I work in this field The pay is poor compared to SaaS/AIML/etc Hardware folks (and firmware) are always asking how to retrain and move into mainstream SWE. Its not worth it.
You work for the wrong company.
What company do you work for?
Ask HN: How to get into the chip industry?
21–30 of 62 posts
Re: Ask HN: How to get into the chip industry?
#22For someone competent at coding, a good way to get into the chip industry is as an embedded programmer, writing firmware. These are usually in high demand in the industry.
If you do want to go straight on, FPGAs are a good and fun option.
Re: Ask HN: How to get into the chip industry?
#23EE Master here, this is a wide topic but usually from my experience (friends around who work in chip industry, ie TSMC, MediaTek).
Generally, you have the hardware design (Layout designer, R&D, Process engineer ) this typically need a Master and mostly PhD in EE or related fields. From what I heard in Taiwan, TSMC only accepts Master/PhD for these position and internship.
Then you have the interface side which writes firmware codes for these chips ( SSD controler ). These are more like your typical software engineering, you will need at least BC degreee and well verse in C/C++. But usually it's hard to get in with a BC degree unless you are recommended by one of the employee.
If you don't have any of the mentioned degree, the fastest way is to get one. It is really hard to learn yourself since this is a highly automated industry with most of the work available in maintainence and cutting edge R&D.
Otherwise, your job scope in chip industry is limited to a few ( Firmware is a good start )
Re: Ask HN: How to get into the chip industry?
#24Relative to the software industry, the chip industry has a vast number of highly-obfuscated dependencies, nearly-infinite supply chains, and zero margin for error. Robust profitability, let alone innovation, is very difficult to achieve without monstrous scale. The majority of recent semiconductor industry gains have come only through consolidation, giving chip suppliers more bargaining power while letting them cut s…
I was a firmware/software engineer at a semiconductor company. Sadly the most common thing the EE design coworkers were asking me on the side was how they can move into the software industry. And these were brilliant engineers and technical leads. Now I see many years later that some have made that transition.
Re: Ask HN: How to get into the chip industry?
#25This is like asking, "How do I get into the medical industry?" It's overly broad. There are lots of different jobs in the chip industry. 1. Device engineer - want to build transistors? Grab a physics/chemistry masters and /or PHD. Go to work at a foundry house like TSMC, Samsung, Intel, SMIC or Global Foundries. 2. Analog circuit design - grab a masters in EE (w/ circuit design specialty). 3. Layout - the person who…
I definitely don’t think it was your intention to send a “this is a male’s job” message, but some readers might interpret it that way (even subconsciously) if we use language like “software guys” instead of software developers. There are definitely women working in all of these areas, and hopefully many more in the future!
It’s funny how dropping “guys” is such low hanging D&I fruit but also so hard to do. I try to use “folks” and honestly have started saying y’all a lot.
Re: Ask HN: How to get into the chip industry?
#26I work in this field The pay is poor compared to SaaS/AIML/etc Hardware folks (and firmware) are always asking how to retrain and move into mainstream SWE. Its not worth it.
how much is pay in SaaS/AIML? HW can pay 150K+ range with RSUs with PhD EE <5 years YOE. Graduated in "low tech" school. Job security is pretty good because barrier is high, literally you can't get a high school grad to do our job. AI maybe is higher paying but I also see on linked hundreds of people getting laid off during the pandemic becausue they were the first to get cut.
Re: Ask HN: How to get into the chip industry?
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
I definitely don’t think it was your intention to send a “this is a male’s job” message, but some readers might interpret it that way (even subconsciously) if we use language like “software guys” instead of software developers. There are definitely women working in all of these areas, and hopefully many more in the future!
It’s funny how dropping “guys” is such low hanging D&I fruit but also so hard to do. I try to use “folks” and honestly have started saying y’all a lot.
As someone raised in the north US, living the last ~8 years between Florida and Texas has helped break the “you guys” habit. However, I admit that I still feel like an imposter whenever I use “y’all”.
Re: Ask HN: How to get into the chip industry?
#28This is like asking, "How do I get into the medical industry?" It's overly broad. There are lots of different jobs in the chip industry. 1. Device engineer - want to build transistors? Grab a physics/chemistry masters and /or PHD. Go to work at a foundry house like TSMC, Samsung, Intel, SMIC or Global Foundries. 2. Analog circuit design - grab a masters in EE (w/ circuit design specialty). 3. Layout - the person who…
If this was reddit, you'd be swimming in reddit gold by now :-)
That's an amazingly detailed answer.
Re: Ask HN: How to get into the chip industry?
#29This is like asking, "How do I get into the medical industry?" It's overly broad. There are lots of different jobs in the chip industry. 1. Device engineer - want to build transistors? Grab a physics/chemistry masters and /or PHD. Go to work at a foundry house like TSMC, Samsung, Intel, SMIC or Global Foundries. 2. Analog circuit design - grab a masters in EE (w/ circuit design specialty). 3. Layout - the person who…
Also all the work in companies making fab equipment.
Re: Ask HN: How to get into the chip industry?
#30This is like asking, "How do I get into the medical industry?" It's overly broad. There are lots of different jobs in the chip industry. 1. Device engineer - want to build transistors? Grab a physics/chemistry masters and /or PHD. Go to work at a foundry house like TSMC, Samsung, Intel, SMIC or Global Foundries. 2. Analog circuit design - grab a masters in EE (w/ circuit design specialty). 3. Layout - the person who…
If this was reddit, you'd be swimming in reddit gold by now :-) That's an amazingly detailed answer.
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