On Tuesday, officials and businesspeople from Peoria, Arizona, donned on cleanroom booties to begin work on a big new advanced-packaging plant that might hire as many as 3,000 people by the end of the decade. The CHIPS Act let Amkor Technology build the website to fill a big gap in back-end chip production in the US. The first factory is set to open.
Prominent customers have already signed up, and production will begin in 2028 after the site goes live in 2027. (Tom’s hardware)
That situation shows that recruiting will be significant across fabs, equipment vendors, and outsourced assembly and test (OSAT) providers in 2026. Before high-volume production starts, technicians, facilities specialists, and packaging workers will be needed to help with the early ramp and tool-install phases of new capacity that will be funded in 2023–2025. Industry groups say that the lack of skilled workers, especially technicians, will last until the end of the decade.
Why hiring in semiconductors and advanced packaging is likely to stay popular until 2026
Since 2022, federal funding and private promises have gone from promises to real commitments. State authorities in Arizona say that since 2020, there have been more than 60 semiconductor expansions, 25,000 new jobs, and more than $200 billion in new capital investment. More developments are set to be put in place in 2026. Samsung’s Taylor fab in Texas is to start working by 2026, and Intel’s “Ohio One” factory in Ohio keeps becoming bigger. These schedules say that hiring for site services, tool installation, equipment maintenance, and package creation will be steady in 2026. Arizona Commerce Newsroom (MySA)
The advanced packing is one thing that stands out. Amkor’s Peoria location joins GlobalFoundries’ new photonics packaging center in New York. The site is getting up to $400 million in CHIPS funding. When looked at as a whole, they show that the country needs more metrology experts, cleanroom operators, and reliability technicians who know how to work with 2.5D/3D integration and optics. (Source: Reuters)
Packaging, tooling, and technicians are the jobs that are increasing the fastest
Technicians who take care of equipment and fabrication. These are shift jobs in cleanrooms that range from class 1 to 1000. Every day, you have to do things like start tools, arrange preventive maintenance (PM), troubleshoot vacuum and pneumatic systems, and keep track of yields and warnings. Growth trajectories often lead to jobs in field service or ownership of a module. SIA’s research on the workforce shows that technicians, many of whom have certificates or two-year degrees, will make up about 39% of the available semiconductor roles in the US this decade. Semiconductors
Set up and facilities. As new buildings get taller, contractors need facilities technicians (for ultrapure water, HVAC, gas and chemical supply, and electricity) and installation teams for AMHS, FOUP docks, and subfab utilities. For example, Intel has unique apprenticeship programs for facilities professionals and is working on construction and installation projects in Arizona and Ohio that will last for several years. (Newsroom)
OSAT and fancy packaging. Packaging technicians and operators take care of wafer singulation, substrate attachment, underfill, thermal compression bonding, and high-throughput testing. Amkor’s Arizona site expects to add thousands of jobs and up to 750,000 square feet of cleanroom space by 2028. GlobalFoundries is spending $575 million on a packaging and photonics center in Malta. These places hire optical packing operators, failure analysis technicians, and reliability technicians. (Hardware by Tom)
Example result: New packing plants normally start out slowly and then speed up. Depending on the mix of products, steady-state operations need two to three shifts of equipment technicians for each module, as well as facilities, QA/reliability, and logistics. This can mean 500 to 1,500 jobs per site. There can be hundreds of people on a first-phase tool-install team. (This prediction fits with the job creation numbers for packaging campuses that Amkor and regional governments have given.) (Tom’s Hardware)
Vacuums and PLCs are two skills that companies will need in 2026. Postings turn into a well-known set of tools:
Pumps, seals, RGA basics, and leak detection are all parts of vacuum systems.
Pneumatics and fluidics: reading P&IDs, valves, regulators, and MFCs.
Lockout/tagout, sensors, interlocks, and PLC basics are all part of electronics and controls.
ESD and safety: wearing a gown, using personal protective equipment, working with dangerous gases, and working in tight spaces; metrology and SPC: measuring film thickness, using profilometry, and using optical/IR inspection; basic SPC charting.
Solder joint inspection, shear/pull, HAST, and heat cycling are all tests that verify how strong the packaging is. There are several tests that can be used to see how reliable the packing is. These include shear/pull, HAST, and heat cycling. Employers are more likely to hire technologists who can record clean data, follow standard work procedures, and talk to providers because the CHIPS R&D program focuses on data standards and digital twins. (papers from NIST)
Courses and qualifications that are short and to the point
Short tools that give you grades can help you go over the first screens:
Tech Quick Start (Arizona) certified 587 students in its first year. There are a lot of different kinds of people applying for entry-level fab tech jobs through this two-week hands-on training.
An OSAT or provider with the SEMI Semiconductor Technician Certification has a good grasp of the basics and can keep it for three years. You need to get 100 questions right in order to pass.
Basic vacuum training that can be used for packaging and thin films are part of the SUNY Vacuum Technology microcredential.
To get regional certifications in Ohio and other states, you have to take one-year courses in things like OSHA-10, semiconductor principles, the basics of industrial automation, or cleanroom upkeep. (The business of Arizona)
How to put it on your CV: Start with the qualification, then list the hours and the skills that were tested: “Passed SEMI Technician Certification (82%) and finished SUNY Vacuum Technology microcredential (80+ hours); checked for helium leaks to 1×10⁻⁹ mbar·L/s.” (SUNY)
Linking existing 150 mm packaging to 300 mm and OSAT
If you have worked with 150 mm legacy tools before, make sure to highlight your knowledge of transferable PM procedures (pumps, seals, alignments), SPC discipline, and safety records. Next, work on getting better at:
Automation: managing recipes, GUIs for tool software, the basics of AMHS, and handling FOUP. 300 mm workflows include cross-module handoffs, responses to excursions, and lot holds. Packaging tools include die attach, reflow/TCB, underfill, dicing, and AOI/X-ray inspection.
A 60- to 90-day plan: OSHA-10 and ESD refresh in weeks one and two; PLC and metrology modules in weeks three and six; recorded lab hours for checking for vacuum and helium leaks in weeks seven and ten; and mock tool starts and root-cause write-ups using a standard 8D template in weeks eleven and twelve. To make this more real, Ohio, Arizona, and New York all have structured labs as part of their regional initiatives. (Clark State College Newsroom)
Where occupations are most common: employers and hot spots for 2026
Arizona (Phoenix, Peoria, and Chandler) is home to wafer fabs, OSAT/packaging, and vendors. Since 2020, there have been over 60 expansions and 25,000 new jobs. Amkor’s packaging site is hiring now, and production workers later. Amkor, TSMC suppliers, Intel, and other contractors are some of the companies that hire people. (Trade in Arizona)
Texas (Taylor/Austin): Before production starts to scale up, Samsung’s factory expects to hire thousands of people to work on construction, facilities, and tool installation during its first phase in 2026. (MySA)
Intel is building new buildings, hiring workers, and starting apprenticeship programs in New Albany, Ohio, until 2026. (Newsroom)
New York (Albany, Syracuse, and Malta): It will take a long time to finish Micron’s Clay megafab, but jobs associated with it, such as supplier and training employment, will start before the first wafers are made. GlobalFoundries is hiring more specialized technicians at its packaging and photonics base in Malta (Micron.com/assets).
How to get a job without any experience
Choose a 2- to 10-week path that fits with the postings (vacuum + PLC basics + ESD/OSHA-10). Ohio/NY certificates and Arizona’s Quick Start are two programs that help people get entry-level jobs.
A lot of employment ads say that OSHA-10 General Industry is needed or wanted. Get it and keep a note of it.
You can get a cleanroom badge by going on a campus tour or training with a partner. You should also practice how to put on a gown and get to tools.
Use measurable skills and resources, such as “helium mass-spec leak checks,” “SPC charting,” and “AOI,” to make a focused résumé. Before you send in your application, use a resume checker to find any missing keywords to make sure it passes applicant-tracking checks.
To get logged hours around real tools, start with contractor installs (AMHS, subfab, hook-up) and then go on to fab/OSAT work in 6–12 months.
To get ready for behavioral and troubleshooting interviews, use scenario logs. There should be one for cross-module collaboration, one for yield saving, one for safety stops, and one for PM narratives. (Arizona Commerce + Clark State College)
Sample resumes for technicians in fabrication and packaging that are ready for ATS
For each consequence, write a single line with verbs and numbers:
“Replaced foreline seals and standardized RGA checks to cut unplanned downtime by 12% QoQ; did PM on six PVD tools every shift.”
“Did helium leak tests on vacuum modules up to 1×10⁻⁹ mbar·L/s; all post-PM qualification wafers passed on the first try.”
“Updated the LOTO and interlock SOPs; after finding the cause of latch sensor failures, the AMHS carrier turnaround time went up by 9%.”
“Did AOI and X-ray checks on 2.5D packages; found 0.8% bond flaws and used shear/pull metrics to confirm rework.”
To show that you’re ready, post buzzwords like PLC, SPC, FOUP, AMHS, CoWoS, underfill, and AOI on mirrors and turn school labs into “hours on tool” that can be tracked.
Union vs. non-union advanced manufacturing routes
You can get paid while you train as an apprentice in a union craft, like building or installation. During buildouts, people who work in HVAC, sheet metal, plumbing, and electrical work would have members work on fabrication projects for months at a time. Pros: steady progress and a strong culture of safety. Travel and project-based timetables are two things that are not good about this.
Paths for fab/OSAT technicians that are not in a union: Direct-hire jobs let you use equipment, get paid more for working different shifts, and get help with tuition for qualifications faster. A number of companies, including as Intel and GlobalFoundries, offer internal or certified apprenticeships for technicians who work on facilities or equipment. Internal mobility and regular site schedules are good things, but production demands and rotating shifts are bad things. (Newsroom)
Three real mini-case entry points that work
HVAC > facilities tech: A 24-year-old HVAC apprentice in Phoenix took OSHA-10 and a brief course on water systems. Then he worked for a fab contractor maintaining chillers and UPW skids. They went to a site facilities job with a shift difference after ten months and a lot of time spent on permits and LOTO. This pipeline displays how many people work at a fab when contractors are working there. Programs in Arizona say that hundreds of Quick Start graduates are finding work in IT. (Trade in Arizona) And an associate’s degree after finishing the two-week Quick Start program, a community college graduate secured a job as a night-shift photolithography operator. They passed the SEMI technician exam and were promoted to equipment tech in less than a year. This meant a 10% wage boost. (Trade in Arizona)
150 mm operator to OSAT reliability tech: An operator at a legacy fab in upstate New York received a SUNY vacuum microcredential and worked 120 hours in a metrology lab. They worked in a packaging company in Malta that underwent shear and pull tests and heat cycling. The packaging center at GlobalFoundries is concentrating on improving these talents. (SUNY) Common hazards and how to be safe
- Shift shock: A 12-hour shift rotation could mess with your sleep and performance. Fix: try out a false rotation for two weeks before saying yes.
- Some applicants find out too late that they can’t wear respirators or full gowns. This is called PPE intolerance. Fix: while working in a lab, slowly raise your tolerance.
- Jargon with no proof: Words like “SPC” or “AMHS” that don’t have examples don’t pass the test. Fix: provide each term a metric and a result.
- Reading about vacuuming is not the same as doing vacuuming. To show that you can accomplish things with your hands, you need to log enough lab hours and pass an outside test (SEMI or CMRT). (Semi.org)
Your plan over the next 90 days to find a job in 2026
Weeks 1–2: Choose and join up for a short program that covers the basics of vacuum and PLC. Start the process of renewing OSHA-10 General Industry and ESD. Take a sample CV and put five terms from the job postings you want to apply for in the “Equipment & Skills” section. (Clark College)
Weeks 3–4: Write down how many hours you spend in a makerspace or lab. Do practice tests for switching sensors, dropping pressure, and helium leaks. Write down three problems and how to fix them in a one-page troubleshooting log.
Take the regional exam or the SEMI Technician Certification exam during weeks 5 and 6. If you want to learn how to use the radio and dress appropriately, ask for a tour of the facilities. Put the hours and abilities you checked on your résumé.
During weeks 7–8, apply for entry-level tech and contractor install jobs in Arizona, Texas, Ohio, and New York. Find packaging and OSAT positions in Peoria and Malta that fit with the ramps from 2026 to 2028. Check your troubleshooting log during interviews. (Computer parts by Tom)
Weeks 9–10: Make your applications more precise. Write a different letter for each job you apply for if you’re moving jobs. Use solid examples of cover letters to help you write a short tale on how you learn swiftly, safely, and with self-control.
In weeks eleven and twelve, do two practice interviews: one for behavior and one for technical skills. After each rejection, look back on what went wrong, alter your skills plan, and keep applying as new demands come up in tool-install waves.
Why All of this Matters
The 2026 hiring window is more about being close to tools than having degrees. Reports from the government and corporate world show that there is still a lack of technicians, especially in the fields of packaging, equipment maintenance, and facilities. New American capacity will need people in Arizona, Texas, Ohio, and New York who can log clean data, learn new software for tools, and keep vacuum tightness. If you get the right micro-credentials and show that you can use data to show your PM discipline, you may move from “no experience” to shift-ready in just a few months. You can also go up as construction turns into production. Semiconductors
Soft CTA: If you want to get a job in 2026, pick a regional program, keep track of each lab hour, and turn that work into outcomes on your résumé. After that, use different approaches, including contractor installs, OSATs, and fabs, and let the results you can measure speak for themselves.
Also Read: The Silent Salesperson: The Psychology of Packaging Design
