Semiconductor Processing Technicians
Production · SOC 51-9141
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-9141 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 47/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $51,430
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 2,800
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +10.9%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 3,482 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~23.4% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Device Processing Engineer, Diffusion Operator, Manufacture Specialist, Manufacturing Technician, Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition Engineer (MOCVD Engineer), Probe Operator
Representative Tasks
- •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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment.
- •Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
- •Record operational or production data.
- •Assemble precision electronics or optical equipment.
- •Adjust flow of electricity to tools or production equipment.
Tools & Technologies
Related Occupations
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $51,430 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |