US chip industry faces 157,000-worker shortfall by 2030, SEMI Foundation warns
A SEMI Foundation analysis warns the US could face a shortage of up to 157,000 semiconductor and microelectronics workers by 2030, even as Samsung, Micron, TSMC and Intel expand domestic fabs and salaries remain high.
The projected shortfall would span the industry's workforce, from semiconductor engineers to supply chain workers and maintenance staff. The SEMI Foundation analysis says the gap would put pressure on the sector at a time when it needs resources to support expansion.
Samsung semiconductor EVP Jon Taylor told CNBC that the company is "concerned" because it is not seeing enough technical workers coming through the US pipeline. The report warns that only 3% of US engineering graduates enter the semiconductor industry each year, while nearly three in four semiconductor companies, or 73%, report significant difficulties recruiting engineers.
The shortage is being accentuated by the ongoing AI boom and by the Trump administration's push for more domestic manufacturing and AI processing. According to McKinsey, semiconductor sales growth in the first six months of 2026 reached its highest year-on-year rate since the mid-1980s, with revenue surpassing the trillion-dollar mark.
Many high-profile companies are expanding their US footprints despite the strains. Samsung expects to create about 3,500 new jobs from two fabs at its Taylor, Texas, site, though it is unclear how successfully it will fill them given the recruitment struggles. Micron, SK Hynix, TSMC and Intel are also opening new manufacturing facilities, according to the CNBC report.
Samsung and SK Hynix are bringing in workers from South Korea temporarily to offset some of the US difficulties, the report says. The use of international workers is described as a temporary measure.
Pay is not the main obstacle. SEMI figures put typical US semiconductor compensation at around $127,000 to $187,000, with some senior roles exceeding $238,000. Companies appear willing to pay enough to attract workers, so the problem lies elsewhere.
Cross-sector competition may be making other jobs more attractive. The report says semiconductor workers are also strong candidates for software, AI and aerospace roles, giving them options outside chip manufacturing.
Hyperscalers are increasingly prepared to remind the public that investments in new campuses also come with local training opportunities, college funding and upskilling. But because the effects of those programs are unlikely to be seen for many years, many US semiconductor roles could remain unfilled in the meantime.