Korean companies hiring in the U.S. in 2026: chips, batteries and car plants by state

Over the past decade, Korean companies have become some of the biggest manufacturing employers in the American South and Midwest. For job seekers that means engineering, technician, production, quality, supply-chain, IT and office jobs — many of them in places that were not on anyone's map ten years ago.

This guide lists the major sites by industry and state, using public information from the companies and state economic development agencies. Plants change plans, so treat dates as approximate and check each company's own site. For live openings, use the links to company pages and job filters on JOBnaru™.

Semiconductors

Texas — Samsung. Samsung Austin Semiconductor has made chips in Austin since the 1990s. Samsung's newer fab in Taylor, northeast of Austin, has been under construction since 2022 and is ramping up. Jobs include process, equipment, yield and facilities engineers, technicians, EHS and construction-related roles. Many suppliers and contractors around Austin and Taylor also hire.

California — Samsung and SK hynix offices. Samsung Semiconductor US and SK hynix America are based in Silicon Valley and hire in sales, application engineering, marketing and software.

Indiana — SK hynix. SK hynix announced an advanced chip-packaging plant for high-bandwidth memory in West Lafayette, near Purdue University, with production planned for later in the decade.

Browse all semiconductor jobs or semiconductor jobs in Texas.

Automotive

Georgia — Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA). The EV plant in Ellabell (Bryan County), near Savannah, began production in late 2024. See HMGMA. Parts suppliers, including Hyundai Mobis and many Korean partners, have plants around Savannah and along I-16 and I-95.

Georgia — Kia. Kia Georgia has built vehicles in West Point since 2009.

Alabama — Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA). HMMA in Montgomery has built vehicles since 2005, with a large supplier network across Alabama.

Michigan and California — R&D and headquarters. Hyundai America Technical Center (HATCI) does vehicle engineering near Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hyundai Motor America and Kia America have headquarters in Southern California and hire in sales, marketing, finance, IT and operations.

Browse automotive jobs or jobs in Georgia.

Batteries and EV materials

Georgia — SK Battery America. SK Battery America operates battery plants in Commerce. Hyundai and LG Energy Solution have also built a joint battery plant next to the Metaplant in Bryan County.

Michigan — LG Energy Solution. LG Energy Solution Michigan has a plant in Holland, and LG Energy Solution has expanded in the Lansing area.

Tennessee and Ohio — Ultium Cells. The GM–LG Energy Solution joint venture runs cell plants in Spring Hill, TN and Warren, OH.

Arizona — LG Energy Solution. LG Energy Solution Arizona is building a battery complex in Queen Creek, southeast of Phoenix.

Browse battery & EV jobs.

Solar

Georgia — Hanwha Qcells. Hanwha Qcells makes solar modules in Dalton and has built an ingot-to-module plant in Cartersville.

Electronics, tech and games

• LG Electronics USA is based in New Jersey and runs an appliance plant in Tennessee.
• Samsung Research America, Motional, 42dot, LG AI Research and others hire researchers and software engineers.
• Coupang and Moloco hire in software, data, ads and operations.
• KRAFTON Americas and NC America hire in game development and publishing.

What these employers usually look for

• English first. Most U.S. jobs are posted in English and do not require Korean. Bilingual roles — coordinators, interpreters, purchasing, HR, finance and engineers who work with teams in Korea — list Korean as required or a plus. Use the Korean required filter or the Korean companies only filter.
• Work authorization. Plant and office jobs often require existing U.S. work authorization. Some engineering roles mention sponsorship; most say nothing. Read H-1B basics and our OPT/STEM OPT guide.
• Shift work and location. Many plant jobs are in small towns and involve shifts. Check commute and housing before you accept.
• Visitor visas are not work visas. Large projects sometimes bring short-term staff from Korea. People in the U.S. on a visitor visa or ESTA generally may not do hands-on work; this became a public issue in 2025. See USCIS for which status allows which work.

How to keep track

Each company page lists that company's current jobs on JOBnaru™, collected from its own public career site. Save a search with the state and category you want and turn on a daily email alert so new openings come to you.

JOBnaru™ is independent and is not affiliated with any company listed here. Company information comes from public sources; check each company's career site for the latest.

Last checked: October 19, 2026.

Cite this article as: JOBnaru™ — https://jobnaru.com/news/korean-companies-hiring-in-the-us-2026