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Wafer Fabrication Technician

Wafer Fabrication Technician

I-18

I Other Semiconductor fab jobs · Start level · O*NET 51-9141.00

Texas median
whole occupation, 2025
$38,440
work over
40 h a week
22%
load index
from O*NET data
2.0/5
Texas jobs
2024 to 2034
+25.2%

Pay

This level's pay

No published pay record names this level: no public record found in sources S1-S7 that names this rung. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.

Whole occupation: all Semiconductor Processing Technicians, Texas
BLS OEWS May 2025
  • Series OEUS480000000000051914113 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
  • Based on an estimated 6,110 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000051914101).

Half of all Semiconductor Processing Technicians in Texas earn more than $38,440; the bottom 10% earned less than $31,750 and the top 10% more than $59,500 (May 2025, base pay, about 6,110 jobs). U.S. median $51,430.

Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Semiconductor Processing Technicians, not level-specific
TWC, BLS

Texas
+25.2% jobs · about 1,080 openings a year (7,450 jobs in 2024)
United States
+11.0% jobs · about 3,900 openings a year (31,900 jobs in 2024)

Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.

Hours
O*NET 31.0
  • Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2026, n = 14 respondents, O*NET OnLine

About 1 in 5 work more than 40 hours a week (22%).

Schedule: regular 97% · irregular 3% · seasonal 0%

Striped: O*NET marks the estimate "Recommend suppress" (low precision).

Physical load 2.0 of 5, our index from O*NET
Method
  • Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.13, 6 measures) and an exposure index (1.83, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
  • O*NET OnLine

Body

  • Standing3.56
  • Walking or running3.29
  • Bending or twisting2.43
  • Kneeling or crawling1.34
  • Keeping balance1.13
  • Climbing ladders1.03

Exposure

  • Hazardous conditions3.79
  • Hazardous equipment2.31
  • Protective gear2.26
  • Very hot or cold1.31
  • Cramped space1.1
  • Outdoors, all weather1.01
  • High places1.01
Body 2.13 · exposure 1.83. O*NET Work Context means, 1 = never, 5 = continually or every day.

Getting in

License
No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).
Degree
0% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None of related experience is the most common answer (48% of workers).
O*NET
  • O*NET Related Work Experience, Semiconductor Processing Technicians, O*NET OnLine
Preparation
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Why this level
Start: O*NET Job Zone 2 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior).

Moves to the side 7

  • R Electrical Assembler O*NET lists Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.81 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band).
  • R Electromechanical Assembler O*NET lists Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.85 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band).
  • I4 MEMS Engineer O*NET lists Microsystems Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.60 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band). License: depends on the work.
  • I Photonics Technician O*NET lists Photonics Technicians as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.72 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band).
My job nowTargetShare this job
What the work is 6 core tasks

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.

  1. Inspect materials, components, or products for surface defects and measure circuitry, using electronic test equipment, precision measuring instruments, microscope, and standard procedures.
  2. Study work orders, instructions, formulas, and processing charts to determine specifications and sequence of operations.
  3. Clean semiconductor wafers using cleaning equipment, such as chemical baths, automatic wafer cleaners, or blow-off wands.
  4. Maintain processing, production, and inspection information and reports.
  5. Place semiconductor wafers in processing containers or equipment holders, using vacuum wand or tweezers.
  6. Load and unload equipment chambers and transport finished product to storage or to area for further processing.

Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.

Top skills

  • Operations Monitoring
  • Critical Thinking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Monitoring
  • Quality Control Analysis
  • Coordination
  • Equipment Maintenance
Sources (4)

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license

Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.

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Not a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas or any U.S. state. Does not offer engineering services. Exam-prep education only.