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.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. CareerOneStop's licensing data records no state license for Semiconductor Processing Technicians, which usually means it is not a licensed occupation. Requirements can still vary by employer and state.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most semiconductor processing technicians are Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (89% of the jobs counted, median pay $52,450), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (9% of the jobs counted, median pay $49,000), Scientific Research and Development Services (1% of the jobs counted, median pay $81,450), Employment Services (1% of the jobs counted, median pay $31,200) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing ($52,450), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing ($49,000). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "Other production occupations", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 122.1 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 7 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Production", which includes this career, 11.9% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,161 for union members and $945 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to semiconductor processing technicians.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Production", which includes this career, 75% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 80% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 77% had paid sick leave, 90% paid vacation and 92% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to semiconductor processing technicians, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $37.63 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Production" in June 2026 ($25.21 in wages and salaries and $12.42 in benefits, 33.0% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (48% of 26 respondents) was "none"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (25% of 26 respondents) was "over 3 months, up to and including 6 months"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (49% of 26 respondents) was "over 6 months, up to and including 1 year". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to semiconductor processing technicians in the work done and the skills used: Chemical Plant and System Operators, Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers, Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers, Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Microsystems Engineers, Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Compare semiconductor processing technicians with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
Industrial Electronics Technology/Technician
CIP 47.0105