Semiconductors or microchips are the primary providers of computing power to electronic devices such as computers, smartphones and automobiles.
As the nation celebrates the 13th annual Manufacturing Week Oct. 4-11, we look at available U.S. Census Bureau economic data and the most current Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports on the semiconductor industry.
Census and BLS Data on Semiconductor Manufacturing
In the first quarter of 2020, there were 1,876 establishments in the semiconductor and related device manufacturing industry, according to BLS. By the first quarter of 2024, that number had risen to 2,545 establishments.
The number of employees rose as well: 185,370 in January 2020 compared to 202,029 in January 2024.
Additionally, the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) — which is now part of the Annual Integrated Economic Survey (AIES) — has annual wage statistics for semiconductor and related device manufacturing industry employees but only through 2021.
The ASM also shows a spike in U.S. value of shipments in the semiconductor and related device manufacturing industry from 2018 ($52.7 billion) to 2021 ($58.7 billion).
The average annual salary has consistently gone up from 2018 ($107,943), 2019 ($110,985), 2020 ($112,184) to 2021 ($116,254). Between 2019 and 2020, the difference was not statistically significant.
The ASM also shows a spike in U.S. value of shipments in the semiconductor and related device manufacturing industry from 2018 ($52.7 billion) to 2021 ($58.7 billion).
Related to the manufacturing process of semiconductor and related device manufacturing, the Annual Capital Expenditures Survey (ACES) shows growth in both robotics expenditures and total equipment expenditures from 2020 to 2022.
This product is collected to fill a data gap in response to calls from researchers and Congress to measure robotics as part of official government statistics. Specifically, it measures levels of robotics use in manufacturing and its impact on employment and productivity.
The interactive graphic below shows expenditures for semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing rose from $579 million in 2020 to $1.0 billion in 2022. Total equipment expenditures for semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing increased from $14.4 billion in 2020 to $30.3 billion in 2022.
Note: Select the image to go to the interactive data visualization.
Data Releases on Semiconductor Manufacturing
Upcoming data releases will start to capture the impact of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which was designed to lower consumer costs, create more jobs in the manufacturing sector and strengthen U.S. supply chains.
The next Census data to highlight semiconductor industry activity will be the Geographic Area Statistics release from the 2022 Economic Census. This will include general statistics for the nation, states and selected geographies with varying levels of North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) detail by 2-6 digit NAICS and 7-8 digit NAICS-based codes in December 2024.
The 2023 Annual Integrated Economic Survey will begin releasing data related to revenue, employment, expenses and assets in the summer of 2025.
Manufacturing Week Webpage
The Census Bureau’s Manufacturing webpage provides manufacturing statistics and data products featuring a wide range of resources, including other America Counts stories, data, data tools, visualizations, training resources and news.
It also highlights careers in manufacturing, part of the sector’s efforts to encourage thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders.