You supervise the QC-microbiology function — microbiological testing for pharma, food, water, or environmental operations — overseeing technicians and the testing work, supporting investigations, working with regulators on inspection and audit.
QC-microbiology supervision threads across lab operations, technician supervision, and regulatory engagement — sitting with technicians on testing decisions, supporting investigations into out-of-specification or out-of-trend results, working with regulators on inspection response, supporting deviation-and-CAPA work tied to microbiological findings. Testing quality, lab productivity, and audit-finding management anchor the operating measures.
The harder part is often the contamination-investigation pressure — microbiological contamination findings can trigger product holds, recalls, or regulatory action, and supervisors carry the responsibility for investigations under significant operational pressure. Variance across employers is real: pharma microbiology operates under cGMP frameworks; medical-device microbiology runs under similar frameworks; food microbiology runs under FDA and USDA expectations; environmental microbiology runs under EPA and state-rule frameworks.
It fits people technically deep in microbiology, comfortable with regulatory inspection, and steady through contamination-investigation pressure. ASCP, ASQ, and sector-specific microbiology credentials anchor advancement. The trade-off is the contamination-event consequences — microbiology findings can stop production or trigger recalls, and supervisors carry the responsibility for the laboratory's work across years.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Business Operations roles →You supervise the QC-microbiology function — microbiological testing for pharma, food, water, or environmental operations — overseeing technicians and the testing work, supporting investigations, working with regulators on inspection and audit.
Median pay for a Quality Control Microbiology Supervisor (QC Microbiology Supervisor) is about $121K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $75K to $197K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Quality Control Analysis, Speaking, and Active Listening.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 1.9% through 2034, with roughly 234,380 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Quality Director, Quality Control Director (QC Director), and Senior Quality Engineer.
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