Semiconductor
The Greater Rochester, NY region has one of the nation’s most sophisticated, highly integrated supply chains to support the semiconductor industry.
Photo Credit: RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Leading Semiconductor Supply Chain Companies in Greater Rochester, NY
World-Class Semiconductor Capabilities
The Greater Rochester, NY region boasts top-tier talent, world-class research and development resources, access to unlimited water and low-cost power, and one of the nation’s most sophisticated, highly integrated supply chains to support the advanced manufacturing & semiconductor industry — all at a low cost of doing business.
There is expansive semiconductor activity stemming from regional expertise in R&D, chip design, IC engineering, and advanced manufacturing. Approximately 118 companies employing more than 33,500 professionals support the semiconductor ecosystem that engulfs the Greater Rochester, NY region.
Rochester, NY is also home to the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics) Test, Assembly, and Packaging (TAP) Facility, a $600M initiative. The public-private partnership focuses the nation’s top expertise to capture global manufacturing leadership in photonics integrated circuit (PIC) technology – harnessing the power of light to develop next-generation semiconductors, batteries, and other innovations.
Industry leaders such as Edwards, part of Atlas Copco‘s Vacuum Solutions division, AMD, Corning, and Optimax all chose to expand here. The Greater Rochester, NY region attracts innovative companies from around the world thanks to the highly connected business community, talented workforce, and one of the nation’s most livable communities.
Photo credit: Elizabeth Lamark / RIT
Top-Tier Colleges and Universities to Fuel your Workforce Pipeline
The Greater Rochester, NY region is ranked #1 nationally among large metros for producing STEM graduates. There are 60 colleges and universities with certificate, associates, bachelors, masters, and PhD STEM degree programs within 200 miles of Rochester, NY. These schools produce nearly 80,000 graduates, 21% being STEM graduates.
We are excited to expand our presence in the region, which is renowned for its top research universities and engineering talent, and to continue advancing leading-edge semiconductor innovation in the U.S.
Mark Papermaster
Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, AMD
Member, Northeast University Semiconductor Network
- First-in-the-nation microelectronics and imaging science programs
- More than $92 million of sponsored research
- More electrical, computer, and microelectronics engineering graduates than any other private U.S. university
- 3rd-largest co-op program in the U.S.
- Center for Electronics Manufacturing and Assembly supports needs of the electronics packaging industry, including semiconductor chip packaging
Member, Northeast University Semiconductor Network
- Among Top 50 Best Engineering Schools in U.S.
- U.S. News & World Report, 2023
- More than $476 million of sponsored research
- Approximately half of all optics degrees nationwide have been awarded by UR’s Institute of Optics
- Institute of Optics Industrial Associates Program features connectivity with 30+ industry partners
- Faculty are key participants in AIM Photonics, the American Semiconductor Innovation Coalition (ASIC), and EDGE Alliance
Named one of six sites for undergraduate research experiences in semiconductors by the U.S. National Science Foundation, in partnership with Semiconductor Research Corporation.
Robust Support System for Technical Training
Photo Credit: MCC’s Advanced Manufacturing Optics Workshop
The Greater Rochester, NY region offers a comprehensive talent pool with skills catered to companies’ needs, which is consistently replenished thanks to nationally recognized community colleges, workforce recruitment and training programs, and 155 registered apprenticeship programs. Businesses and higher education institutions work side-by-side to develop customizable industry partnerships with mechatronics certifications, co-ops for smart systems, and certificate and associate degree programs in engineering and industrial skills.
Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center (FWD Center) on Monroe Community College‘s Downtown Campus is designed to focus on rapid training, retraining, and upskilling of technical middle-skilled workers in demand by local employers. Through innovative partnerships and technical programming, the FWD Center is a catalyst in developing the region’s economy. Programs include hands-on Industry 4.0 training—automation, manufacturing, quality, electrical and mechanical processes.
RIT Certified‘s workforce and professional education provide personalized upskilling opportunities to individual learners and entire organizations through skills-based pathways developed alongside industry leaders. These pathways include engineering, technology, computer science, microelectronics, software, and cybersecurity.
In addition, Monroe Community College is the only U.S. community college that offers an associate degree in optical systems technology.
World-class talent at competitive rates below the national average.
| Position | Rochester Annual Mean Wage | National Annual Mean Wage | Rochester Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $151,100 | $163,310 | 7.5% |
| Chemical Engineers | $73,480 | $117,820 | 37.6% |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $66,100 | $70,060 | 13.1% |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | $46,710 | $47,940 | 2.6% |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers | $59,710 | $64,580 | 7.5% |
| Conveyor Operators and Tenders | $38,680 | $40,060 | 3.4% |
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment | $64,350 | $66,650 | 3.5% |
| Electrical Engineers | $101,980 | $114,050 | 5.0% |
| Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | $39,690 | $41,770 | 5.3% |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $105,150 | $118,460 | 11.2% |
| Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other | $58,580 | $70,550 | 17.0% |
| Engineers, All Other | $103,540 | $111,280 | 7.0% |
| Helpers-Production Workers | $35,400 | $35,740 | 1.0% |
| Industrial Engineers | $94,310 | $98,560 | 4.3% |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | $46,750 | $47,290 | 1.1% |
| Machinists | $47,570 | $51,430 | 7.5% |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $59,450 | $64,530 | 7.9% |
| Mechanical Engineers | $94,460 | $100,820 | 6.3% |
| Physicists | $144,230 | $150,130 | 3.9% |
| Production Workers, All Other | $37,690 | $38,860 | 3.0% |
| Sales Engineers | $110,720 | $125,460 | 11.7% |
| Software Developers | $111,300 | $132,930 | 16.3% |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | $91,870 | $105,750 | 13.1% |
Commercial Real Estate
Opportunities for growth await businesses of all sizes in the Greater Rochester region’s highly competitive commercial real estate market. Take advantage of low lease rates, a diverse range of sites, and the region’s advanced infrastructure.
Photo credit: City of Rochester Communications Dept.
Relevant Documents
KEY INDUSTRIES
Greater Rochester, New York’s Key Industries
Encompassing everything from precision-engineered technologies to the next breakthroughs in your favorite foods and beverages.
Greater Rochester, NY – Where smart people live and smart businesses grow.
You know your business.
We know Greater Rochester.
Let’s team up.
Photo by John Kucko
Thank You To Our Investors
High tech companies know Rochester as the optics mecca in the United States.
Matt Sydor
Vice President, Sales and Compliance, Sydor Optics
Rochester has a great work base. They’re loyal. They’re smart. They’re well educated and they want to succeed.
Jim Continenza
Executive Chairman and CEO, Eastman Kodak
We keep and maintain and are investing specifically in Rochester because that is where the talent is. We don’t succeed without the right talent.
David Velasquez
Vice President and General Manager, Corning Incorporated
Rochester has the manufacturing capability, testing capability, and intellectual horsepower.
Matt Fronk
Past Chairman, NY BEST
Rochester has a deep talent pool around all of the things that we need to do to commercialize advanced materials for the energy economy.
Ben Britton
Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Ionomr
The decision to expand locally was a relatively easy one for CooperVision. The Rochester area has provided so many of the elements necessary for a successful operation.
Jerry Warner
President, CooperVision
The proximity to top colleges and industry-leading companies, in addition to the quality of life in Western New York, made the decision to open our second office in Rochester an easy one.
Mike Pinch
Director, Security Risk Advisors
Rochester is home to some of the finest optics companies in the nation, almost all of which OptiPro does business with.
Mike Bechtold
President, OptiPro
We have a long history of people skilled in aerospace technology and precision optical assembly. We take advantage of the industrial base in the Rochester area. We also take advantage of the skill sets developed by our local technical institutions like MCC, RIT, or the University of Rochester.”
Tony Whitman
Cryogenic Optical Test Director for James Webb Space Telescope, L3 Harris
We have inherited an exceptional quality of life thanks to an impressive cluster of cultural organizations, unparalleled natural resources, and a resilient and welcoming spirit of community.
David Munson
President, Rochester Insititute of Technology
Once people get here and their families get used to short commute times, low home prices, the fact we have all kinds of recreational sporting activities, the quality of schools, they don’t want to leave.
Arunas Chesonis
CEO and Chairman, Sweetwater Energy
Rochester has provided ID Signsystems with the ability to grow and develop by tapping into the region’s large pool of design-focused talent, technicians, engineers and sign makers.
Paul Dudley
President, ID Signsystems
Our network of local universities, colleges, and optics companies has created a workforce pipeline that is unmatched anywhere in the United States.
Joseph Spilman
President, Optimax
GRE’s direction and guidance proved to be well worth our investment. Their passion to make the business environment in the Rochester area greater is very apparent.
Scott MacCaull
Workplace Interiors
There is unlimited, untapped technical talent in the area and I hope we start a wave of other companies moving to Rochester.
Austin McChord
Founder, Datto
Rochester has a long history of being a hub for telecommunications. There is a rich ecosystem of talent and services to support business growth.
Jai Ramachandran
Founder and CEO, Wire3
Rochester is the perfect size city to get business done. I’m always one connection away from anything I’m looking for.
Zack Phillips
President, Kink BMX
The work we’ve done and the momentum we’ve generated as a business has been possible in large part because of the talent, knowledge and industriousness of our people in Rochester, NY.
Dave Fall
CEO, Brand Networks
We have access to talent graduating from our businesses and technical institutions capable of perpetuating our success for years to come.
Marc Iacona
President & CEO, Simcona Electronics
The Rochester region provided convenient access to both railroads and major highways, as well as proximity to Barilla’s customer base in the Northeast.
Fabio Pettenati
Vice President of Supply Chain, Barilla America
We’re excited about this area. There’s high-quality milk in the region. There’s a lot of top talent. The industry, the innovation, the technical experience , the work ethic is all attractive to us.
Phil LaMothe
Vice President of Manufacturing, fairlife
The country is starting to recognize Rochester as a technical city outside of just software. We have optics and manufacturing that’s exceeding most of the baselines around the country.
Craig Lamb
Co-owner, Envative
Rochester has the resources optics companies need to transform their concepts into reality.
Dr. Duncan T. Moore
Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship and Professor of Optical Engineering
Rochester has a great base of intellectual capital in the science and technology fields at local businesses and universities.
Daniel J. Burns
Regional President, M&T Bank Corporation
We’ve developed vaccines to prevent cervical cancer right here in Rochester.
Peter Robinson
Vice President and COO, University of Rochester Medical Center
Among many great options, none could match Rochester in terms of talent, local supplier networks, and opportunities to partner with top-tier research institutions.
Andy Marsh
CEO, Plug Power