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Total Quality Director Salary in the United States

How much does a Total Quality Director make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Total Quality Director in the United States is $199,354 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $96.

However, a Total Quality Director's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $224,771
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $184,349 to $212,658
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $170,688
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Total Quality Director Salaries

A Total Quality Director's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Total Quality Director Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Total Quality Director's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Total Quality Manager (5+ years): $134,848
  • Total Quality Senior Manager (5+ years): $173,235
  • Total Quality Director (5+ years): $199,354
  • VP of Total Quality (5+ years): $255,105
  • SVP of Total Quality (5+ years): $318,966
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Total Quality Manager5+ years$134,848
Total Quality Senior Manager5+ years$173,235
Total Quality Director5+ years$199,354
VP of Total Quality5+ years$255,105
SVP of Total Quality5+ years$318,966
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How Do Total Quality Directors Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Total Quality Directors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $220,725.
  • California: $219,887.
  • Massachusetts: $216,957.

Top Paying Cities for Total Quality Director

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $251,445
  • San Francisco: $248,692
  • Oakland: $243,451

What Skills Can Increase a Total Quality Director's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 9.66% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Quality Control (Mentioned in 3.18% Job Postings): Developing and implementing a set of procedures intended to maintain the quality of a product and reduce any risks or errors.
  • Infection Control (Mentioned in 1.63% Job Postings): Infection control is the discipline concerned with preventing nosocomial or healthcare-associated infection, a practical (rather than academic) sub-discipline of epidemiology. It is an essential, though often underrecognized and undersupported, part of the infrastructure of health care. Infection control and hospital epidemiology are akin to public health practice, practiced within the confines of a particular health-care delivery system rather than directed at society as a whole. Anti-infective agents include antibiotics, antibacterials, antifungals, antivirals and antiprotozoals. Infection control addresses factors related to the spread of infections within the healthcare setting (whether patient-to-patient, from patients to staff and from staff to patients, or among-staff), including prevention (via hand hygiene/hand washing, cleaning/disinfection/sterilization, vaccination, surveillance), monitoring/investigation of demonstrated or suspected spread of infection within a particular health-care setting (surveillance and outbreak investigation), and management (interruption of outbreaks). It is on this basis that the common title being adopted within health care is "infection prevention and control."
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 9.66%
Quality Control 3.18%
Infection Control 1.63%
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What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Total Quality Director's salary.

  • Alignment: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • HACCP: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Alignment $213,309
7%
HACCP $213,309
7%
Presentation $213,309
7%
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Total Quality Director Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Total Quality Director salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $223,165. While startup companies pay approximate $188,793.

Total Quality Director Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $188,793
Growth Stage 51~500 $199,670
Established 501~5000 $215,506
Enterprise 5000+ $223,165

Total Quality Director Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Total Quality Director roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 45% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, Total Quality Director positions in Transportation or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Total Quality Director as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Total Quality Director

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals$249,192$120.025%
Financial Services$239,225$115.020%
Aerospace & Defense$229,257$110.015%
Software & Networking$229,257$110.015%
Biotechnology$219,289$105.010%

Total Quality Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Total Quality Director's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$184,349
Average $199,354/year
$212,658
$15,362
Average $16,613/month
$17,722
$3,545
Average $3,834/week
$4,090
$89
Average $96/hour
$102
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $212,658 $17,722 $4,090 $102
Average $199,354 $16,613 $3,834 $96
25th Percentile $184,349 $15,362 $3,545 $89

Total Quality Director Salary Growth & Career Path

Total Quality Director

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Advancement

For a Total Quality Director, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the VP of Total Quality role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $255,105 - a projected growth of 28% over your current level.

Most common benefits for Total Quality Director

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Total Quality Director

Here are companies hiring for Total Quality Director and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Total Quality Director

1. Where can a Total Quality Director earn the most?

A Total Quality Director's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Total Quality Director earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Total Quality Director is $251,445.

2. What is the highest pay for Total Quality Director?

The highest pay for Total Quality Director is $224,771.

3. What is the lowest pay for Total Quality Director?

The lowest pay for Total Quality Director is $170,688.

4. What are the responsibilities of Total Quality Director?

Directs and leads the team responsible for the implementation, administration, and measurement of total quality management programs. Designs and executes an organization's total quality management strategy. Develops and implements total quality processes and procedures. Creates and monitors cross functional teams. Ensures internal guidelines and programs are in compliance with regulations and align with industry standards and best practices. May require a master's degree. Requires Six Sigma or Kaizen certification. Typically reports to senior management. Manages a departmental sub-function within a broader departmental function. Creates functional strategies and specific objectives for the sub-function and develops budgets/policies/procedures to support the functional infrastructure. Typically requires 5+ years of managerial experience. Deep knowledge of the managed sub-function and solid knowledge of the overall departmental function.

5. What industry pays the highest salary for Total Quality Director?

The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Total Quality Director roles, with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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