Semiconductor Processing Technicians
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.
31,460 people do this job in the US. $51,430 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 20%
- 0%
- 80%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 2%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 20%. Today's estimate: 20%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 17 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etch, lap, polish, or grind wafers or ingots to form circuitry and change conductive properties, using etching, lapping, polishing, or grinding equipment.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 14% | 1.1 h25 min to 2.1 h | Stays with people | |
| Align photo mask pattern on photoresist layer, expose pattern to ultraviolet light, and develop pattern, using specialized equipment.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 12% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect materials, components, or products for surface defects and measure circuitry, using electronic test equipment, precision measuring instruments, microscope, and standard procedures.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 10% | 25 min13 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Clean and maintain equipment, including replacing etching and rinsing solutions and cleaning bath containers and work area.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 50 min25 min to 2.1 h | Stays with people | |
| Monitor operation and adjust controls of processing machines and equipment to produce compositions with specific electronic properties, using computer terminals.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 8% | 38 min17 min to 1.7 h | 98%Half by now | |
| Load and unload equipment chambers and transport finished product to storage or to area for further processing.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 7% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | Stays with people | |
| Maintain processing, production, and inspection information and reports.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 17 min8 min to 29 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Clean semiconductor wafers using cleaning equipment, such as chemical baths, automatic wafer cleaners, or blow-off wands.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 6% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Place semiconductor wafers in processing containers or equipment holders, using vacuum wand or tweezers.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 6% | 13 min4 min to 25 min | Stays with people | |
| Count, sort, and weigh processed items.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 5% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Study work orders, instructions, formulas, and processing charts to determine specifications and sequence of operations.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 5% | 13 min4 min to 33 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Load semiconductor material into furnace.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 4% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
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Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing27,820 people
- Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing2,780 people
- Scientific Research and Development Services280 people
- Employment Services220 people
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing50 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).