# Quality Control Analysts

> Conduct tests to determine quality of raw materials, bulk intermediate and finished products. May conduct stability sample tests.

- **SOC code:** 19-4099.01
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-4099-01
- **Also known as:** Lab Technician (Lab Tech), QA Auditor (Quality Assurance Auditor), QA Tech (Quality Assurance Technician), Quality Control Technician (QC Tech), Lab Analyst, Laboratory Analyst, Microbiology Lab Analyst, QA Lab Tech (Quality Assurance Lab Technician)
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Conduct routine and non-routine analyses of in-process materials, raw materials, environmental samples, finished goods, or stability samples.
- Interpret test results, compare them to established specifications and control limits, and make recommendations on appropriateness of data for release.
- Calibrate, validate, or maintain laboratory equipment.
- Perform visual inspections of finished products.
- Ensure that lab cleanliness and safety standards are maintained.
- Complete documentation needed to support testing procedures, including data capture forms, equipment logbooks, or inventory forms.
- Compile laboratory test data and perform appropriate analyses.
- Identify and troubleshoot equipment problems.
- Write technical reports or documentation, such as deviation reports, testing protocols, and trend analyses.
- Investigate or report questionable test results.
- Monitor testing procedures to ensure that all tests are performed according to established item specifications, standard test methods, or protocols.
- Identify quality problems and recommend solutions.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Mathematics _(knowledge)_
- Production and Processing _(knowledge)_
- Quality Control Analysis _(transferable_skill)_
- Written Comprehension _(ability)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Written Expression _(ability)_
- Reading Comprehension _(essential_skill)_
- Monitoring _(essential_skill)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Chemistry _(knowledge)_
- English Language _(knowledge)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Chemistry _(Specialized Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Word _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Complex Problem Solving _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology, in demand)_
- SAP software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Adobe Acrobat _(hot technology)_
- Atlassian JIRA _(hot technology)_
- C _(hot technology)_
- Extensible markup language XML _(hot technology)_
- Hypertext markup language HTML _(hot technology)_
- JavaScript _(hot technology)_

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 60th percentile (Moderate) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 59th percentile (Moderate) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 69th percentile (High) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 56th percentile (Moderate) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 52nd percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 3.5% growth (About average); 10.6k annual openings; 83.2k → 86.2k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $60,130; 71,400 employed.

## How people actually use AI here

Anthropic Economic Index — measured AI conversations mapped to this occupation's tasks:

- **Automation vs augmentation:** 19% automation, — augmentation (usage-weighted).
- **Autonomy median:** 3.5 (higher = AI acts more independently).
- **Dominant collaboration mode:** feedback loop.

**Tasks most handed to AI here:**
- Identify and troubleshoot equipment problems. _(0.4% of measured AI use; feedback loop)_
- Compile laboratory test data and perform appropriate analyses. _(0.4% of measured AI use)_

**Example prompts (honest phrasings of the tasks above — starting points, not endorsed instructions):**
- Help me identify and troubleshoot equipment problems.
- Help me compile laboratory test data and perform appropriate analyses.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Anthropic Economic Index** (v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27)) — Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-4099-01_