Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Semiconductor Processing Technicians
Occupation · SOC 51-9141.00
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.
Also called: Diffusion Operator · Manufacturing Technician · Process Technician · Wafer Fabrication Operator · Device Processing Engineer · Manufacture Specialist · Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition Engineer (MOCVD Engineer) · Probe Operator · Charge Preparation Technician · Chemical Etch Operator · Circuit Recorder · Crystal Cutter
Job family: Production Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-51-9141-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Growing fast employment outlook (+10.9% by 2034)
- 3,900 openings/yr
- Low AI exposure
- Median pay $51,180/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
- 2013 flagged this for computerization (75th); today's AI task-overlap is comparatively low (28th)
28th-percentile task overlap — yet about 3,900 openings a year (+10.9% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Low | 30th | -0.6 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low | 31st | 0.3 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 27th | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.2), with simple added tooling (β 0.2), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.3). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Mixed signals. Today's AI/LLM studies show relatively low exposure for this job, but the older (2013) Frey–Osborne work rated it higher for computerization and robotics. Different eras, different technologies — the AI measures above reflect the current state.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.9 · 75th percentile among occupations · High
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Growing fast · +10.9% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 3,900 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 31,900 → 35,400 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Tasks
All 24 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Manipulate valves, switches, and buttons, or key commands into control panels to start semiconductor processing cycles. Core · importance 4.5
- Inspect materials, components, or products for surface defects and measure circuitry, using electronic test equipment, precision measuring instruments, microscope, and standard procedures. Core · importance 4.4
- Maintain processing, production, and inspection information and reports. Core · importance 4.4
- Set, adjust, and readjust computerized or mechanical equipment controls to regulate power level, temperature, vacuum, and rotation speed of furnace, according to crystal growing specifications. Supplemental · importance 4.4
- Etch, lap, polish, or grind wafers or ingots to form circuitry and change conductive properties, using etching, lapping, polishing, or grinding equipment. Supplemental · importance 4.4
- Clean semiconductor wafers using cleaning equipment, such as chemical baths, automatic wafer cleaners, or blow-off wands. Core · importance 4.4
- Load semiconductor material into furnace. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Study work orders, instructions, formulas, and processing charts to determine specifications and sequence of operations. Core · importance 4.3
- Monitor operation and adjust controls of processing machines and equipment to produce compositions with specific electronic properties, using computer terminals. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Load and unload equipment chambers and transport finished product to storage or to area for further processing. Core · importance 4.3
- Count, sort, and weigh processed items. Supplemental · importance 4.2
- Calculate etching time based on thickness of material to be removed from wafers or crystals. Supplemental · importance 4.2
- Inspect equipment for leaks, diagnose malfunctions, and request repairs. Supplemental · importance 4.1
- Align photo mask pattern on photoresist layer, expose pattern to ultraviolet light, and develop pattern, using specialized equipment. Supplemental · importance 4.1
- Clean and maintain equipment, including replacing etching and rinsing solutions and cleaning bath containers and work area. Core · importance 4.1
- Place semiconductor wafers in processing containers or equipment holders, using vacuum wand or tweezers. Core · importance 4.1
- Stamp, etch, or scribe identifying information on finished component according to specifications. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Scribe or separate wafers into dice. Supplemental · importance 3.9
- Connect reactor to computer, using hand tools and power tools. Supplemental · importance 3.8
- Measure and weigh amounts of crystal growing materials, mix and grind materials, load materials into container, and monitor processing procedures to help identify crystal growing problems. Supplemental · importance 3.4
- Attach ampoule to diffusion pump to remove air from ampoule, and seal ampoule, using blowtorch. Supplemental
- Locate crystal axis of ingot, and draw orientation lines on ingot, using x-ray equipment, drill, and sanding machine. Supplemental
- Mount crystal ingots or wafers on blocks or plastic laminate, using special mounting devices, to facilitate their positioning in the holding fixtures of sawing, drilling, grinding or sanding equipment. Supplemental
- Operate saw to cut remelt into sections of specified size or to cut ingots into wafers. Supplemental
Work activities
- Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment.
- Record operational or production data.
- Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
- Clean workpieces or finished products.
- Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
- Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
- Load materials into production equipment.
- Move products, materials, or equipment between work areas.
- Maintain production or processing equipment.
- Assemble precision electronics or optical equipment.
- Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
- Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
- Adjust flow of electricity to tools or production equipment.
- Load items into ovens or furnaces.
- Monitor equipment operation to ensure that products are not flawed.
- Count finished products or workpieces.
- Weigh finished products.
- Sort materials or products for processing, storing, shipping, or grading.
- Calculate specific material, equipment, or labor requirements for production.
- Inspect production equipment.
- Diagnose equipment malfunctions.
- Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
- Engrave designs, text, or other markings onto materials, workpieces, or products.
- Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
- Install instrumentation or electronic equipment or systems.
- Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.
- Mix substances to create chemical solutions.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
| Production and Processing | 3.9 | |
| English Language | 3.8 | |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.4 | |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.4 | |
| Education and Training | 3.3 | |
| Chemistry | 3.2 | |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.0 |
Abilities
| Near Vision | 3.6 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.5 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.5 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.4 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.3 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.3 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.3 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.3 | |
| Control Precision | 3.3 | |
| Written Expression | 3.1 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.1 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.1 | |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.1 | |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.1 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.0 | |
| Visualization | 3.0 | |
| Category Flexibility | 2.9 | |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.9 | |
| Speech Recognition | 2.9 | |
| Speech Clarity | 2.9 |
Transferable skills
Essential skills
| Reading Comprehension | 3.4 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.4 | |
| Active Listening | 3.3 | |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | |
| Speaking | 2.9 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
| Example | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | Hot technology In demand |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | Hot technology In demand |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Presentation software | Hot technology In demand |
| Python | Object or component oriented development software | Hot technology In demand |
| SAP software | Enterprise resource planning ERP software | Hot technology In demand |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | Hot technology |
| Camstar Systems Camstar Semiconductor Suite | Industrial control software | |
| Database software | Data base user interface and query software | |
| Eyelit Manufacturing | Industrial control software | |
| National Instruments TestStand | Development environment software | |
| yieldWerx | Analytical or scientific software |
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Preparation level
- SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
What to study: Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians , Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| High School Diploma | 83.8% | |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 11.7% | |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 2.3% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 1.3% | |
| Some College Courses | 0.5% | |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 0.1% | |
| Bachelor's Degree | 0.1% | |
| Master's Degree | 0.1% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 6.4 | |
| Conventional | 5.2 | |
| Investigative | 3.1 | |
| Enterprising | 1.5 |
Interest areas
| Mechanics/Electronics | 5.3 | |
| Engineering | 4.7 | |
| Physical Science | 3.5 | |
| Physical/Manual Labor | 3.0 | |
| Information Technology | 2.1 | |
| Mathematics/Statistics | 1.7 | |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | 1.4 | |
| Accounting | 1.3 |
Work styles
| Dependability | 3.0 | |
| Attention to Detail | 2.8 | |
| Cautiousness | 2.3 | |
| Integrity | 1.3 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $35,980 |
| 25th percentile | $45,320 |
| Median (50th) | $51,180 |
| 75th percentile | $74,640 |
| 90th percentile | $87,190 |
| People employed | 32,150 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing · Sector | 31,480 | $51,420 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 360 | $63,790 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 180 | $44,470 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | — | $46,000 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing · Sector | 11.83× | 31,480 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 0.33× | 180 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 0.16× | 360 |
Related occupations
Part of the Advanced Manufacturing career cluster.
- Chemical Plant and System Operators · 51-8091.00 Compare →
- Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · 51-4193.00 Compare →
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers · 51-2022.00 Compare →
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers · 51-6091.00 Compare →
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · 51-4021.00 Compare →
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- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · 51-9012.00 Compare →
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Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Semiconductor Processing Technicians — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
- Chemical Plant and System Operators Compare →
- Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Compare →
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers Compare →
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers Compare →
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Compare →
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians · field of study
- Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians · field of study
Zoom out
See where this work sits in the bigger picture.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Semiconductor Processing Technicians show 28th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 3,900 annual U.S. openings
- Semiconductor Processing Technicians rank in the 28th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 3,900 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+10.9%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $51,180, across about 32,150 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Semiconductor Processing Technicians show 28th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 3,900 annual U.S. openings • Semiconductor Processing Technicians rank in the 28th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 3,900 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+10.9%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $51,180, across about 32,150 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Semiconductor Processing Technicians". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9141-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Semiconductor Processing Technicians." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9141-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Semiconductor Processing Technicians. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9141-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-51-9141-00,
title = {Semiconductor Processing Technicians},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9141-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.