Also called: Fab Technician, Wafer Fab Operator
Operates and monitors chip-making equipment in the cleanroom, loading wafers and keeping production moving.
You put on a full-body bunny suit, gloves and mask, then step through an air shower into a room lit yellow. You move wafer pods between machines, start recipes, watch for alarms and inspect wafers under a microscope. Twelve-hour shifts mean you often work only 3-4 days a week.
BLS May 2024 median about $51,180; pay is rising at new fabs.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 1 year after high school. High school diploma plus training; many get a certificate or associate degree in semiconductor technology.
Ways in: Certification, 2-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Semiconductor Technology (certificate), Electronics Technology.
Growing much faster than average (about 11% over 10 years). New US fabs are driving fast growth.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Fabs are among the most automated plants; robots move wafers, so operator roles shift toward monitoring and fewer hires.
Classes: Chemistry, Physics, Algebra.
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.