production specialist

manufacturing technician

software engineer

application developer

principal software engineer

Microchip Technology

This job has about the best upper management you could possibly ask for. The company overall is forward thinking and has a clear picture of where it stands in the semiconductor industry. The challenges are clear but Microchip is an innovator and is aggressively growing. Unlike most other semiconductor companies this will exist in 10-15 years and has the product portfolio to back it up. I could not praise the upper management in this company enough. They know how to win. 

Benefits were surprisingly great, I was always taken care of and my bosses were understanding of me. I never once felt like I wasn't needed there. I had never felt this well liked at a job before. Focus on accuracy and good internal customer service. It's so easy to get promoted here... The work can be hard and it is very exacting but apply with confidence, the training is good! There is some cool NDA stuff so you will have to work there and have your own adventure with Microchip to find out how you will develop :)

Fabrication plant is (mostly) thoughtfully laid out (middle management unfortunately has a lot of pull here - more on that later). You can complete the work you have been given to do without having to worry about meeting goals etc. 

Like most places middle management is the obstacle to productivity as well as everything else. Unfortunately on the low end of the payscale it is easy for you to be fired for things not immediately related to performance. I witnessed no fewer than 10 people get fired in my tenure for what could boil down to "drama" because of middle management not effectively managing interpersonal issues. You will spend time in HR at this job (I knew 0 people who hadn't been pulled into HR, it's wild here), and it's unfortunate because of how smart this company is about everything else. If you are hired above middle management or do not have to immediately interact with the fab then disregard this, just apply already :)

Full disclosure: I left and worked at a competitor (which I liked significantly less overall but did not have middle management issues to this degree).

There are many career paths available, but I’m a production specialist (entry level, no degree required). We work 12 hour shifts, 3 to 4 days a week (alternating) in a clean room setting, covered head to toe with “bunny suits”, which reduce particle contamination, while loading and unloading cassettes of silicone wafers onto these massive “tools” which perform a variety of different processes in the production of microchips.

The work can be challenging, but is mostly repetitive. It’s a predictable job which offers a good amount of job security, decent pay, decent coworkers and really decent supervisors, depending on what area you’re placed in. There’s a large number of employees which can make it feel a little cramped at times and the culture can feel slightly cold and unwelcoming, but I’d say overall you get the feeling that you’re cared about as an individual.  

This is a very fast growing and thriving industry. Microchip certainly cares about continuous improvement and is even beginning to offer free classes for college credit and 100% tuition reimbursement. If you’re looking for a career and don’t mind long hours in a sometimes too hot bunny suit, this may be the place for you. They even have a fully serviced cafe with great food at an ok price!

Oh and another noteworthy aspect is that you do get all of your paid time off (PTO) at the beginning of the year (prorated and after your 90 day trial phase if you’re new), but there is no switching shifts. If you can’t show up for your shift you must use your PTO which goes very fast if you have other obligations outside your job.

The nickname of this company is Micro-Cheap. The intention of the company's CEO is good, but frontline management is terrible. Supervisors are very good at office politics and their 5S projects are to sit around in the cafeteria to monitor Production Specialists breaks/lunch. They have very limited technical knowledge about the jobs of the people they "supervise". They show no sympathy to your tireness after a busy day. The continous improvement system they set up to serve the cubicle monkeys, regardless, of how much more additional tasks add on the back of Production Specialists. If a Production Specialists want to put in suggestion for improvement, it will have to depend on how good the relationship that Specialist has with some of the cubicle monkeys for that suggestion to go through. In short, their improvement system set up much like that of the bureacrat in the Federal and State Governments. Your good ideas for improvement can be very skillfully manipulated to be that of someone else in the office.

They are also slowly become a very Heavy Top from mid-frontline manager as well as the training and support groups.

In the last couple upturns, they hired a lot of Production Specialists with no prior fab experiences so they can pay them just a notch over the minimum wage and to easily mold them into a monkeys see monkeys do mentality.

They used to respect the microchip culture and open-door policies. They even used to respect the quality policy but recently there has been multiple changes in management and it turned into numbers first and employees last. Recently management wants you to do certain tasks without giving proper equipment and when confronted you are being “negative”. The pay used to be good but with recent management and deeper investigation, the pay is too little for the stress there is. I used to enjoy being able to work without being micromanaged and even would make games with just myself or others to see how clean we can get our areas by the end of shift. With the management change, that is impossible now due to being micromanaged literally day and night. Worst part is that you get trained on running your area efficiently being able to handle multiple things at once only to have management micromanage you and have you doing one thing at a time and start getting desperate that the thing you are ignoring per requested is building up. Either management needs to let go of their egos or change management to make the workplace a happier place. Supervisors came from the bottom, so they understand how things work and make working there somewhat bearable, until you interact with actual management.

For me, my typical day was ensuring that my new product development schedule specifics were being met by my New Product Development Team(s). This meant interfacing with Wafer Fab, Design, Assembly, Testing, Yield Enhancement, Failure Analysis (when needed), Application Engineering, and Marketing to make sure there were no issues that would negatively impact my projected "product-to-market" schedule.

I learned that if you want the product to be robust at the end, you must control every aspect of the building block components up front and stand your ground on what these should be and base the decision on facts and data and not soley on a favorite direction or direction. 

My immediate Management was fine for the most part but sometime they tend to forget schedules were mere projections and not absolute entities. (More realistic flexibility was needed).

The co-worker were fine to work with (some more pleasant than others).

The hardest part of the job was trying to deliver on an important milestone but given only limited resources.

I really liked the challenge and seeing my finished products sell and make millions of dollars for the company.

I truly enjoyed my time at Microchip Technology. A typical day on my shift involved working closely with production teams and engineering, ensuring high standards were met while communicating across departments. I was fortunate to work with a dedicated and collaborative team — the people I worked with made every day productive and enjoyable.

Over the years, I learned how to improve my organizational skills, manage reports, investigate incidents, and handle responsibilities under pressure. Management was supportive, responsive, and created a respectful work environment where we felt heard and valued.

The workplace culture was one of the best I’ve experienced — professional, team-driven, and focused on continuous improvement.

The hardest part of the job came during the beginning of December 2024 when we received notice that our facility would be shut down due to a company-wide restructuring. It was difficult news to accept, especially knowing how much effort everyone put into their roles. While I respect that it was a business decision, it was disappointing to see such a high-performing group be impacted.

Despite how things ended, I’m grateful for my time at Microchip and proud of what I accomplished there.

This company was once a great place to work, with supportive coworkers and a strong sense of camaraderie. Unfortunately, that changed when layoffs were announced. Rather than stepping up and providing guidance during a difficult time, many supervisors and managers became noticeably absent—on PTO or frequently away from the fab. When present, they claimed to have no involvement in the decision-making process and avoided answering questions, which only added to the uncertainty and stress.

The layoff process itself felt deeply impersonal. Dedicated, long-term employees with solid performance records were let go, while individuals with ongoing attendance and performance issues remained—many of whom had close personal relationships with management. It was disheartening to see merit and dedication take a backseat to favoritism.

Those affected were rushed through the process with little regard for their years of service and contributions. There was no effort made to acknowledge the impact or offer genuine support.

Given the current lack of strong, transparent leadership and a clear disregard for employee value, I fear for the long-term viability of the company. It’s a disappointing decline from what used to be a genuinely great place to work.

Disclaimer: I am just an intern currently, so the experience of an actual developer may differ slightly.
Every day in the morning, there is a typical daily scrum where we talked about what we've done the day before and what we will do. Then I sit in my cubicle and start coding. Around 11:30, I go to lunch. Three times a week, there is Ultimate Frisbee being played between some workers from my company and the neighbor software company. Once a week, there is a team lunch. After lunch, I go back to coding. At the end of a 2-week sprint, there are 3 meetings to plan the next sprint and talk about the finished sprint. 
I learned a lot about software development with hardware. 
Management wants to make sure you get your work done, but they never pile on too much work that can't get done and they won't be nosy unless they notice you struggling and falling behind during scrums.
There is a lot of camaraderie between co-workers. Everyone is friendly and willing to help or direct you to someone who can. 
The most enjoyable part of the job for me is thinking of clever solutions and making a difference. Your voice matters here and they take your thoughts very seriously.

Working tends to involve 12 hour shifts, with 3 days on, and 4 off for one week, while flipping to the opposite the next week.  

This enabled a solid pay check, with a little overtime each time.

Co-workers and culture attempt to be open door policy with a welcoming demeanor.  However co-workers all gossip and have their own carved niches.  Shift personnel differ based on which work shift you are on obviously.

Company is willing to train individuals with absolutely no experience, but do not capitalize on qualified, fast-learning employees.  It was not uncommon for employees to become "fixed" in one area of the Fab.

Unfortunately the management attempts to be good natured and unbiased but do have their favoritism that shows rather blatantly.  Be prepared to kiss up a little in order to feel slightly secure about your position if you are a Temp-to-Hire worker.

There are plenty of things to like about Microchip - there is a culture of independence and trust, meaning that you will be allowed to independently make choices and solve problems as long as you are aligned with the priorities of your site/department/team. The downside is trying to understand what the priorities are. Like many companies in the semiconductor industry, Microchip is going through an overwhelming amount of expansion and change, and communication and leadership is lacking. Which projects are most important? All of them. How fast do you want it done? As soon as possible, of course. Again, this is typical for the industry but it is all about the day to day operation, with no sense that anyone is really thinking about the long term. 
Compensation is good to great, including stock grants for every employee and a healthy ESPP. Health insurance options good. 401k match is weak. Limited raises as long as you stay in your position, if you want to make more, you’ll need to pursue a promotion. Good news is that Microchip will make advancement opportunities available to you if you’re any good at your job. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Production specialist 5 salaries reported	$18.60 per hour
Manufacturing technician 37 salaries reported	$27.99 per hour
Software engineer 3 salaries reported	$91,667 per year
Application developer 9 salaries reported	$96,167 per year
Principal software engineer 3 salaries reported	$106,333 per year

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