Quality Manager Recruitment
Quality Managers sit at the core of governance, compliance and risk management within regulated and manufacturing environments. QAagency specialises in recruiting Quality Managers across the UK, supporting businesses where quality performance, audit readiness and regulatory compliance are critical to commercial stability and reputation.
Quality Manager roles operate across manufacturing, engineering, automotive, aerospace, FMCG, food production, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Most positions are site-based due to their responsibility for production oversight, audits and team leadership, although some businesses offer hybrid working where system ownership and stakeholder engagement form a large part of the role.
Quality Managers typically report into a Head of Quality, Technical Director or Operations Director. The role combines leadership with technical authority, covering quality systems, audit performance, non-conformance management and cross-functional influence across production, engineering and supply chain teams.
Roles we recruit for within Quality Management
We recruit across a range of quality leadership positions, including Quality Managers and Senior Quality Managers responsible for site-level quality performance.
Many roles include direct line management of QA and QC teams, ownership of external audits and responsibility for customer, certification body or regulatory authority engagement.
2026 salary insight: Quality Manager roles
Based on QAagency 2026 salary benchmarking, average UK salaries for quality management roles are:
Quality Manager: £60,400
Senior Quality Manager: £70,800
Head of Quality / Quality Director: £82,300
Salary levels at this stage are heavily influenced by site size, regulatory exposure and audit intensity. Multi-site responsibility, regulated product release or direct authority-facing accountability typically push salaries above the national average.
Data based on QAagency 2026 salary benchmarking.
Market and hiring trends
The Quality Manager market has continued to tighten over the past 12 to 18 months, particularly within highly regulated sectors.
Average Quality Manager salaries increased by approximately 4.0% between 2025 and 2026, compared with closer to 3.1% growth at junior level. Over the past five years, Quality Manager salaries are up by around 28%, reflecting increased accountability and regulatory scrutiny across most sectors.
One clear trend is the shift in expectations around leadership. Employers are placing less emphasis on pure system maintenance and more on visible quality leadership. Quality Managers are expected to influence behaviour on the shop floor, challenge production decisions and lead improvement activity rather than operate purely as a compliance function.
Audit pressure is another key driver. Sites with frequent customer audits, certification audits or regulatory inspections are increasingly prioritising experienced Quality Managers with proven audit leadership experience. This has reduced the available candidate pool and pushed salaries higher in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, aerospace and chemicals.
There is also growing demand for Quality Managers who can manage change. Businesses implementing new systems, expanding sites or responding to regulatory findings are more likely to appoint managers with a track record of stabilising quality performance rather than maintaining the status quo.
Location and salary variation
London and the South East continue to offer the highest Quality Manager salaries, with average pay typically sitting around 10–15% above the UK mean. In these regions, QA Manager salaries commonly exceed £65,000, particularly in regulated manufacturing.
Regional gaps have narrowed slightly over the past five years. Areas such as the Midlands and North West have seen steady growth of around 26–27% over five years at Quality Manager level, driven by increased regulation and consolidation of manufacturing sites.
Scotland, Wales and the North East continue to offer slightly lower average salaries, but demand remains strong where specialist regulatory experience is required. In these regions, salary is increasingly driven by site complexity and audit exposure rather than geography alone.