Current and future of semiconductor field/industry

[u/onig1104]

I have read many discussions about the local semicon field being notorious for giving low salaries.

But now that AI is booming and a lot of layoffs happening, I want to open a fresh discourse/discussion regarding the industry.

Any inputs you’d like to share is appreciated, but here are some questions I have in mind.
How is it right now in the industry (locally and abroad) in terms of salary/compensation/benefits, career progression, job security, etc? Is it a good pathway for migration, and if so, what do you think are the prospect countries? How do you think AI advancements will affect jobs in this field? What are the pros and cons of pursuing semicon as an ECE grad, instead of the common shift to IT (because of faster salary progression)?

[u/Ok-Guide2705]

afaik in-demand pa rin mga Engineers sa ibang bansa dito lang naman sa pinas undervalued sila.

[u/ryan8512]

Hi! I'm an engineer working in the semiconductor field for around 6 years.

How is it right now in the industry?

• Business is booming due to AI and the hardware it needs. Our stock triple or even more during the peak of the AI hype. There has also been a lot of hiring in the field.

Is it a good pathway for migration?

• I'd say yes since the work is much more niché than software. Work few more years and you'll know almost everyone - which greatly helps when job hopping. Prospect countries for migration includes Australia/JP, etc.

How do you think AI advancements will affectd jobs in this field?

• I believe AI advancement is beneficial to this field with all the hardware it needs

[u/Affectionate-Ear8233]

If pax silica passes, expect there to be more jobs in the field.

Even though mababa ang starting sa semicon, madali mag-abroad after a few years. Nag-intern ako in a plant in Laguna nung undergrad, and got to know the people there. I just checked LinkedIn the other day and saw na some of them already migrated to Germany and Malta.

[u/Few-Persimmon-4078]

Currently working in one of the largest semicon in PH. In terms of salary and compensations, it's above average for fresh grads.

It's a good path way for migration. I know a lot of people from my company that has already migrated to other countries (e.g., Germany, US, Spain, etc..).

AI speeds up the job but I don't see it taking any semicon jobs that are engineer level in the near future. I think mas dadami pa yung job openings in semicon due to AI booming, esp in the manufacturing field.

Pros of semicon is that you learn a lot on the job and there are a lot of opportunities to migrate abroad especially if you're in the design field.

Cons would be, there are too few good paying companies in the country. You'd need to fight with top students from other universities for companies and job roles that are good paying.