Is Semiconductors Industry a Good Career Choice?
Is Semiconductors Industry a Good Career Choice? Yes, semiconductors is a good career path. The semiconductor industry is growing thanks to the ever-increasing demand for electronic devices. It’s estimated that the semiconductor market will be worth $409 billion by 2025. Individuals with a great deal of experience in semiconducting jobs can easily make over six figures by the time they hit their stride in their careers.
Semiconductor jobs are high-paying and offer a lot of room for growth. While semiconducting jobs can pay a lot, these positions often require the most experience. Semiconductor Engineers have the highest earning potential, with the average salary starting at $96k a year. They design, fabricate, test, assemble and package semiconductor devices.
Is Semiconductors A Good Career Path? Semiconductor Engineers mostly work with silicon, a main feature in semiconductors, with a lot of emphasis on wafer bonding and etching. Semiconducting is an excellent career path for people who enjoy STEM subjects. Most of the jobs in the semiconducting industry are various types of engineers and technicians. Even the managers that run things need plenty of experience with the inner workings of semiconducting and STEM.
What Is Semiconductors Industry?
Semiconductors are made of materials like carbon, silicon, and germanium, which can be found in trace amounts in the Earth’s crust. They’re also known as “discrete semiconductors” because they exist as separate entities rather than being part of a continuous crystal structure. Semiconductors are important because they allow electrical current to flow freely under certain conditions, making them essential in the creation of electronic devices.
Certification Requirements for a Career in the Semiconductor Industry
Most jobs within the semiconductor industry require a minimum of four years of education. There is some variation between jobs, but this is the standard rule. The main requirements for working in the semiconductor industry include:
- Mathematical, data analysis, and communication skills.
- A Bachelor’s Degree in a related field like computer science, software engineering, or another STEM-adjacent field.
Why Choose a Career Path in the Semiconductor Industry?
There are a wide variety of reasons to choose a career in the semiconductor industry. This industry might not initially sound super exciting, but there are many benefits to working in this field. Some of the top reasons to choose a career in the semiconductor industry are:
- There’s a variety of impressive companies that hire semiconductor workers like Intel and Micron Technology.
- Most jobs within the semiconductor industry pay very well.
- You’re helping advance the future of technology and improve it.
- The field requires a lot of STEM and interpersonal skills, which are useful for any job you get in the future.
The Top Regions for Semiconductor Jobs
- Silicon Valley and “Silicon Forest”: Silicon Valley and Silicon Forest, the nickname for high-tech companies located in the San Francisco Bay area and the Portland, OR, metropolitan area, remains one of the top regions for the semiconductor industry.
- Austin, TX: The newest regional hub for the semiconductor industry is Austin, TX. It is quickly becoming a semiconductor hot-spot, with major companies such as Samsung and Tesla looking to establish fabs in the city.
- Upstate New York: Upstate New York is a major semiconductor hub, with companies such as GLOBALFOUNDRIES, ASML, and Applied Materials having semiconductor fab plants there.
Highest Paying Jobs In Semiconductors Industry
1. Technical Trainer
A semiconductor technical trainer is a person who figures out the best way to train the next generation of professionals in the industry. Their goal is to come up with the most effective training techniques and services to prepare newbies in the industry. Technical trainers must have at least three years of experience in the semiconducting industry.
2. Project Coordinator
The semiconductor project coordinator is basically the boss of an entire operation. They’re in charge of planning how a project will go and ensuring that it’s executed as expected. Project managers also act as the point of contact between other types of semiconducting jobs and the heads of the department.
3. File Room Clerk
People in this occupation record data and archive documents, that is, digitize them. They also monitor the operation of the equipment and perform maintenance tasks. File Room Clerks need an experience with office equipment and software. Average base salary is $49,979 per year.
4. Process Technician
The technician technologist is involved in turning different resources into final products that are used in the company to create semiconductors. In detail, the ability to work with the machines that are used in production, and to know the properties of different materials are essential to them.
5. Semiconductor Wafer Inspector
A semiconductor wafer inspector is a person who tests out and inspects the semiconductor wafers. They need to make sure that the wafers are adhering to the industry standards and specifications. To do this, they take measurements and conduct heat tests with a lamp to see if there are any imperfections on the surface.
6. Electrical Engineer
The electrical engineer is responsible for the planning and development and improvement of electrical products and systems. They need to have a lot of experience in creating semiconductors and the appropriate education.
7. Equipment Technician
The job of a semiconductor manufacturing technician is to maintain the manufacturing equipment and merchandise from a semiconductor facility. This involves continually assessing the equipment and products to ensure that everything is up to snuff. Semiconductor manufacturing technicians do a bunch of different tasks, from performing routine inspections and collecting data to calibrating ad troubleshooting equipment before production.
8. Semiconductor Assembler
Assemblers are responsible for the final stages of semiconductor production, which include bonding, testing, and packaging. An experience with semiconductor equipment is a must.
9. Software Engineer
The software engineer is responsible for developing and maintaining software for semiconductor equipment. They must have experience with programming languages and also understand semiconductors.
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