With graduation guaranteeing entry to Samsung, amid the AI boom, South Korean youth are shifting from striving for college entrance exams to attending semiconductor technical schools.

Source: Global Markets Broadcast

As Generation Z faces the challenge of artificial intelligence disrupting traditional career ladders, a growing number of South Korean teenagers are opting to skip university and instead enroll in semiconductor vocational schools—setting them on a path to six-figure salaries before even reaching adulthood.

These students are no longer using their final years of high school to prepare for college entrance exams. In addition to subjects like calculus and chemistry, they are delving into circuit design, cleanroom regulations, and pollution control—technical fundamentals needed to enter the nation’s multi-billion-dollar chip industry.

At Chungbuk Semiconductor High School, located southeast of Seoul, 96.4% of students receive job offers by graduation.

No Jun-sik, a 17-year-old senior, has already received an offer from Samsung. He said: “When I was in middle school, I encouraged some classmates to study here with me. But many chose to go to regular high schools and aim for college.” He added, “Quite a few of them now regret that decision.”

Like No Jun-sik, about a quarter of graduates go straight to work for Korea’s largest company, Samsung. Reportedly, the average salary for Samsung Electronics employees reached 158 million won (about $107,300) last year.

According to Samsung’s latest union agreement, if profit targets are met, semiconductor division employees (including production line operators) could earn up to $400,000 next year.

While artificial intelligence is making job hunting more difficult for college graduates, it is also creating numerous six-figure opportunities in semiconductor manufacturing.

Careers like semiconductor manufacturing, which are more hands-on, are becoming increasingly attractive. At the same time, the AI wave has prompted young people globally to reconsider whether a traditional four-year college degree is truly the most reliable path to a stable, high-paying job.

By Q2 2026, the number of unemployed Koreans with college degrees or higher is projected to exceed 480,000, reaching a five-year peak. The unemployment rate for 15 to 29-year-olds has inched up to 7.2%; and due to AI, competition for entry-level jobs is expected to further intensify.

This phenomenon isn’t unique to Korea. In the United States, the unemployment rate for workers with bachelor’s degrees or higher stands at 2.7%, a number unseen outside of the pandemic since 2015. American youths are also facing a challenging job market, with teens experiencing the most severe summer job market in nearly 80 years.

Meanwhile, AI has generated immense demand for talent to build out its supporting infrastructure. Billions of dollars are pouring into chip factories and data centers across Texas, California, Arizona, New York, and Ohio, intensifying the market’s need for electricians, technicians, construction workers, and highly skilled manufacturing professionals.

Research by McKinsey shows that by 2030, the U.S. semiconductor industry is expected to face a shortage of about 157,000 skilled workers.

For many job seekers, these lucrative jobs offer an alternative to the traditional path of higher education. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, one fifth of semiconductor workers in the U.S. don’t have a college degree, while the industry’s average annual salary in 2020 was about $170,000.

Outside the semiconductor field, companies are also investing heavily in training skilled workers.

The talent boom in semiconductors is just one facet of America’s broader push to rebuild its technical workforce.

Earlier this month, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon highlighted the urgent need for skilled workers in shipbuilding and other major industries.

During an interview at the Philadelphia Navy Shipyard, Dimon said: “In the next 5 to 10 years, we will need 300,000 workers such as electricians and welders to build ships.”

JPMorgan also announced an investment of $24 million in loans and philanthropic donations to support a newly built submarine assembly plant. The facility is expected to create 450 long-term jobs and expand skills training programs.

Meta, owned by Mark Zuckerberg, is also getting involved, recently launching a $115 million training program—the U.S. Workforce Academy. The initiative aims to train data center technicians, guaranteeing a job at any Meta campus for those who complete the five-week program.

Earlier this year, U.S. home improvement giant Lowe’s announced a $250 million investment to help train 250,000 skilled workers in fields such as plumbing, carpentry, and electrical work over the next decade.

“In a world where AI is rapidly advancing, administrative and analytical jobs will increasingly dominate,” said Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison at the time. “We believe that in the near future, skilled trades will become even more important.”