Salary guide, May 2025
Yield Engineer (Semiconductor) pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Industrial Engineers in the United States was $102,440 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $83,600 and $129,250.
Also searched as: Yield Engineer, Process Integration Engineer, Etch / CVD / Litho Process Engineer. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $74,370 | $83,600 | $102,440 | $129,250 | $159,860 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35.76 | $40.19 | $49.25 | $62.14 | $76.85 |
BLS estimated 365,740 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $103,740 | $81,810 to $129,150 | 3,360 | 0.51 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $100,670 | $78,520 to $123,830 | 2,090 | 0.61 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $104,920 | $85,800 to $127,450 | 2,040 | 0.61 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $104,030 | $83,240 to $130,220 | 1,710 | 0.98 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,840 | $93,100 to $130,260 | 8,540 | 0.38 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,840 | $93,100 to $130,260 | 8,540 | 0.38 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $105,640 | $93,020 to $132,830 | 10,680 | 1.12 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $101,760 | $82,260 to $126,580 | 12,750 | 1.2 |
Rank every metro for Yield Engineer (Semiconductor)
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$127,140
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$105,450
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$105,380
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$105,370
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$102,830
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$102,390
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$101,920
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$101,150
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$99,070
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$99,030
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$98,870
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$97,790
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$96,770
- Textile Mills (NAICS 313000)$94,390
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$93,170
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 248,860 | $82,290 | $101,160 | $126,660 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 55,900 | $85,080 | $102,390 | $127,250 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 41,320 | $86,770 | $105,370 | $133,290 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 28,010 | $81,650 | $99,070 | $121,540 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 25,680 | $98,350 | $107,170 | $131,930 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 23,290 | $93,530 | $105,450 | $130,730 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 22,640 | $77,900 | $93,170 | $104,250 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 20,060 | $88,940 | $108,110 | $140,790 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 18,550 | $82,840 | $101,920 | $128,760 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 18,200 | $81,880 | $98,830 | $120,590 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 17,250 | $79,550 | $96,890 | $106,770 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 16,880 | $91,760 | $104,840 | $130,890 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 15,540 | $85,110 | $102,810 | $129,190 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 14,900 | $79,420 | $96,770 | $107,790 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 12,400 | $78,950 | $97,790 | $110,760 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 11,950 | $79,330 | $96,620 | $106,940 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 11,710 | $92,180 | $104,110 | $129,470 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 11,340 | $78,320 | $94,370 | $104,900 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 9,150 | $97,950 | $118,700 | $136,120 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 8,140 | $95,070 | $106,340 | $128,140 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 6,910 | $79,730 | $99,030 | $117,390 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 6,260 | $84,130 | $102,830 | $126,540 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 5,560 | $85,060 | $101,150 | $129,380 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 5,400 | $79,760 | $98,920 | $119,880 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 5,360 | $76,350 | $90,070 | $104,100 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 4,990 | $77,510 | $92,670 | $103,570 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 4,970 | $78,360 | $98,200 | $108,050 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 4,570 | $95,870 | $103,340 | $128,710 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 3,390 | $65,840 | $79,040 | $99,530 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 3,310 | $65,800 | $78,990 | $99,530 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 3,220 | $79,890 | $97,680 | $124,910 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 3,140 | $77,720 | $90,920 | $105,490 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 3,070 | $76,660 | $89,610 | $102,790 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 3,010 | $77,480 | $93,810 | $106,220 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 2,950 | $79,660 | $98,320 | $116,500 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 2,940 | $82,140 | $98,870 | $119,810 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 2,440 | $78,970 | $96,820 | $106,910 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 2,430 | $81,020 | $98,130 | $116,950 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 2,340 | $93,660 | $108,170 | $133,940 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 2,170 | $64,520 | $99,540 | $137,030 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 2,100 | $78,710 | $96,750 | $110,110 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,020 | $106,610 | $127,140 | $152,940 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,020 | $106,610 | $127,140 | $152,940 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 1,920 | $79,080 | $95,820 | $105,900 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 1,820 | $83,310 | $102,600 | $129,960 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 1,550 | $80,730 | $100,410 | $131,930 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 1,540 | $85,170 | $103,250 | $125,920 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,520 | $79,310 | $95,010 | $106,660 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 1,390 | $79,340 | $93,460 | $102,770 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,320 | $74,810 | $91,780 | $108,710 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 1,300 | $83,780 | $103,280 | $126,590 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 1,290 | $64,770 | $94,540 | $110,070 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 1,170 | $79,710 | $98,790 | $105,140 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 1,070 | $78,750 | $94,390 | $108,780 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 1,040 | $93,820 | $105,380 | $128,570 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 990 | $81,230 | $99,970 | $117,710 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 950 | $74,450 | $91,110 | $103,750 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 930 | $94,260 | $104,530 | $127,430 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 930 | $72,470 | $89,520 | $107,990 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 890 | $92,480 | $105,450 | $128,810 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 890 | $81,650 | $101,620 | $125,780 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 830 | $83,690 | $104,160 | $126,870 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 740 | $83,680 | $99,410 | $123,200 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 740 | $79,030 | $101,350 | $123,200 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 720 | $80,490 | $91,170 | $107,250 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 680 | $84,550 | $105,680 | $135,780 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 650 | $78,270 | $93,070 | $107,250 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 650 | $78,270 | $93,070 | $107,250 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 590 | $79,800 | $96,140 | $112,340 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 530 | $74,680 | $88,730 | $108,800 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 520 | $84,270 | $100,470 | $126,400 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 510 | $78,590 | $95,100 | $104,450 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 300 | $85,210 | $101,610 | $130,660 |
| 313300 · 4-digit | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 280 | $78,190 | $93,450 | $108,520 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 280 | $72,910 | $85,020 | $107,200 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 280 | $75,610 | $87,540 | $107,040 |
| 314100 · 4-digit | Textile Furnishings Mills | 260 | $75,760 | $99,140 | $117,580 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 250 | $86,000 | $104,380 | $131,170 |
| 313100 · 4-digit | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 200 | $75,250 | $88,600 | $106,660 |
| 312200 · 4-digit | Tobacco Manufacturing | 120 | $93,080 | $108,090 | $134,500 |
| 321100 · 4-digit | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 110 | $88,030 | $108,250 | $131,680 |
| 339910 · 5-digit | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 100 | $94,450 | $97,130 | $132,360 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 90 | $81,270 | $96,700 | $108,730 |
| 316000 · 3-digit | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 80 | $75,850 | $91,930 | $115,090 |
| 316900 · 4-digit | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 60 | $75,700 | $106,170 | $123,850 |
| 315200 · 4-digit | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 50 | $66,520 | $88,620 | $127,880 |
| 311700 · 4-digit | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 40 | $82,470 | $101,090 | $110,440 |
| 334600 · 4-digit | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | Not published by BLS | $48,570 | $59,630 | $84,280 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Yield Engineer (Semiconductor), clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $81,910 | $101,140 | $127,480 |
| May 2025 | $83,600 | $102,440 | $129,250 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about data tools and analysis habits?
Yield work is analytical. We ask about the statistical tools, database queries and visualization they use, and how they handled messy data from multiple tools. A candidate who built a wafer map analysis or lot genealogy query can explain it, and a candidate who relied on others usually cannot.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Yield Engineer (Semiconductor)?
The median annual wage for Industrial Engineers in the United States was $102,440 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $83,600 and $129,250. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $74,370. 90% earned less than $159,860.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Yield Engineer (Semiconductor) at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 365,740 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
Yield Engineers are essential for maintaining manufacturing throughput in semiconductor fabrication. BLS maps this position to the Industrial Engineers (SOC 17-2112) occupation. The national median salary for this broad category is $102,440. For Yield Engineer (Semiconductor) in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $102,440; the May 2024 median is $101,140.
Their arithmetic difference is $1,300. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle band width is $45,650, defined by a P25 of $83,600 and a P75 of $129,250. This spread reflects the technical diversity of yield engineering, which can range from entry-level inspection tasks to senior-level defect analysis in sophisticated fab modules.
National industry averages provide critical context for these engineering roles. Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing reports a median of $127,140, while Chemical Manufacturing reports $118,700. These sectors often pay higher than the industrial engineering national median. For Yield Engineer (Semiconductor) in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. Manufacturing Headhunters advises managers to use these national figures as a starting point while accounting for the high-pressure nature of fab production and the specific inspection tool expertise required.
Regional data showcases the impact of industry concentration on pay. For Yield Engineer (Semiconductor) in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $102,440; the May 2024 median is $101,140. Their arithmetic difference is $1,300. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. Minneapolis-St. Both metros demonstrate slightly higher medians than the national average. The location quotient for Detroit is an impressive 3.87, highlighting a massive concentration of industrial engineering roles. For Yield Engineer (Semiconductor) in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $83,600 to $129,250 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them. Focus your recruiting efforts on the specific fab module experience and SPC fault detection skills, as these are the primary drivers of competitive offers beyond the baseline regional medians.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
For Yield Engineer (Semiconductor) in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. Yield engineers with deep fab module expertise typically aim for this range.
Does the BLS data specifically measure yield engineers in semiconductor fabs?
No, the BLS uses a broader occupation classification (Industrial Engineers, SOC 17-2112). Yield engineering is not explicitly isolated in this reporting.
How should I view the P75 salary for this role?
For Yield Engineer (Semiconductor) in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. Yield engineers with deep fab module expertise typically aim for this range.
Is the median change in Detroit and Minneapolis indicative of market tightening?
For Yield Engineer (Semiconductor) in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $102,440; the May 2024 median is $101,140. Their arithmetic difference is $1,300. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4