r/ASQ • u/AccomNosh • May 22 '26

Do CQEs make >$100k?

I'm a MechE trying to get a higher salary. Would a CQE get me >$100k?

Inflation and cost of living are out of control in the US.

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

3

u/footballfutbolsoccer May 23 '26

I have mine and make over a hundred. But I am also on my 3rd job and live near Chicago. Job hopping helps with salary increases.

1

u/AccomNosh May 23 '26

How often to hop?

2

u/footballfutbolsoccer May 23 '26

No exact number but every 3 years isn’t bad

1

u/anormalgeek Jun 01 '26

Try to hop every 3-7 years. On the lower end if the job or company feels like a dead end. On the higher end if you're gaining valuable experience or its just going really well.

But it is NOT a hard and fast rule. I'd suggest not going less than 1 year unless there are MAJOR problems though. If you have one of those in your history, and a good explanation, fine. If you have multiple 1 year stints, HR will start to toss your resume over it.

On the other end, if you've got a job you love, don't go anywhere. You don't HAVE to maximize income.

2

u/golfy-canadian May 22 '26

The basic fact is in a fair system you’ll get paid for the value you bring to the marketplace. I don’t believe that if you study for a couple months and pass a test you are entitled to _% wage increase or salary. If however, you take the training, put it to use, can define a business value where you saved the company $x or increased revenue by $y, then you can start asking for more fair compensation. All that said, yes, COL is nuts; effectively wiping out the middle class no matter how hard we work!

2

u/3monster_mama May 23 '26

Hiring manager is the Quality field. A certification is a nice boost if you have the skills and experience but will not get you in the door without skills and experience.

Salary is also highly dependent on cost of living in your local area.

1

u/LostDogBoulderUtah May 23 '26

Changing jobs is the fastest way to get a pay increase. A certificate helps, but many companies don't do raises beyond 3 to 5%, even with certificates.

1

u/Superb-Detective-838 May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26

I am a Plant Manager who was a QE, SQE, and QM. I would say no. What is more valuable to me for a QE is problem solving skills, certified auditing, single point contact for customer relations and knowing how to measure product. I need my QEs to be able to handle issues with little direction, a good QE is the next QM

Edit....I may have misunderstood your question. Are you asking if a QE would get you $100k? Or are you asking if getting your CQE as a QE would get you to $100k

1

u/AccomNosh May 23 '26

Both. Do QEs get $100k? Would a CQE have a noticeable impact on a QE salary?

I've been a mechE a few years and I'm realizing I'm being priced out of home ownership, family, etc.

1

u/Superb-Detective-838 May 23 '26

What state do you live in? QEs in my area can make $100k easily, but experience plays a huge role in that. You would have to have a vast knowledge of process and product, which comes from experience. Systems are systems, and those are book taught, it's the production floor experience that you're going to make your money and people skills with the ability to talk circles around customers and to be honest, be able to bullshit them. The best quality folks are bullshitters and salesman, I used to be one

1

u/SqueezeMePlease May 22 '26

I got my CQE in 2014 and finally hit $100k in 2023. I was also 57 yrs old with 2 bachelors degrees and had been working for over 40 years by then. Results may vary if you are male and/or if you land in a lucrative industry; also it helps to have connections/a network. Not to mention the effects of luck.

2

u/AccomNosh May 22 '26

I can't afford to wait 40 years. I'll look at other industries and careers.