Quality Professionals’ Salaries Tick Upward in 2013
Managers point to experience and attitude as key hiring attributes
MILWAUKEE, WI— Salaries for quality professionals in 2013 increased ever-so-slightly after a year of stagnant salaries in 2012, according to Quality Progress magazine’s 27th annual Salary Survey.
According to the survey, salaries for respondents in 2013 increased 1.58 percent, a meager increase over last year — but an increase nonetheless — and less than 2011 when salaries for full-time employees in the United States rose nearly 2 percent. The highest-paid job titles in the U.S. include vice president/executive who make an average of $154,720, directors who make $123,460 and Master Black Belts, who average $119,274 in 2013.
In addition to the survey, Quality Progress magazine has updated its salary calculator reflecting 2013 data. The calculator, which is available to ASQ members, allows users to pinpoint salaries based on variables they choose.
According to the QP Salary Survey, respondents from the United States in 2013 made an average of $88,458, up from $86,743 in 2012. In Canada, the average salary in 2013 decreased slightly in 2013 to $84,226 from $84,715 in 2012. (All Canadian figures are noted in Canadian dollars.)
“While salary increases for quality professionals were minimal in 2013, it’s encouraging that salaries are again increasing after a year of flat pay,” said ASQ Chair John Timmerman. “The survey results suggest that with the right experience and training, quality professionals can steer their salaries in the right direction.”
New to this year’s salary survey is the questioning of hiring managers and their outlook for hiring and needs of quality personnel. Hiring managers provided insights to the attributes they find most desirable in candidates.