Semiconductor Engineer
The role of a semiconductor engineer is to design, fabricate, test, assemble and package semiconductor devices.
A semiconductor engineer is someone who uses their technical background to design and program semiconductors to meet the needs of different businesses. Semiconductor engineers manage all designing, building, troubleshooting and testing of electronic circuits. They have extensive knowledge of engineering and microelectronic systems that helps them create functioning electronics.
Semiconductor engineers are in charge of designing and creating different types of electrical systems. If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a semiconductor engineer, it’s important to complete certain educational requirements. It can also be helpful to develop certain skills to make your application more competitive.
Job Overview
Salary
Workplace
How to Start
Job Overview
What does a Semiconductor Engineer do?
As a semiconductor engineer, your main job is to make semiconductors that are mostly made out of silicon. You have to create electrical products that enable the integration of workers, materials, and machines. Semiconductor engineers increase the efficiency of these semiconductors and develop new technologies for creating semiconductors for electric circuitry.
Semiconductor engineers are often asked to configure semiconductors so clients can directly request items for their business. These engineers build the necessary pathways on the silicon wafer, which comprise the semi-conductive whole after finishing the product through wafer bonding and etching.
Design Skills
Semiconductor engineers design and develop systems, modules, software, structures and interfaces.
Statistical Process Control
SPC is a method that uses statistical tools and charts to analyze a process or procedure over time. This could reveal an error in production or an internal system by highlighting data points outside the expected results.
Data Analysis
These engineers provide statistical expertise and data analysis for projects involving the design, development, or validation of new or existing products/processes.
Failure Analysis
Failure analysis is a step-by-step process of determining the reason for a particular machine or equipment failure by way of checking, identification, and examination.
Salary
How much does a Semiconductor Engineer make?
The average annual pay for a Semiconductor Engineer in the United States is $90,538 a year. Annual salaries can be as high as $150,500 and as low as $38,000, the majority of Semiconductor Engineer salaries currently range between $71,500 (25th percentile) to $100,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $123,000 annually across the United States.
These are 2025 national salary averages and may fluctuate based on location.
Workplace
What does the workplace for a Semiconductor Engineer look like?
Most semiconductor engineers work in manufacturing. Many semiconductor manufacturing plants are environmentally clean, to prevent contamination of the wafers during the manufacturing process. Semiconductor engineers must be willing to work in clean environments and at times to wear anti-contamination gear when entering the manufacturing area of the plant.
Depending on the exact needs of the company, a semiconductor engineer might work with computer-generated designing, blueprint development, or testing of actual semiconductor parts, including the etching machines. While the etching machines are designed by someone other than the semiconductor engineers, the engineers are responsible for choosing machine settings and troubleshooting any problems.
How to Start
How to become a Semiconductor Engineer?
The majority of companies looking to hire a semiconductor engineer ask candidates to hold an engineering bachelor’s degree. If your degree focuses on computer engineering, then all the better.
You may require a computer-focused engineering degree, although some companies may also favor those with software engineering experience. On the other hand, aspiring semiconductor engineers may benefit significantly from internships with experienced engineers in the field to gain some on-the-job experience.
Degrees that touch on the following topics are also desirable:
- Information systems
- Software engineering
- Information technology
