Semiconductor Processing Technicians

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$51,430

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$45,640 – $65,010

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

31,460

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+8.2%

Growing at twice the all-jobs rate or more (7%+)

Openings a year (projected)

3,400

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

Perform any or all of the following functions in the manufacture of electronic semiconductors: load semiconductor material into furnace; saw formed ingots into segments; load individual segment into crystal growing chamber and monitor controls; locate crystal axis in ingot using x-ray equipment and saw ingots into wafers; and clean, polish, and load wafers into series of special purpose furnaces, chemical baths, and equipment used to form circuitry and change conductive properties.

Main tasks

• Inspect materials, components, or products for surface defects and measure circuitry, using electronic test equipment, precision measuring instruments, microscope, and standard procedures.
• Study work orders, instructions, formulas, and processing charts to determine specifications and sequence of operations.
• Clean semiconductor wafers using cleaning equipment, such as chemical baths, automatic wafer cleaners, or blow-off wands.
• Maintain processing, production, and inspection information and reports.
• Place semiconductor wafers in processing containers or equipment holders, using vacuum wand or tweezers.
• Load and unload equipment chambers and transport finished product to storage or to area for further processing.
• Manipulate valves, switches, and buttons, or key commands into control panels to start semiconductor processing cycles.
• Inspect equipment for leaks, diagnose malfunctions, and request repairs.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

High school diploma or equivalent

Training once hired: moderate-term on-the-job training

O*NET Job Zone 1–2

Little to some preparation

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 2 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

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