Also called: Wafer Fab Operator, Cleanroom Technician
Operates the machines that make computer chips in super-clean factories.
You suit up head-to-toe, load wafers into machines, monitor each step, and inspect results under a microscope. New fabs offer paid training and even short 'quick start' certificate programs.
BLS median roughly $48k; new fabs often pay more plus shift premiums.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. HS diploma plus short training or certificate; associate helps.
Ways in: Certification, 2-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Semiconductor Technology (certificate), Manufacturing Technology.
Growing much faster than average. CHIPS Act fabs are adding thousands of jobs.
Medium risk for 10 years. Fabs automate wafer handling heavily, so each technician covers more tools, though new fabs keep hiring.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to chip fabs (Intel, Micron, TSMC, Texas Instruments) for entry technician jobs; they train you
Classes: Chemistry, Physics, Electronics CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-9141.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.