미국 반도체 파운드리 업체는 향후 157,000명의 인력 부족이 예상되는 가운데, 육박급 연봉에도 불구하고 국내 공학 전공자의 단 3%만이 칩 제조 분야로 진출하고 있다.

Even as chipmakers accelerate efforts to manufacture the most advanced semiconductors within the United States, experts warn that their expansion faces a monumental obstacle: a severe shortage of skilled workers to operate fabrication plants and factories. According to CNBC, global consulting firm McKinsey and the SEMI Foundation project that up to 157,000 industry positions could remain unfilled by 2030.

“I’m concerned,” Samsung semiconductor division EVP Jon Taylor told CNBC in an interview. “We just don’t see that there’s enough technical people in the pipeline.” The McKinsey report highlights that only 3% of U.S. engineering graduates enter the semiconductor industry, while 73% of chip manufacturers report difficulty filling engineering roles. This talent deficit stands in stark contrast to broader tech sectors, which experienced record layoffs by June of this year, with over 40,000 positions eliminated, ostensibly driven largely by AI-related restructuring.

Surging demand for memory and storage chips fueled by the AI boom, combined with Washington’s push to reshore semiconductor manufacturing, has triggered a wave of new facility construction. TSMC spearheaded this expansion by breaking ground on its Arizona campus in 2021. The site began producing chips last year, and in July 2026, the company committed an additional $100 billion to construct four more 2nm fabs. Meanwhile, Intel’s Ohio One facility, once slated to become America’s largest fab complex, remains under development, with production expected to commence between 2030 and 2031.

The three leading memory manufacturers—Micron, Samsung, and SK hynix—are also executing major U.S. expansions. Samsung is advancing into American semiconductor production, with its Taylor, Texas, fab entering risk production this year. Targeting 50,000 wafer starts per month, the facility is projected to generate 3,500 jobs. “We’re hiring engineers, we’re hiring technicians, we’re hiring people in the supply chain,” Taylor told the publication. “Everybody wants and needs the same thing, and it’s a bit of a race against time right now as everything is starting to come online.” Concurrently, Micron continues building its Boise, Idaho, memory chip fab, which broke ground in 2022 and is slated to begin wafer production by 2027. The company has also formally broken ground on a $100-billion New York “megafab,” aiming to produce 40% of its global output within the U.S. by the 2040s. Additionally, Micron has pledged $10 billion toward new U.S. research laboratories to be constructed near its global R&D center in Boise.

SK hynix has similarly commenced construction on its first U.S. high-bandwidth memory (HBM) plant, dedicating its West Lafayette, Indiana, campus to packaging these critical components for AI data centers. Industry reports suggest the South Korean manufacturer is also exploring options with Intel, potentially leasing space at the Ohio One factory or forming a joint venture with other AI hyperscalers to produce memory chips domestically. Supporting this industrial surge, local institutions like Purdue University and Arizona State University are investing millions to cultivate a capable workforce, with Purdue launching dedicated semiconductor degrees in 2022. Both Samsung and Intel are further bolstering recruitment through internships and scholarship programs designed to secure future talent.

Despite these efforts, compensation remains a significant hurdle, according to the SEMI Foundation. U.S. chip fabs typically offer salaries ranging from $127,000 to $187,000, with senior personnel earning $238,000 or more. While highly competitive domestically, these figures pale in comparison to recent bonus packages offered by Samsung and SK hynix in South Korea, which have reached hundreds of thousands of dollars. Given the projected labor shortfall, U.S. semiconductor firms will likely need to align their compensation packages with their Asian counterparts to attract and retain essential talent.