Six Figure Work

Process Engineer ||| - Plasma

Applied Materials

Company websiteappliedmaterials.com (Applied Materials, opens in new tab)

Base salary $124K  to $171K

Employer-published annual base salary, USD. Advertised base range in Santa Clara, CA

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  • LocationSanta Clara, CA
  • WorkplaceWorkplace not stated
  • Status at last checkSource accepting applications when checked
  • Last checked (1 h ago) · observed since

About this job

Who We Are


Applied Materials is the global leader in materials science and engineering solutions that are at the foundation of virtually every new semiconductor chip and advanced display in the world. The equipment that we create and service is essential to advancing AI and accelerating the commercialization of next-generation semiconductor chips. Join us and push the boundaries of materials science and engineering in a company at the foundation of the electronics industry. The work we do together advances the world’s technology.


What We Offer


Salary:

$124,000.00 - $171,000.00

Location:

Santa Clara,CA

You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more. 

At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits. 

Role Responsibilities: 

  • Design, collect data, analyze, and compile reports on difficult process engineering experiments
  • Perform hardware characterization on a variety of difficult systems
  • Troubleshoot complex problems, perform Root Cause Analysis, and resolve a variety of difficult process engineering issues
  • Measure film properties and interpret data
  • Generate internal documentation for products, presentations, and technical reports
  • Communicate and engage with customers to resolve complex process engineering issues or concerns, under limited supervision
  • Identify, select, and partner with vendors and suppliers
  • Implement new technology, products, and analytical instrumentation
  • Serve as a resource for junior colleagues; lead project teams, as needed


Minimum Qualifications:

  • 5+ years of semiconductor plasma process engineering experience with expertise in plasma physics, RF power systems, chamber matching, process optimization, and thin-film deposition or etch applications in an R&D or high-volume manufacturing environment. Proven ability to develop new plasma processes, analyze complex data sets, and drive technology roadmaps from concept through qualification.
  • Bachelor’s degree in a related field (required), PhD (Preferred)
  • Demonstrates conceptual and practical expertise in complex problem solving

Additional Information

Time Type:

Full time

Employee Type:

Assignee / Regular

Travel:

Yes, 10% of the Time

Relocation Eligible:

Yes

The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.

For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e-mail at [email protected], or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at 877-612-7547, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

Source: Applied Materials on Workday · View original posting (opens in new tab)

Pay in context

This role's base floor ($124,000) is above 23% of the 2,030 Engineering (non-software) roles in California listed on this site; 41 others list the same floor. Their median floor is $146,100; the middle half runs from $124,000 to $173,000.

Only jobs on this site count, and each one publishes a base salary of $100,000 or more, so this compares six-figure jobs with each other, not with the whole market. Computed Nov 5, 2026.

This range next to 6 other live Applied Materials roles with the nearest advertised base floor
Chart as a table
This range next to 6 other live Applied Materials roles with the nearest advertised base floor
RolePublished base
Process Engineer ||| - Plasma (this listing)$124K - $171K
Process Engineer III$124K - $171K
Process Engineer- E3 Senior$124K - $171K
Mechanical Design Engineer$124K - $171K
Global Product Support (GPS) Engineer$124K - $171K
Application Engineer III$124K - $171K
Sustainability NPI Materials Program Manager - (B4)$124K - $171K

Same $100K to $400K scale as every card. All Applied Materials roles · How to read the bar

Observed changes

  1. First observed on the employer's board
  2. Began meeting the published-salary criteria
Observed since
Employer-stated posting date
2026-10-21
Where this pay comes from

Location as the employer wrote it: Santa Clara,CA

$124,000.00 - $171,000.00

Method
Employer text, read with fixed rules and re-verified
Checked
Rule set
us-base-v2

The pay passage appears in the employer's own job text. Fixed, deterministic rules located it, and the passage below was checked against the stored copy of the posting.

What we verified

  • The pay figures come from the employer's own listing, quoted exactly above.
  • The pay is an annual base salary in US dollars with a minimum of at least $100,000.
  • The role was publicly listed on the employer's job board when last checked.

We do not verify what the employer will actually offer, whether the employer is still recruiting for the role, or anything beyond what the employer published. Full methodology.