Quality control technician
Also known as
Work environment
- Usually work shifts, including evenings and weekends and may work extra hours
- Usually work in laboratories, construction and engineering sites, and manufacturing plants
- May work in noisy conditions
- May do physically demanding work
- Need to be accurate, communicate well and identify and solve problems
Salary information
Typical tasks
- Inspect materials and products
- Measure products
- Test products for quality
- Record inspection results
- Read work orders for quality requirements
- Mark products
- Adjust testing tools
- Monitor equipment
- Report equipment faults
- Advise people on quality improvements
Outlook
Quality control technicians support safe, consistent products and processes across areas such as food production, manufacturing and laboratories. In New Zealand, regulatory requirements and customer expectations continue to drive careful testing, sampling and documentation. Digital monitoring equipment and automated systems are reducing some manual tasks, but technicians remain important for checking results, following procedures and identifying issues early.
What employers and industry want in graduates
- Careful, accurate testing and sample-handling skills
- Ability to follow procedures, safety rules and quality standards
- Strong attention to detail and reliable record-keeping
- Confidence using testing equipment and digital systems
- Practical problem-solving when results are outside requirements
- Clear communication and teamwork with production or laboratory staff
AUT programmes
- Mathematical Modelling and Computation Major - Bachelor of Science
- Biological Science Major - Bachelor of Science
- Chemistry Major - Bachelor of Science
The above is a suggestion only and a starting point. You may need to meet other criteria or take additional steps to work in this career.
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This data is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahtu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Some of the information has been modified by AUT. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this data.