Semiconductor processing technicians
SOC Code: 51-9141
Semiconductor processing technicians carries a 39% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $51,180 and +10.9% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 31,900 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 39% AI exposure, Semiconductor processing technicians sits 2 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 67% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
56/100
Semiconductor processing technicians, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage D $51,180
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A+ +10.9%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 39% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Semiconductor processing technicians in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Semiconductor processing technicians keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Fast growth (67 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Semiconductor processing technicians sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Semiconductor processing technicians sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
39% Around the middle lower than 33% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Semiconductor processing technicians vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Semiconductor processing technicians is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Semiconductor processing technicians's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 51-9141) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Semiconductor processing technicians be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Semiconductor processing technicians. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Manipulate valves, switches, and buttons, or key commands into control panels to start semiconductor processing cycles.
- 2. Maintain processing, production, and inspection information and reports.
- 3. Inspect materials, components, or products for surface defects and measure circuitry, using electronic test equipment, precision measuring instruments, microscope, and standard procedures.
- 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.
- 5. Etch, lap, polish, or grind wafers or ingots to form circuitry and change conductive properties, using etching, lapping, polishing, or grinding equipment.
- 6. Clean semiconductor wafers using cleaning equipment, such as chemical baths, automatic wafer cleaners, or blow-off wands.
- 7. Study work orders, instructions, formulas, and processing charts to determine specifications and sequence of operations.
- 8. Load semiconductor material into furnace.
- 9. Monitor operation and adjust controls of processing machines and equipment to produce compositions with specific electronic properties, using computer terminals.
- 10. Load and unload equipment chambers and transport finished product to storage or to area for further processing.
Key Skills Required
- Operations Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Operation and Control
Knowledge Areas
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Computers and Electronics
- Education and Training
- Chemistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Administration and Management
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Semiconductor processing technicians?
Semiconductor processing technicians has an AI exposure score of 39%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Semiconductor processing technicians?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Semiconductor processing technicians is projected to grow by 10.9% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 31,900 workers.
What skills are needed for Semiconductor processing technicians?
Key skills for Semiconductor processing technicians include Operations Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Semiconductor processing technicians earn?
The median annual wage for Semiconductor processing technicians is $51,180, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Semiconductor processing technicians?
The typical entry-level education for Semiconductor processing technicians is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Semiconductor processing technicians?
Semiconductor processing technicians roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Semiconductor processing technicians: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (39% here).
- Architects, except landscape and naval · AI exposure 39%
- Biological technicians · AI exposure 39%
- Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters · AI exposure 39%
- Career/technical education teachers, middle school · AI exposure 39%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+10.9% here).
- Physical therapists · growth +10.9%
- Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians · growth +11.0%
- Industrial engineers · growth +11.0%
- Training and development specialists · growth +10.8%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 81 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Semiconductor processing technicians' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Semiconductor processing technicians side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).