Semiconductor Processing Technicians

Median salary

$51,430

Average salary

$60,180

Employment

31,460

Projected growth

10.9% growth

Annual openings

3,900

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Semiconductor Processing Technicians Do

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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: Not available

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Production and Processingimportance 3.9/5
English Languageimportance 3.8/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.4/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.4/5
Education and Trainingimportance 3.3/5
Chemistryimportance 3.2/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.0/5
Mathematicsimportance 2.9/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled5.0/5
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.6/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.3/5
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions4.1/5
Exposed to Contaminants4.1/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.0/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood97% skill match
Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons96% skill match
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic95% skill match
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic95% skill match
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers95% skill match
Motion Picture Projectionists94% skill match
Pourers and Casters, Metal93% skill match
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders93% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Operations Monitoringimportance 3.6/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.3/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5
Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
Operation and Controlimportance 2.9/5
Equipment Maintenanceimportance 2.9/5
Troubleshootingimportance 2.9/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Camstar Systems Camstar Semiconductor Suite
Database software
Eyelit Manufacturing
National Instruments TestStand
yieldWerx

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cautiousness
Integrity
Achievement Orientation
Perseverance
Self-Control

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalHigh
InvestigativeMedium
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where semiconductor processing technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).