may vary depending on the product or industry, but the goal is always the same: to catch problems early and deliver consistent, high-quality results.
Quality control personnel regularly pull samples from production batches and run tests to check for issues. These tests might look at material composition, durability, weight, or other physical properties. For example, when producing a steel alloy, team members may test its strength and chemical makeup to make sure it meets industry regulations.
Most tests follow specific protocols, especially in industries with strict safety requirements like aerospace, automotive and pharmaceuticals. No matter the product, quality control helps answer one key question: Does this meet the standards for safety, performance and reliability?
What are the Responsibilities of Quality Control in Manufacturing?
As mentioned above, quality control personnel are responsible for ensuring the product conforms to regulations & standards, and to adhere to factory quality control standards. Here are the general responsibilities of quality control in manufacturing:
● Receiving and inspecting raw material
● Testing the product for quality
● Reporting and recording testing metrics and results
● Giving feedback to quality auditors and the manufacturing floor
● Stay up to date with standards and protocols
● Discarding products and batches that fail to meet quality expectations
Is quality control in manufacturing a good career?
Quality control in manufacturing is a promising career. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a slight decline in quality control jobs — they also project an average of 67,800 openings for quality control jobs each year due to workers new roles or retiring. According to Forbes, the manufacturing industry is showing no signs of slowing down, and quality control is a vital part of the field.
McHugh notes that manufacturing quality control jobs can be a natural transition if you already have some manufacturing experience.
“We often see that workers are promoted from more entry-level manufacturing roles into quality control roles. A quality assurance job in manufacturing is a great path for upward mobility within a manufacturing environment,”
What Qualifications Do I Need for Quality Control Jobs in Manufacturing?
Most quality control jobs in manufacturing require a high school diploma or GED. From there, employers often provide on-the-job training to help workers learn inspection protocols, equipment handling and documentation procedures.
However, experience or education in the specific industry you’re applying to can be a strong advantage. According to Kimberly McHugh, director of strategic sales at Aerotek:
“Manufacturing experience within the industry where you're seeking a position is always helpful, especially in highly regulated environments. It’s important for workers to gain knowledge of industry-specific standards like GMP, ISO, or cleanroom protocols.”
In addition to technical training, soft skills are also important. Problem-solving, adaptability, and communication all contribute to success in a quality control role. McHugh emphasizes one trait in particular:
“Attention to detail is a must. Quality control workers need to spot anything unusual and feel confident speaking up to prevent issues from becoming bigger problems.”
Whether you’re new to manufacturing or looking to move into quality control from another role, building both technical experience and soft skills can set you up for long-term success.
How Do I Start a Career in Manufacturing Quality Control?
There are plenty of quality control assurance jobs in manufacturing and more are on the horizon. The best thing to do if you’re interested in a manufacturing quality control career is to find a field that interests you.
What experience is needed for a quality assurance job in manufacturing?
“The experience required for a quality assurance job in manufacturing varies with the complexity of the product. Some positions don’t require experience and are willing to train on-the-job given the right attitude and interest. Complex products in more regulated industries may require workers to start in an entry-level manufacturing role with the opportunity to be promoted into a quality control role once they understand the product and industry regulations,” says McHugh.
Millions of people everyday use products that they trust to be held to rigorous standards by manufacturing quality assurance personnel, so it’s a well-respected and important position no matter the product. It’s a good career choice for those interested in entering the manufacturing industry and the skills transfer well between sectors.