“Know what the average salary is [for a semiconductor industry job]? $110,000 a year.  You don’t need a college degree.”

President Joe Biden
.…referring to salaries at U.S. semiconductor fab plants, via C-SPAN2.

With all of the recent news about chips in Texas—including the Samsung $6B+ billion funding announcement by the Biden administration and North Texas’ anticipation of a new TI award—the Austin American-Statesman examined a claim the President made earlier this month.

Asking, “Is Biden right that you don’t need a college degree to make $110,000 in the semiconductor field?,” the publication rated the president’s statement as “Mostly False.”

But SMU’s Scott Douglas and UTD’s Steve Guengerich, who are leading the commercialization accelerator proposal for the Texoma Semiconductor tech hub in North Texas, have another take.

Here’s how it could have gone, they said: “Know what the average salary is for a semiconductor career? $110,000. You don’t need a college degree to get started.”

The folks over at Texoma Tech Hub have figured out how to do it, Guengerich told Dallas Innovates. It’s called the “Ladder of Success.” 

Douglas explains how it works: “You go to school between jobs in the industry. You get paid well along the way. And it doesn’t take you a lifetime to get to the top.”

You can even start your own company if you want, he says.

“A lot of people in the industry retire early because they can—without any debt, I might add,” Douglas said. “You’re helping our country and yourself. So go do it.”

The President did not say that, Douglas and Guengerich said.  

But maybe he should.

For more of who said what about all things North Texas, check out Every Last Word.

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