Semiconductor Processing Technicians
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $51,367
- Projected change
- +12.9%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 32.12K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
95.6% of the workforce
Growing to 36.28K by 2035
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Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
The work
What semiconductor processing technicians do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Manipulate valves, switches, and buttons, or key commands into control panels to start semiconductor processing cycles.
- Maintain processing, production, and inspection information and reports.
- Inspect materials, components, or products for surface defects and measure circuitry, using electronic test equipment, precision measuring instruments, microscope, and standard procedures.
- Clean semiconductor wafers using cleaning equipment, such as chemical baths, automatic wafer cleaners, or blow-off wands.
- Study work orders, instructions, formulas, and processing charts to determine specifications and sequence of operations.
- Load and unload equipment chambers and transport finished product to storage or to area for further processing.
- Clean and maintain equipment, including replacing etching and rinsing solutions and cleaning bath containers and work area.
- Place semiconductor wafers in processing containers or equipment holders, using vacuum wand or tweezers.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $37,283
- 25th percentile
- $45,313
- 50th percentile
- $51,367
- 75th percentile
- $65,221
- 90th percentile
- $83,282
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $51,367 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
4,158 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 95.6%
- Associate degree
- 2.3%
- Certificate
- 1.3%
- Some college
- 0.5%
- Doctoral degree or more
- 0.2%
- Bachelor's degree
- 0.1%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 0.1%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Semiconductor Engineers367 postings
- 02Strategic Supply Chain Managers55 postings
- 03Semiconductor Process Engineers54 postings
- 04Wafer Fabrication Operators49 postings
- 05Semiconductor Processors39 postings
- 06Directors of Supply Chain Services30 postings
- 07Wafer Fabrication Technicians27 postings
- 08Equipment Maintenance Technicians22 postings
- 09Microelectronics Engineers16 postings
- 10Japanese Bilingual Administrative Assistants13 postings
- 11Enterprise Account Managers9 postings
- 12Facilities Electrical Engineers8 postings
- 13Global Supply Managers8 postings
- 14Manufacturing Engineers8 postings
- 15Manufacturing Operators8 postings
- 16Principals7 postings
- 17Analytical Scientists6 postings
- 18Equipment Technicians6 postings
- 19Manufacturing Engineering Technicians6 postings
- 20Principal Engineers6 postings
Top employers
- 01RTX72 postings
- 02Western Digital63 postings
- 03SBT30 postings
- 04Northrop Grumman25 postings
- 05World Wide Professional Solutions24 postings
- 06Day & Zimmermann23 postings
- 07Intel21 postings
- 08Micron Technology16 postings
- 09Cisco15 postings
- 10Keysight15 postings
- 11Siemens14 postings
- 12Aerotek13 postings
- 13Coherent13 postings
- 14Pridenow13 postings
- 15Toho Technology13 postings
- 16L3Harris Technologies10 postings
- 17Msr-Fsr10 postings
- 18Honeywell International9 postings
- 19Intelliswift Software9 postings
- 20PageGroup9 postings
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