In the desert north of Phoenix, cranes rise above dusty construction sites where new semiconductor factories are taking shape. Steel frames stretch across the landscape, part of a transformation that state leaders say could redefine Arizona’s economy for decades.
At the center of it all is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, better known as TSMC, whose sprawling north Phoenix campus has become a symbol of America’s push to rebuild domestic chip manufacturing. Along with other projects announced across the state, the investment totals tens of billions of dollars and promises thousands of new jobs.
But behind the optimistic headlines, the data tells a more nuanced story about who stands to benefit from Arizona’s semiconductor boom — and how much many of those workers will actually earn.
Arizona a hub
Since 2020, Arizona has emerged as one of the country’s fastest-growing semiconductor hubs, fueled by pandemic-era supply chain disruptions and federal incentives through the CHIPS and Science Act. State officials and industry groups estimate that recent projects could create more than 20,000 direct semiconductor jobs, not including the ripple effects expected across construction, transportation, restaurants and other local industries…