Job profile 2026
What is a quality manager? Job profile, quality engineer salary and hiring in 2026
The quality manager ensures that a company's products and processes meet customer and standards requirements: quality management system, audits, handling of non-conformities, continuous improvement. The quality engineer carries these duties within a scope (suppliers, product, site); the quality director leads them for a site or a group.
In brief: quality engineer salary, €46-78k depending on sector and seniority. Source: Volta Executive 2026 grids from the sector pages (aerospace and defence, pharmaceuticals, food processing), updated on 8 October 2026.
By Florian Beurtey, engineer and founder of Volta Executive. Published on 8 October 2026, updated on 8 October 2026.
Quality manager : the role in figures
| Quality engineer salary | €46-78k depending on sector and seniority |
|---|---|
| Quality manager salary | €46-78k |
| Quality director salary | €85-130k |
| Common standards | ISO 9001, EN 9100 (aerospace), IFS and BRC (food processing), GMP (pharmaceuticals) |
Duties of the quality manager
- Build and maintain the quality management system
- Prepare and conduct internal, customer and certification audits
- Handle non-conformities and complaints, manage corrective actions
- Qualify and monitor suppliers
- Lead continuous improvement with production
Skills required
- Quality standards of their sector
- Auditing and root cause analysis
- Problem-solving tools
- Management by indicators
- Ability to enforce a requirement in the face of schedule pressure
Quality standards
| ISO 9001 | Quality management system, all sectors |
|---|---|
| EN 9100 | Quality in aerospace, space and defence |
| IFS / BRC | Food safety and quality, required by major retailers |
| GMP | Good manufacturing practice for medicinal products |
Training to become a quality manager
- Engineering degree or master's in quality, Bac+5
- Professional bachelor's degree in quality, Bac+3, supplemented by experience
Career paths
- Quality technician or engineer
- Site quality manager
- Site quality director
- Group quality director
Salary of the quality manager in 2026
National basis, fixed annual gross, excluding variable pay and role allowances. The Paris and region columns are derived from the barometer's reference framework (Paris about 12% higher, regions about 5% lower, except for roles in extreme shortage, which are aligned with the national figure).
Supplier quality engineer, aerospace (4 years and more)
| Seniority | National | Paris | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| All levels of experience | 46–66 k€ | 52–74 k€ | 44–63 k€ |
Quality engineer, aerospace airworthiness (5 years and more)
| Seniority | National | Paris | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| All levels of experience | 50–78 k€ | 56–87 k€ | 48–74 k€ |
Pharmaceutical quality engineer, GMP (5 years and more)
| Seniority | National | Paris | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| All levels of experience | 46–68 k€ | 52–76 k€ | 44–65 k€ |
EN 9100 quality manager (7 years and more)
| Seniority | National | Paris | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| All levels of experience | 54–78 k€ | 60–87 k€ | 51–74 k€ |
IFS / BRC quality manager (6 years and more)
| Seniority | National | Paris | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| All levels of experience | 46–66 k€ | 52–74 k€ | 44–63 k€ |
Site quality director (12 years and more)
| Seniority | National | Paris | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| All levels of experience | 85–130 k€ | 95–146 k€ | 81–124 k€ |
The ranges run from the median to the top of the market as observed on Volta Executive assignments; variable pay linked to quality targets may be added.
Source: Volta Executive 2026 grids from the sector pages (aerospace and defence, pharmaceuticals, food processing). Figures in €k gross per year.
The full barometer, role by role
This profile reproduces part of the grids of Volta Executive's 2026 Industry and Energy Pay Barometer. The barometer covers every role in industry and energy, with lead times and shortage levels.
Quality manager : the market in 2026
Range for a site quality director
Range for a quality engineer depending on the sector
ISO 9001, EN 9100, IFS / BRC, GMP: the sector defines the role
The sector's standard defines the role: an EN 9100 quality manager in aerospace, an IFS manager in food processing and a GMP manager in pharmaceuticals are not interchangeable. Profiles who have been through customer audits and inspections are in post.
Who is hiring
Aerospace and defence, pharmaceuticals, food processing, industrial and electrical equipment.
Hiring a quality manager?
The right profile knows your standard and has been through real audits. Volta Executive, which recruited a quality director who sits on the executive committee for NIDEC, assesses them on this evidence and approaches them in post.
Talk about my hireAre you a quality manager or quality engineer?
Send your CV without booking a meeting. If your profile matches a current or upcoming assignment, we will contact you.
See the openings and send my CVFrequently asked questions about the role of the quality manager
What is a quality engineer's salary in 2026?
According to the Volta Executive 2026 grids: from €46k to €66k for a supplier quality engineer, from €46k to €68k in pharmaceuticals, from €50k to €78k in aerospace airworthiness, from the median to the top of the market.
What is a quality manager's salary?
From €46k to €66k for an IFS / BRC quality manager in food processing, from €54k to €78k for an EN 9100 quality manager in aerospace, according to the Volta Executive 2026 grids.
What is a quality director's salary?
From €85k to €130k for a site quality director with twelve years' experience or more, according to the Volta Executive 2026 grids.
What is the difference between a quality engineer and a quality manager?
The quality engineer carries quality within a scope: suppliers, product, line. The quality manager is accountable for a site's quality system and its audits.
What training do you need to become a quality manager?
An engineering degree or a master's in quality; a professional bachelor's degree supplemented by experience also leads there.
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Learn more
- NIDEC case study: quality director, executive committee member
- Aerospace and defence recruitment firm
- Pharmaceutical recruitment firm
- QHSE and HSE manager: role and salary
Sources and method
- Volta Executive 2026 grids from the aerospace and defence, pharmaceuticals and food processing pages
The grids are on a national basis, fixed annual gross. Paris and region values are calculated with the barometer's geographic reference framework.