SALARY SURVEY

PART 1. REGULAR EMPLOYEE RESULTS

Section 4. Salary by ASQ and RABQSA Certification

Percentage of Respondents Holding ASQ Certifications

ASQ certification

FIGURE 1

Certified quality engineer

Certified quality auditor
Certified manager of quality/organizational excellence
Certified quality technician
Certified Six Sigma Black Belt
Certified quality inspector
Certified quality improvement associate
Certified software quality engineer
Certified Six Sigma Green Belt
Certified reliability engineer
Certified calibration technician
Certified HACCP* auditor
Certified quality process analyst
Certified biomedical auditor
None

23.9
23.3
12.3
7.7
6.9

heres a new kid on the ASQ certification block:

Certified Green Belt (GB) joins the 13 other certifications offered by ASQ.
As Figure 1 shows, 2.8% of the respondents indicate
they have earned this certification. That might seem like

FIGURE 2

Increasing Popularity of Certified

Six Sigma Black Belts

Percentage of respondents who

are certified Six Sigma Black Belts

8%
6.9

7%
6%
5%

5.2

2005

2006

3.9

4%
3%
2%

2.4
1.4

1%
0%

2002

2003

2004

2007

Year
Figure 2 includes results for: x Full-time employees x Part-time employees
x U.S. employees x Canadian employees
International employees
Note: Data points for the years 2002 through 2006 were taken from previous
survey results.

40

I DECEMBER 2007 I www.asq.org

Note: Respondents selected all the certifications that applied, so the percentages
dont equal 100%.

1
0.7
0.6
0.6

0%

Figure 1 includes results for: x Full-time

employees x Part-time employees
x U.S. employees x Canadian employees
International employees

3.9
3.5
2.8
2.8
2.7

* Hazard analysis and critical control point.

44.4
10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

a low percentage, but when QP first reported on the

then-new Black Belt (BB) certification in the 2002 salary
survey, only 1.4% of the respondents indicated they had
achieved it. Since then, a steadily increasing percentage
of respondents have become certified BBs, as Figure 2
shows. The GB certification will likely experience a similar trend in the upcoming years.
Although there isnt a directly applicable job title (for
example, a job title of Green Belt) with which to compare
how having the GB certification affects salaries, there
seems to be a positive effect for respondents who have
the job title of Black Belt. As Table 1 shows, the U.S. BBs
who achieved GB certification earn, on average, $3,371
more than their counterparts without a GB certification.
In addition, the U.S. BBs who are certified BBs earn, on
average, $2,838 more than their counterparts who arent
certified BBs.
If theres a new kid on the ASQ certification block, you
might say that theres an entire new neighborhood in the
world of RABQSA certification. Last year, QP reported on
13 certifications that RABQSA offered. This year, were
reporting on 33, as Table 2 (p. 42) shows. The most popular RABQSA certification is quality management system
(QMS) lead auditor, which 5.9% of the respondents
earned. Internal auditor is the second most popular
RABQSA certification, which 4.3% of the respondents
achieved.

TABLE 1

Differences in Salary for ASQ Certifications

Job title

United States
Average
salary Difference

Analysts who
Arent certified quality process analysts
Are certified quality process analysts

Canada
Average
salary

Difference

$64,018
54,495

$9,523

$58,433

Associates who
Arent certified quality improvement associates $62,998
Are certified quality improvement associates
55,048

$7,950

$59,351
53,000

$6,351

+9,812

57,965

+2,132

Auditors who
Arent certified biomedical auditors
Are certified biomedical auditors

66,277
76,089

Arent certified HACCP* auditors

Are certified HACCP auditors

66,249
103,000

+36,751

57,868
60,000

Arent certified quality auditors

Are certified quality auditors

$67,472
65,708

$1,764

$51,550
63,311

+$11,761

Black Belts who

Arent certified Six Sigma Black Belts
Are certified Six Sigma Black Belts

$84,338
87,176

+$2,838

$78,214
80,333

+$2,119

Arent certified Six Sigma Green Belts

Are certified Six Sigma Green Belts

85,343
88,714

+3,371

79,406

$51,460
47,428

$4,032

$51,074
46,000

$5,074

Inspectors who
Arent certified quality inspectors
Are certified quality inspectors
Managers who
Arent certified managers of quality/
organizational excellence
Are certified managers of quality/
organizational excellence

$80,909

$78,223

92,311

+$11,402

82,193

+$3,970

Quality engineers who

Arent certified quality engineers
Are certified quality engineers

$69,422
73,140

+$3,718

$64,265
68,170

+$3,905

Reliability/safety engineers who

Arent certified reliability engineers
Are certified reliability engineers

$80,924
92,344

+$11,420

$60,000
83,500

+$23,500

Software quality engineers who

Arent certified software quality engineers
Are certified software quality engineers

$82,279
86,979

+$4,700

$47,000
74,000

+$27,000

Technicians who
Arent certified calibration technicians
Are certified calibration technicians

$45,208
54,926

+$9,718

$46,008

2,629

45,574
46,814

+$1,240

Arent certified quality technicians

Are certified quality technicians

47,071
44,442

Table 1 includes results for: x Full-time employees

Part-time employees x U.S. employees
x Canadian employees
International employees
Note: Canadian salaries are noted in Canadian dollars.
* Hazard analysis and critical control point.

No one reported as having

earned seven RABQSA certifications:
Environmental business
improvement auditor.
Environmental principal
auditor.
Food safety associate
auditor.
Food safety business
improvement auditor.
Occupational health and
safety (OHS) associate
auditor.
OHS business improvement
auditor.
OHS provisional auditor.
Table 3 (p. 42) explores how
RABQSA certifications affect the
salaries of auditors and consultants (those who work for
organizations and are not selfemployed consultants) in the
United States and Canada. Table
3 shows that the respondents
with certifications relating
directly to their jobs earn higher
average salaries than their counterparts without that certification.
To explore how earning certifications affects professionals
salaries, you can break down the
respondents salaries by the various ASQ and RABQSA certifications and all the job titles.
Because there are 14 ASQ certifications, theyre divided into two
parts. Table 4 (p. 43) contains the
information for the first part of
ASQ certifications, which consists of:
Certified calibration
technician.
Certified manager of
quality/organizational
excellence.
Certified quality
improvement associate.
Certified quality inspector.
QUALITY PROGRESS

I DECEMBER 2007 I 41

SALARY SURVEY

TABLE 2

Percentage of Respondents Holding RABQSA Certifications

Certification

Percentage

QMS* lead auditor

Internal auditor
QMS auditor
QMS provisional auditor
AS9100 auditor
RABQSA IPC QMS lead auditor
AS9100 aerospace experience auditor
Environmental lead auditor
Environmental auditor
RABQSA IPC QMS auditor
QMS associate auditor
QMS principal auditor
OHS** auditor
AS9110 auditor
Environmental associate auditor
Environmental provisional auditor
Management consultant

TABLE 3

5.91
4.32
1.88
1.45
1.02
0.62
0.58
0.53
0.49
0.19
0.16
0.15
0.09
0.08
0.07
0.07
0.07

Certification

Percentage

Food safety lead auditor

AS9110 aerospace experience auditor
Responsible care management systems auditor
Food safety principal auditor
Food safety provisional auditor
Food safety auditor
QMS business improvement auditor
OHS principal auditor
OHS lead auditor
Environmental business improvement auditor
Environmental principal auditor
Food safety associate auditor
Food safety business improvement auditor
OHS associate auditor
OHS business improvement auditor
OHS provisional auditor
None

Table 2 includes results for:

x Full-time employees x Part-time
employees x U.S. employees
x Canadian employees
International employees
Note: Respondents selected all the certifications that applied, so the percentages
dont equal 100%.
* Quality management system
** Occupational health and safety
IPC = integrated process control

Differences in Salary for RABQSA Certifications

Job title

United States
Average
salary Difference

Auditors who
Arent AS9100 aerospace experience auditors
Are AS9100 aerospace experience auditors
Arent AS9100 auditors
Are AS9100 auditors
Arent AS9110 auditors
Are AS9110 auditors
Arent environmental auditors
Are environmental auditors
Arent environmental lead auditors
Are environmental lead auditors
Arent internal auditors
Are internal auditors
Arent OHS* auditors
Are OHS auditors
Arent QMS** auditors
Are QMS auditors
Arent QMS lead auditors
Are QMS lead auditors
Arent QMS provisional auditors
Are QMS provisional auditors
Arent QMS principal auditors
Are QMS principal auditors
Arent RABQSA IPC QMS auditors
Are RABQSA IPC QMS auditors
Arent RABQSA IPC QMS lead auditors
Are RABQSA IPC QMS lead auditors

$65,963
79,779
66,168
71,412
66,249
103,000
66,299
72,250
66,442
64,825
67,249
54,961
66,494
40,000
66,226
71,556
64,545
74,073
67,092
52,037
66,533
30,000
66,398
65,500
66,301
78,000

Consultants who
Arent management consultants
Are management consultants

$95,859
127,000

Canada
Average
salary

+11,699

$57,965

57,965

57,965

57,965

57,725
63,000
57,965

57,965

57,965

57,108
60,250
57,841
60,571
57,965

57,965

57,965

+$31,141

$81,467

+$13,816
+5,244
+36,751
+5,951
1,617
12,288
2,6494
+5,330
+9,528
15,055
36,533
898

Difference

+5,275

+3,142
+2,730

Table 3 includes results for: x Full-time employees Part-time employees x U.S. employees
x Canadian employees International employees
Note: Canadian salaries are noted in Canadian dollars.
* Occupational health and safety ** Quality management system.

42

0.04
0.04
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.01
0.01
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
86.93

I DECEMBER 2007 I www.asq.org

Certified quality technician.

Certified BB.
Certified GB.
Table 5 (p. 44) contains the
information for the second part
of ASQ certifications, which consists of:
Certified biomedical auditor.
Certified hazard analysis and
critical control point (HACCP)
auditor.
Certified quality auditor.
Certified quality engineer.
Certified quality process
analyst.
Certified reliability engineer.
Certified software quality
engineer.
Respondents who dont hold
any ASQ certifications.
In Section 17 of the salary survey report, which can be found
at www.asq.org/data/
subscriptions/qp/2007/1207/
survey.index.html, you can find
tables that break down the
respondents salaries by
RABQSA certifications and job
titles.

TABLE 4

Salary by ASQ Certification and Job TitlePart 1

Certified
calibration
technician

Certified
manager
of quality/
organizational
excellence

Certified
quality
improvement
associate

$59,77270
,0
,0
65,0001
94,5001
,0
86,0002
43,9246
,0
,0
37,5002
72,11811
,0

$96,110865
72,5008
95,8754
85,48317
90,13616
86,5805
93,25428
68,60810
113,472159
93,2836
55,0001
92,311335
108,96629

$67,970245
56,74619
55,04815
59,36715
74,0001
,0
75,0919
63,94413
93,99019
70,0001
42,1258
78,67641
88,5002

$61,050282
49,7005
59,2502
52,6569
72,0001
,0
91,0001
50,30911
76,3605
100,0001
47,42830
71,33268
75,0001

46,0001
53,3758
118,3331
,0
45,7504
69,7423
64,5752
54,92627
125,0001

94,58418
78,794109
109,0557
89,5726
79,72624
75,53312
84,25125
66,5004
143,35542

88,1676
66,41525
87,0003
84,7506
60,58625
55,68211
68,9506
41,99715
110,4005

$79,66842
,0
73,0001
68,6551
93,0001
,0
80,0001
83,1673
95,1134
105,0001
40,0001
82,19319
,0
,0
76,9003
,0
74,0001
70,3333
72,0002
,0
35,0591
,0

Certified
quality
inspector

Certified
quality
technician

Certified
Six Sigma
Black Belt

Certified
Six Sigma
Green Belt

$61,916533
55,29617
53,1105
51,11712
86,5006
85,0002
92,0004
47,66520
98,77818
81,6673
49,42020
74,203109
97,5002

$94,115473
78,63611
,0
70,1502
87,17677
91,3176
106,06018
62,8655
114,47952
115,6673
,0
90,31999
108,39656

$78,616199
60,39915
72,2005
59,7754
88,7147
80,0001
87,6256
52,7603
111,57015
64,5002
46,2502
88,32145
112,5514

67,8237
62,24163
89,1672
57,0001
49,02915
67,38312
68,2867
43,77735
107,1676

66,6449
60,976137
104,5113
57,0001
52,20236
56,78419
67,16818
44,44288
118,7504

87,52026
76,10561
99,9157
92,0003
92,55911
73,1258
78,93312
50,0001
148,13315

72,89519
68,64036
89,4405
,0
73,20010
53,2914
72,0274
43,1717
119,0005

$65,27313
39,0001
53,0001
68,6551
,0
,0
,0
70,0001
,0
,0
,0
78,5805
,0

$66,2867
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
50,0001
,0
,0
46,0001
90,0002
,0

$60,79538
,0
46,0001
51,0001
,0
,0
,0
40,0001
74,0003
,0
51,0002
69,50911
,0

$86,00128
,0
,0
,0
80,3339
,0
77,5002
,0
100,6006
105,0001
,0
103,8253
75,0001

$74,23010
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
150,0001
,0
,0
78,1502
,0

,0
60,0002
,0
,0
45,0001
60,0001
,0
,0
,0

48,0001
,0
,0
,0
,0
70,0002
,0
,0
,0

57,7504
61,6673
,0
,0
52,0001
72,2254
,0
46,8147
,0

,0
72,9254
,0
,0
,0
71,6252
,0
,0
,0

68,0001
63,0001
72,0001
,0
58,2504
,0
,0
,0
,0

United States
All respondents
Analyst
Associate
Auditor
Black Belt
Champion
Consultant
Coordinator
Director
Educator/instructor
Inspector
Manager
Master Black Belt
Process/manufacturing/
project engineer
Quality engineer
Reliability/safety engineer
Software quality engineer
Specialist
Supervisor
Supplier quality engineer/professional
Technician
Vice president/executive

Canada
All respondents
$55,0002
Analyst
,0
Associate
,0
Auditor
,0
Black Belt
,0
Champion
,0
Consultant
,0
Coordinator
,0
Director
,0
Educator/instructor
,0
Inspector
,0
Manager
50,0001
Master Black Belt
,0
Process/manufacturing/
project engineer
,0
Quality engineer
,0
Reliability/safety engineer
,0
Software quality engineer
,0
Specialist
,0
Supervisor
60,0001
Supplier quality engineer/professional
,0
Technician
,0
Vice president/executive
,0
Table 4 includes results for: x Full-time employees

Part-time employees x U.S. employees x Canadian employees

International employees

Notes: Small numerals indicate the number of responses. Canadian salaries are noted in Canadian dollars.
QUALITY PROGRESS

I DECEMBER 2007 I 43

SALARY SURVEY
TABLE 5

Salary by ASQ Certification and Job TitlePart II

Certified
biomedical
auditor

Certified
HACCP*
auditor

Certified
quality
auditor

Certified
quality
engineer

Certified
quality
process
analyst

Certified
reliability
engineer

Certified
software
quality
engineer

None

United States
All respondents
$100,54042
Analyst
,0
Associate
,0
Auditor
76,0893
Black Belt
,0
Champion
,0
Consultant
127,0002
Coordinator
41,6621
Director
101,8464
Educator/instructor
,0
Inspector
,0
Manager
98,18116
Master Black Belt
,0
Process/manufacturing/
project engineer
108,5002
Quality engineer
83,5735
Reliability/safety engineer
120,0001
Software quality engineer
66,9501
Specialist
81,8362
Supervisor
,0
Supplier quality engineer/professional
65,0001
Technician
,0
Vice president/executive
167,5004

$90,37040
43,0001
,0
103,0001
75,0001
,0
80,0002
,0
127,5435
61,2501
60,0001
82,09719
,0

$80,7951,651
63,66837
65,24424
65,708158
81,98818
84,5985
96,44833
57,94155
109,188161
71,64612
56,96515
85,349458
103,42618

$84,9631,663
69,11523
60,3333
74,29716
83,92837
83,4998
97,27036
69,89820
114,492139
83,80019
45,04511
87,715454
111,03138

$66,69943
54,4957
,0
,0
93,0001
,0
53,8715
,0
105,0003
,0
38,6333
85,5006
,0

$99,201193
72,5002
,0
86,0001
94,5005
105,0001
111,9635
,0
126,29417
91,6176
,0
101,37142
132,1973

$95,800199
87,6258
97,0001
68,4504
149,8451
,0
115,6888
60,9212
135,67716
,0
,0
99,56033
90,5002

$80,2913,040
62,59798
61,09547
66,99287
84,55388
90,4358
97,28893
57,135118
106,729357
91,10450
51,57543
79,970869
105,46842

,0
91,6673
114,0002
,0
75,0001
,0
,0
,0
112,3333

84,38835
74,011316
98,9226
94,85720
67,589113
73,14944
77,83857
44,91131
144,56335

84,30266
73,140535
95,46824
87,6448
79,07060
76,05025
77,38286
53,53117
150,55538

,0
53,1884
100,5002
47,7701
71,3886
,0
44,5001
40,3333
125,0001

80,87311
85,00428
92,34447
90,3002
96,75010
73,0001
87,9165
,0
165,1437

94,00610
83,64418
113,1672
86,97976
94,9449
119,3333
,0
71,0003
150,0003

72,13785
69,422434
80,26124
80,94552
65,979156
67,42292
72,31568
44,740102
142,714127

$69,7778

$71,67764

$72,01594

$48,8352

$88,6405

$77,0008

$73,214210

,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
80,0001
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0

,0
,0
60,0001
,0
,0
80,0001
56,6072
76,0001
,0
,0
89,0001
,0

65,2001

60,0002

52,5002

66,4794
63,31112
61,0001
,0
62,5002
82,9173
76,0003
,0
58,5002
76,21317
,0

,0
48,0001
79,5002
75,0001
80,0001
62,7502
114,0003
,0
37,7502
80,32029
75,0001

,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
37,6701
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0

60,0001
,0
,0
,0
,0
111,2001
,0
,0
105,0001
,0
,0
,0

80,0001
,0
,0
,0
80,0001
,0
,0
,0
,0
92,3333
,0

62,0006
54,8758
50,9297
78,7005
70,0001
84,4005
58,24219
101,88927
74,0001
51,46110
80,01358
98,5002

,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0

,0
,0
,0
,0
60,0001
80,0001
,0
,0
,0

,0
75,3007
,0
74,0001
79,1437
68,3333
61,0001
,0
,0

75,0005
68,17030
,0
74,0001
58,5006
80,3333
66,0001
47,0004
,0

,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
60,0001
,0
,0
,0

,0
,0
83,5002
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0

,0
,0
,0
74,0001
,0
,0
,0
,0
,0

81,3333
63,23321
60,0001
47,0001
57,29912
79,1119
80,0001
45,2679
118,0004

Canada
All respondents

$80,0001

Analyst
Associate
Auditor
Black Belt
Champion
Consultant
Coordinator
Director
Educator/instructor
Inspector
Manager
Master Black Belt
Process/manufacturing/
project engineer
Quality engineer
Reliability/safety engineer
Software quality engineer
Specialist
Supervisor
Supplier quality engineer/professional
Technician
Vice president/executive

Table 5 includes results for: x Full-time employees

Part-time employees x U.S. employees x Canadian employees

Notes: Small numerals indicate the number of responses. Canadian salaries are noted in Canadian dollars.
* Hazard analysis and critical control point.
44

I DECEMBER 2007 I www.asq.org

International employees