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I've been designing semiconductor chips for 25 years in the US. For the last 20 years all the companies I have worked at have been fabless. We send the mask d

I've been designing semiconductor chips for 25 years in the US. For the last 20 years all the companies I have worked at have been fabless. We send the mask data to TSMC or Samsung to manufacture. I sit in front of a computer at a desk all day and get to work from home 3 days a week. We get plenty of new grad design engineers from college. But do young people want to work in manufacturing plants being on call when the production line goes down? There are thousands of technician jobs that are more 2 year associate degree types needed as well. I've also seen stories that because of the small number of fabs it is difficult to switch jobs because there are not many options. This pushes down salaries as well. In contrast to design where there are hundreds of companies which you can leave and go to and get significant salary increases. As with most jobs, more pay and better working conditions will attract more people.

bombcar 3y ago
Perhaps the government needs to step in and declare certain “important national security jobs” except from taxation or something. Probably would just drop the salaries to minimum wage :(
thebigwinning 3y ago
> do young people want to work in manufacturing plants being on call when the production line goes down They do if the jobs pay enough to live. There are a lot more classes of young people than recent grads from big universities. See Amazon warehouse and airports.
- alephnerd 3y ago
  I'm one of those young people. If I attended Oregon State, why would I want to earn $70k base with almost no stock and bonus to work at Intel or Micron as a New College Grad Process Engineer in Beaverton or Boise where I have income tax when I can make $110-140k base with a 10% bonus and stock at Amazon, Google, or Microsoft in Seattle (let alone smaller startups or non-name brand companies like UIPath) while paying no income tax. The classes you study in EE/CE are extremely similar (and often the same) to those in CS so I may as well earn more with a better quality of life. Salaries in the Semiconductor industry in the United States are stuck at 2000s levels, which lead to the massive outsourcing of electronics talent to Taiwan, South Korea, PRC, Israel, India, and Malaysia because you could pay $50-70k salaries and still get top of the barrel talent in the EE space (though Israel is seeing the same shift to software - sad days for Haifa).
  - thebigwinning 3y ago
    > If I attended Oregon state Then you aren't one of those people. I thought this was about technician level with high school and associates degrees Also people make career choices for reasons other than money. For example, interest and geographic location.
    - alephnerd 3y ago
      > Then you aren't one of those people. I almost was. > I thought this was about technician level with high school and associates degrees The article is about students attending Bachelors and Masters programs. Even process and manufacturing roles require a 4 year degree now. I have friends who are specifically working these jobs at the Intel fab in Beaverton (hence my call out of it) For example LTD Manufacturing Equipment Technician - Intel (Hillsboro, OR) Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree in a Mechanical or Electrical STEM field related to semiconductor manufacturing technology • Examples: Microelectronics, Mechatronics, Electronic Technology, Equipment Technology, Industrial Technology, Manufacturing Technology, Avionics Technology, Electrical, Chemical, Materials OR Semiconductor related Scientific STEM Degree > people make career choices for reasons other than money Not if you have college loans to pay off.
      - thebigwinning 3y ago
        > Not if you have college loans to pay off. The evidence that people are taking the exact jobs you say nobody will take disagrees.
        alephnerd 3y ago
        I've posted the job req qualifications for an open techncian role at Intel above. Take a look at it.
    - ilyt 3y ago
      "Technican level" in steel factory is not same as semiconductor factory. You need to understand process to control and fix it and semiconductor manufacturing is probably the most complex process out of anything humanity makes in factory.

bombcar 3y ago

Perhaps the government needs to step in and declare certain “important national security jobs” except from taxation or something. Probably would just drop the salaries to minimum wage :(

thebigwinning 3y ago

> do young people want to work in manufacturing plants being on call when the production line goes down They do if the jobs pay enough to live. There are a lot more classes of young people than recent grads from big universities. See Amazon warehouse and airports.

alephnerd 3y ago
I'm one of those young people. If I attended Oregon State, why would I want to earn $70k base with almost no stock and bonus to work at Intel or Micron as a New College Grad Process Engineer in Beaverton or Boise where I have income tax when I can make $110-140k base with a 10% bonus and stock at Amazon, Google, or Microsoft in Seattle (let alone smaller startups or non-name brand companies like UIPath) while paying no income tax. The classes you study in EE/CE are extremely similar (and often the same) to those in CS so I may as well earn more with a better quality of life. Salaries in the Semiconductor industry in the United States are stuck at 2000s levels, which lead to the massive outsourcing of electronics talent to Taiwan, South Korea, PRC, Israel, India, and Malaysia because you could pay $50-70k salaries and still get top of the barrel talent in the EE space (though Israel is seeing the same shift to software - sad days for Haifa).
- thebigwinning 3y ago
  > If I attended Oregon state Then you aren't one of those people. I thought this was about technician level with high school and associates degrees Also people make career choices for reasons other than money. For example, interest and geographic location.
  - alephnerd 3y ago
    > Then you aren't one of those people. I almost was. > I thought this was about technician level with high school and associates degrees The article is about students attending Bachelors and Masters programs. Even process and manufacturing roles require a 4 year degree now. I have friends who are specifically working these jobs at the Intel fab in Beaverton (hence my call out of it) For example LTD Manufacturing Equipment Technician - Intel (Hillsboro, OR) Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree in a Mechanical or Electrical STEM field related to semiconductor manufacturing technology • Examples: Microelectronics, Mechatronics, Electronic Technology, Equipment Technology, Industrial Technology, Manufacturing Technology, Avionics Technology, Electrical, Chemical, Materials OR Semiconductor related Scientific STEM Degree > people make career choices for reasons other than money Not if you have college loans to pay off.
    - thebigwinning 3y ago
      > Not if you have college loans to pay off. The evidence that people are taking the exact jobs you say nobody will take disagrees.
      - alephnerd 3y ago
        I've posted the job req qualifications for an open techncian role at Intel above. Take a look at it.
  - ilyt 3y ago
    "Technican level" in steel factory is not same as semiconductor factory. You need to understand process to control and fix it and semiconductor manufacturing is probably the most complex process out of anything humanity makes in factory.