Quick answer: Among Korean companies in Texas, the biggest employer is Samsung, with its long-running Austin fab, its new Taylor fab, and Samsung Electronics America’s campus in Plano, which is becoming its U.S. headquarters. Around the fabs, Korean chemical and materials suppliers have built plants in places like Kyle and Killeen. Houston has a smaller Korean presence tied to energy, steel pipe, and industrial equipment. Engineering, technician, EHS, construction, and business roles are the most common openings.
Most people know Samsung builds chips in Austin. Fewer realize that Korean companies in Texas now form a whole cluster, spread from Austin and Taylor up to Plano and down to Houston, and many of them are hiring people who have never worked for a Korean company before.
This guide to Korean companies in Texas covers who is actually here, what kinds of jobs they hire for, where to apply, and what life costs in each area. Everything below is based on public information, so you can check it yourself.
Key takeaways
- Samsung anchors most Korean companies in Texas, but its suppliers are hiring too.
- Austin and Taylor are for fab roles; Plano is for business roles.
- Houston’s Korean employers lean toward energy, steel, and equipment.
- Pharma, power, chemical, and military backgrounds often transfer well.
- Apply directly on career pages, and watch smaller suppliers on LinkedIn.
Why There Are So Many Korean Companies in Texas
The short version: semiconductors. Samsung has operated in Austin since 1996, and in 2024 the U.S. Commerce Department finalized up to $4.745 billion in CHIPS Act funding for Samsung’s Central Texas expansion. According to NIST’s CHIPS program page, Samsung expects to invest more than $37 billion in the region, with the project supporting over 3,500 manufacturing jobs and around 12,000 construction jobs.
When a fab that size comes to town, suppliers follow. Korean chemical makers, equipment service firms, and construction partners set up nearby so they can support the plant up close. That is why a search for Korean companies in Texas now turns up names you might not recognize, in towns you might not expect.
Texas also has no state personal income tax, which matters when you compare offers against states like Georgia or New Jersey. If you are weighing locations, our guide to Korean companies hiring in Georgia is a useful side-by-side.
The Major Korean Companies in Texas
Samsung Austin Semiconductor (Austin)
Samsung Austin Semiconductor, often shortened to SAS, runs the established fab in northeast Austin. Under the CHIPS plan, the Austin site is being expanded to produce FD-SOI process technologies aimed at industries like aerospace, defense, and automotive. This is the most mature Korean employer in the state, with structured hiring, internships, and a steady flow of engineering and technician openings.
Austin is also home to SARC and ACL, Samsung’s design teams working on GPU, custom SoC, and system architecture. These are chip design and software roles, not fab roles, and they hire differently from manufacturing.
Samsung’s Taylor Fab (Taylor)
About 30 miles northeast of Austin, Samsung broke ground on its Taylor fab in 2022. NIST describes the plan as two leading-edge logic fabs on 2nm technology plus an R&D fab, with facilities expected to be operational by 2030. In 2025 Samsung announced a major chip supply deal with Tesla, and in spring 2026 the company began moving equipment into the Taylor site.
For job seekers, a fab in ramp-up mode is a different world from a mature one. Hiring tends to come in waves, and construction, commissioning, and facilities roles are heavy in the early years before production staffing peaks.
Samsung Electronics America (Plano, Dallas area)
Samsung Electronics America opened its Plano campus at Legacy Central in 2018 and has expanded it since. In June 2026, Samsung announced it would move its U.S. headquarters from New Jersey to Plano by the end of 2026, as NBC DFW reported. The same announcement said parts of the organization would be restructured, so expect a mix of relocations and new openings rather than pure growth.
Plano is where the business side lives: sales, marketing, finance, supply chain, customer experience, and corporate functions for consumer electronics.
Korean Suppliers Around the Fabs
Several Korean companies in Texas are materials suppliers that have built or announced plants to serve Samsung:
- ENF Technology (Kyle): Process chemical plant south of Austin that has supplied Samsung’s Austin fab and, per 2026 reports, started shipping to Taylor.
- Dongjin Semichem (Killeen): Received a $2.4 million Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant in 2025 for a plant producing ultra-high-purity photoresist thinners, according to the Texas Governor’s office.
- Soulbrain (Taylor): Announced a plant in Taylor to supply Samsung; later reports indicate its timeline has been pushed back, so check current status before counting on it.
These companies are smaller, so each hire carries more weight. A process or quality engineer here might own an entire line rather than one step of it.
Houston: Energy, Steel, and Industrial Equipment
Houston’s Korean presence follows the energy industry. SeAH Steel USA, part of Korea’s SeAH group, is based in Houston and manufactures oil country tubular goods and line pipe. Hanwha Power Systems opened its first U.S. compressor service center in Houston in 2025, and trading and steel company GS Global opened a Houston office in 2026 to support energy-sector projects.
Roles here lean toward sales engineering, field service, project coordination, and commercial positions that need someone who understands both U.S. customers and a Korean head office.
Korean Companies in Texas at a Glance
| Area | Employers (public) | Common roles | Cost of living feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | Samsung Austin Semiconductor, SARC/ACL | Process, equipment, facilities engineers; technicians; chip design; software | Highest in the region, especially housing |
| Taylor, Hutto, Round Rock | Samsung Taylor fab, Soulbrain (planned) | Construction, commissioning, facilities, EHS, technicians | Lower than Austin, rising with the fab |
| Kyle, Killeen | ENF Technology, Dongjin Semichem | Chemical process, quality, plant operators, maintenance | Generally more affordable |
| Plano, Dallas | Samsung Electronics America | Sales, marketing, finance, supply chain, IT, corporate | Mid to high; varies a lot by suburb |
| Houston | SeAH Steel USA, Hanwha Power Systems, GS Global | Sales engineering, field service, project and trade roles | Moderate for a big metro; long commutes |
What Jobs Korean Companies in Texas Hire For
Fab and plant engineering
Process engineers, equipment engineers, yield engineers, and facilities engineers make up the core of fab hiring. Facilities roles cover ultrapure water, gas and chemical delivery, HVAC, and cleanroom systems. If you come from pharma, power, or chemical plants, your facilities background often transfers better than you think.
Technicians
Equipment and maintenance technicians keep tools running around the clock. Many fabs hire people with military electronics experience or two-year technical degrees and train them on specific tools. Shift schedules are common, so ask about the rotation early.
EHS, construction, and project roles
A fab under construction needs safety managers, project engineers, schedulers, cost controllers, and document control staff. Some of these jobs sit with Samsung, but many are with general contractors and Korean construction or engineering partners working on site. OSHA certifications and large-site experience carry real weight here.
Sales, business, and corporate
Plano and Houston drive most of the business hiring at Korean companies in Texas. Think account managers, sales engineers, supply chain planners, and finance analysts. In these roles, being able to explain U.S. customer needs to a Korean headquarters is often as valuable as the core skill itself.
Bilingual talent opens doors. Bilingual Korean-English candidates are genuinely scarce at the fabs and suppliers in Texas. Because of that, I have seen companies hire people without direct semiconductor experience when they brought a related degree and a real willingness to learn. The same goes for relevant certifications.
If you are coming from another industry, do not apologize for it. Lead with your transferable skills, show that you have already started learning the basics of the process, and make it clear you can bridge communication between the Korean and American sides of the team.
Preparing for an interview with one of the Korean companies in Texas? Get the free Korean Company Interview Playbook with the questions Korean hiring managers ask most and how to answer them.
Where to Apply
- Company career pages first. Samsung Austin Semiconductor posts openings on its official job opportunities page. Applying directly keeps your application out of the third-party job board shuffle.
- LinkedIn, filtered by company. Smaller suppliers often post only on LinkedIn or Indeed. Follow the company page so new roles show up in your feed.
- Contractors and EPC firms on site. For construction and commissioning, the hiring company may be a contractor, not the chipmaker itself.
- Recruiters who work with Korean companies. Many smaller Korean companies in Texas do not have big HR teams and rely on outside recruiters for U.S. hiring.
- Local workforce programs. Several Central Texas community colleges offer semiconductor technician training, and local employers recruit from these programs.
For a broader look at how the big groups hire in the U.S., see how Samsung, LG, Hyundai, and SK hire in America.
Cost of Living Notes by Area
Austin: The most expensive option, mostly because of housing. Many fab employees live in Pflugerville, Manor, or Round Rock to trade a longer drive for lower rent.
Taylor and nearby: Taylor is a small town, so many people commute from Hutto, Georgetown, or Round Rock. Housing has been climbing since the fab announcement, but it is still generally cheaper than central Austin.
Killeen and Kyle: Usually the most affordable of the group. Killeen sits next to Fort Hood, so the rental market is large and turns over often.
Plano and Dallas: North Dallas suburbs like Plano, Frisco, and Carrollton have a large Korean community, Korean grocery stores, and churches, which some relocating employees find helpful. Prices vary widely by school district.
Houston: Housing is often more reasonable than in Austin or Dallas for a similar commute, but the metro is spread out. Check the drive at rush hour before you sign a lease.
One thing applies statewide: no state income tax, but property taxes are relatively high. If you are buying, factor that in when you compare offers.
How to Stand Out to Korean Employers in Texas
- Show stability. Many Korean companies in Texas are still ramping up, and they value people who will stay through it. If you plan to settle in the area, say so.
- Be specific about tools and systems. Name the equipment, chemicals, or software you have worked with. Generic resumes get passed over.
- Mention Korean if you have it, honestly. Even basic Korean helps in supplier roles where you talk with Korean engineers. Our guide on listing Korean on your resume covers how to describe your level accurately.
- Be flexible on shifts and travel. Start-up phases often mean irregular hours, and some roles include training trips to Korea.
FAQ
Do I need to speak Korean to work at Korean companies in Texas?
For most engineering, technician, and corporate roles, no. English is the working language for U.S. teams. Korean becomes a real advantage in supplier roles and positions that coordinate closely with headquarters.
Is Samsung Taylor hiring right now?
Hiring at a new fab comes in waves tied to construction and production milestones. Check Samsung’s official careers pages regularly rather than relying on news headlines, which can lag behind actual openings.
Are there Hyundai or Kia plants in Texas?
Texas is not where Hyundai and Kia build vehicles; their major U.S. plants are in the Southeast. If automotive is your target, look at Georgia and Alabama instead.
Which city is best for business roles at Korean companies in Texas?
Plano and the Dallas area, especially with Samsung Electronics America’s headquarters move. Houston is the better fit if your background is in energy, steel, or industrial equipment sales.
Texas is one of the most active states for Korean company hiring, and Korean companies in Texas are no longer only about Samsung. Pick the area that fits your background, apply directly where you can, and go into the interview knowing exactly what that company builds and why it came to Texas.
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