Best programs to become a semiconductor processing technician
You do not need a college degree to become a semiconductor processing technician. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Industrial Electronics Technology/Technician and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology/Technician (IPEDS completions).
2 college programs at 115 schools train semiconductor processing technicians, graduating 3,413 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $51,430 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About 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.
Best programs to study to become a semiconductor processing technician
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 47.0105 | 3,331 | 97.6% | 107 | $37,415 | $9,500 |
| 2 | CIP 15.0616 | 82 | 2.4% | 10 | $57,188 | $22,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What semiconductor processing technicians earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $78,940 | 2,270 | 3.46× | 6 | 444 |
| Arkansas | $40,610 | 40 | 0.16× | 6 | 194 |
| California | $48,030 | 4,650 | 1.26× | 9 | 154 |
| Texasmoderate | $38,440 | 6,110 | 2.15× | 3 | 130 |
| Michigan | — | 270 | 0.30× | 5 | 36 |
| Utahmoderate | $40,760 | 120 | 0.34× | 3 | 25 |
| Pennsylvaniamoderate | $46,430 | 340 | 0.27× | 4 | 22 |
| Washingtonmoderate | $58,710 | 990 | 1.38× | 3 | 19 |
| Georgialimited | $48,580 | — | — | 1 | 5 |
| Marylandlimited | $47,610 | 120 | 0.21× | 1 | 4 |
| Nevadalimited | $37,290 | — | — | 1 | 2 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
Skills
- Critical Thinking3.4
- Reading Comprehension3.4
- Monitoring3.3
- Active Listening3.3
- Speaking2.9
- Writing2.8
- Active Learning2.5
- Learning Strategies2.3
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing3.9
- English Language3.8
- Public Safety and Security3.4
- Computers and Electronics3.4
- Education and Training3.3
- Chemistry3.2
Abilities
- Near Vision3.6
- Written Comprehension3.5
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.5
- Oral Comprehension3.4
- Finger Dexterity3.3
- Inductive Reasoning3.3
Core activities
- Controlling Machines and Processes4.2
- Handling and Moving Objects4.2
- Performing General Physical Activities4.1
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.0
- Getting Information4.0
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.9
How to get in
How to become a semiconductor processing technician
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 2 majors mapped to Semiconductor Processing Technicians2 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 15.0616Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology/Technician
- 47.0105Industrial Electronics Technology/Technician
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a semiconductor processing technician?+
You do not need a college degree to become a semiconductor processing technician. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Industrial Electronics Technology/Technician and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology/Technician (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a semiconductor processing technician?+
The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Industrial Electronics Technology/Technician and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology/Technician (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this job, which together graduate about 3,413 people a year.
How much do semiconductor processing technicians earn?+
The median is $51,430 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $37,690 at the 10th percentile to $82,540 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for semiconductor processing technicians growing?+
BLS projects a +10.9% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 3,900 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
115 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 2 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do semiconductor processing technicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Diffusion Operator, Process Technician, Manufacturing Technician, Wafer Fabrication Operator among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-9141.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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