Terafab Taiwan Job Openings: Focusing on TSMC CoWoS talent, with a starting salary comparable to only 2.77 million TWD in California.

Elon Musk’s wafer factory Terafab is recruiting nine senior semiconductor engineers in Hsinchu, requiring experience in advanced process technology. If compared to California starting salaries of about 2.77 million TWD, TSMC recently stated that the average annual salary for new master’s degree graduates is up to 2.2 million TWD.

Elon Musk’s Terafab is hiring for 9 major positions, with salary being the focus

After Elon Musk announced the AI wafer factory Terafab project, it recently began recruiting semiconductor engineers in Taiwan, targeting professionals with leading process experience.

According to Reuters, Tesla has released nine senior engineer positions, covering chemical-mechanical planarization, electroplating, thin film metals, thin films, dry etching, wet etching, lithography, yield and measurement, as well as process integration.

The recruitment emphasizes candidates with over five years of experience in advanced processes, some positions even require experience with sub-7nm or even 2nm process technology, and familiarity with TSMC’s CoWoS and SoIC advanced packaging processes.

The salary structure for Taiwan positions has not been disclosed, but for the Terafab California module process engineers, annual salaries range from $88k to $240k USD, converted to approximately 2.77 million to 7.56 million TWD, with cash and stock bonuses; process integration engineers earn between $88k and $338.2k USD annually, roughly 2.81 million to 10.78 million TWD.

Terafab Taiwan job requirements: covering front-end processes and international travel

According to Tesla’s LinkedIn recruitment description, all nine senior engineer positions are based in Hsinchu City, Taiwan.

Terafab’s job application requirements are strict, demanding candidates hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in electrical engineering, materials science, or chemical engineering, with over five years of high-volume manufacturing experience in wafer foundries, proficiency in statistical tools like JMP or Python, and practical experience in equipment validation and yield improvement.

Most positions require support for 24/7 manufacturing operations, including shift work and on-call duties. Among them, the senior process integration engineer role specifically lists the ability to travel internationally, with travel accounting for about 10%.

Expert analysis: Terafab recruitment, expatriate salaries and shift work as challenges

TSMC President Wei Zhejia recently stated at the earnings presentation that he would not underestimate competitors regarding the Terafab project, emphasizing that there are no shortcuts in the semiconductor industry. At the end of March this year, TSMC announced its 2026 recruitment plan, aiming to hire about 8,000 new employees, with the average annual salary for new master’s graduates reportedly reaching 2.2 million TWD.

If Terafab’s senior positions in Taiwan start with salaries comparable to California, after comparing with TSMC’s pay for new hires, it may not be very attractive.

Semiconductor trend expert Chen Ziang told China Times News Network that semiconductor engineers need to work in three shifts, and Musk’s offered salaries are out of market range. He also mentioned that in recent years, China has been poaching Taiwanese talent with five to ten times higher annual salaries, making Tesla’s conditions less attractive and lacking appeal for both Taiwanese and American engineers.

Zeng Zhongwei, spokesperson for 1111 Job Bank, said that if the base annual salary is only $88k USD and requires expatriation, it is indeed uncompetitive, unless the employer offers perks like accommodation, airfare, and employee stock options, which could make it more attractive. HR expert Yang Zongbin added that candidates with overseas work experience have better bargaining power, and working in the U.S. must consider visa issues, high living costs, and rent.

Further reading:
Elon Musk launches Terafab, investing $20 billion to build a 1-megawatt AI chip factory—can it surpass TSMC?