Career
Semiconductor processing technicians
Make the semiconductor chips technology runs on.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Inspect materials, components, or products for surface defects and measure circuitry, using electronic test equipment, precision measuring instruments, microscope, and standard procedures.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Quality Control Analysis.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $51,430 a year and 3,400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0616
- Industrial Electronics Technology/TechnicianCIP 47.0105
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Chemical Plant and System Operators$78,120 · -5.2%
- Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$43,960 · -9.7%
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers$46,350 · -3.3%
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,720 · +0.7%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.