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Electro-mechanical apparatus assembly workers

How to become a Semiconductor Production Worker

Also called: Semiconductor production equipment operator, Semiconductor assembly equipment operator, Semiconductor assembler, Integrated circuit (IC) production worker, Semiconductor chip production worker

Operates and monitors equipment and machines in semiconductor (computer chip) manufacturing to make semiconductors.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university or high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualification is required to start. Many people join after finishing high school. No particular subject of study is needed. After joining, there is 1 to 6 months of on-the-job training, which differs by semiconductor maker. Once you understand the operating steps properly, you can do the basic operations. After that, you build experience on the shop floor until you can operate quickly and without mistakes. With shop-floor experience, some become process managers or managers of a whole clean room, and others build specialist knowledge and become engineers. Some also move from production into production management at head office. A related qualification is the semiconductor product manufacturing technician grade of the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Semiconductor manufacturing equipment is extremely complex and precise, so care is needed when handling it. You must operate it exactly as the manual says, so you need the accuracy and attention to detail to understand the manual properly and keep operating exactly as you were taught.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Semiconductor Production Worker?

No particular education or qualification is required to start. Many people join after finishing high school. No particular subject of study is needed. After joining, there is 1 to 6 months of on-the-job training, which differs by semiconductor maker. Once you understand the operating steps properly, you can do the basic operations. After that, you build experience on the shop floor until you can operate quickly and without mistakes. With shop-floor experience, some become process managers or managers of a whole clean room, and others build specialist knowledge and become engineers. Some also move from production into production management at head office. A related qualification is the semiconductor product manufacturing technician grade of the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Semiconductor manufacturing equipment is extremely complex and precise, so care is needed when handling it. You must operate it exactly as the manual says, so you need the accuracy and attention to detail to understand the manual properly and keep operating exactly as you were taught.

How much does a Semiconductor Production Worker earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,460,800 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Electro-mechanical apparatus assembly workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Semiconductor Production Worker?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 15% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: National trade skills test (技能検定).

Will AI change the work of a Semiconductor Production Worker?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026