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The national median salary for Semiconductor Processing Technicians is $51,438 per year ($24.73/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $45,635 and $65,000 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $82,534 per year. There are approximately 31,460 semiconductor processing technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+10.9%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
32K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
9% from new growth91% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing
NAICS 334400
28K
$52,450
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing
NAICS 334100
3K
$49,000
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
280
$81,450
Employment Services
NAICS 561300
220
$31,200
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing
NAICS 334500
50
$57,120
Wage range across top 5 industries: $31,200 to $81,450 (161% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$18.12
$37,690
P25
$21.94
$45,635
P50MEDIAN
$24.73
$51,438
P75
$31.25
$65,000
P90
$39.68
$82,534
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average semiconductor processing technicians salary?
The national median salary for Semiconductor Processing Technicians is $51,438 per year ($24.73/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $45,635 and $65,000 annually.
How much do top-earning semiconductor processing technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Semiconductor Processing Technicians is $82,534 per year ($39.68/hr). The 75th percentile is $65,000 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for semiconductor processing technicians?
Entry-level Semiconductor Processing Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $37,690 per year ($18.12/hr). The 25th percentile is $45,635 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.