Projects usually last 18 months to two years. Sometimes people will stay on at the facility to oversee any expansions. Or they'll move on to the next site. Chip plants aren't the only facilities that need experts to build clean rooms. Similar talent is needed at fiber-optic plants and biopharmaceutical labs.
Talent is sparse.
The ideal candidate has 8 to 10 years of experience. In Austin, wireless is exploding. Software companies are still looking for people. Telecom is big. And almost all Old Economy companies are doing e-business initiatives.