Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager Salary in the United States

How much does a Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager in the United States is $130,007 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $63.

However, a Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $153,337
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $116,735 to $142,219
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $104,652

Key Factors That Influence Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager Salaries

A Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager'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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager'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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $128,374
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $155,389
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $130,929
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $165,790
  • Expert (over 8 years): $202,120
Levels Salary
Quality A... Level Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager$128,374
Quality A... Level Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager$155,389
Pharmaceu... Level Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager$130,929
Quality A... Level Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager$165,790
Quality A... Level Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager$202,120

Top Paying Cities for Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Managers

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: $163,978
  • San Francisco: $162,182
  • Oakland: $158,765

What Skills Can Increase a Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 5.92% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Quality Management System (Mentioned in 2.61% Job Postings): Enforcing a set of policies and procedures in coordinating and directing an organization to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
  • Root Cause Analysis (Mentioned in 1.28% Job Postings): In science and engineering, root cause analysis (RCA) is a method of problem solving used for identifying the root causes of faults or problems. It is widely used in IT operations, telecommunications, industrial process control, accident analysis (e.g., in aviation, rail transport, or nuclear plants), medicine (for medical diagnosis), healthcare industry (e.g., for epidemiology), etc. RCA can be decomposed into four steps: Identify and describe clearly the problem. Establish a timeline from the normal situation up to the time the problem occurred. Distinguish between the root cause and other causal factors (e.g., using event correlation). Establish a causal graph between the root cause and the problem.RCA generally serves as input to a remediation process whereby corrective actions are taken to prevent the problem from reoccurring. The name of this process varies from one application domain to another.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 5.92%
Quality Management System 2.61%
Root Cause Analysis 1.28%

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 Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager's salary.

  • Oncology: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Oncology $145,608
12%
Collaboration $135,207
4%
Innovation $135,207
4%

Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Telecom and Aerospace & Defense sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average. In contrast, Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager positions in Transportation or Software & Networking typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Telecom$195,010$94.050%

How Education impacts a Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Managers enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager with a Bachelor's Degree is between $122,625 and $130,534).

Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.5%
High School 12.1%
Associates 8.9%
Bachelors 52.6%
Masters 24.2%
Doctorate 1.7%

Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager'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 September 01, 2026
$116,735
Average $130,007/year
$142,219
$9,728
Average $10,834/month
$11,852
$2,245
Average $2,500/week
$2,735
$56
Average $63/hour
$68
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $142,219 $11,852 $2,735 $68
Average $130,007 $10,834 $2,500 $63
25th Percentile $116,735 $9,728 $2,245 $56

Most common benefits for Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager

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

Common company salaries for Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager

Here are companies hiring for Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager?

The Telecom industry offers the highest average compensation for Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Manager roles, with salaries approximately 50% 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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