What is intern salary?

Intern salaries vary widely based on the industry, company, location, and role. Here’s an overview of typical intern salaries across different fields:

1. Technology and Software Engineering

  • Hourly Pay: Tech companies typically offer some of the highest intern salaries, ranging from 20 to 60+ per hour. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook often pay around 40 to 60 per hour for software engineering roles.
  • Monthly Pay: This translates to approximately 5,000 to 10,000 per month, especially for technical positions at large tech firms.

2. Finance and Investment Banking

  • Hourly Pay: Interns in finance and investment banking often earn between 25 and 50 per hour. Companies like Goldman Sachs, Citadel, and JPMorgan offer some of the highest pay for interns in finance roles.
  • Monthly Pay: High-paying finance internships can provide monthly earnings of 7,000 to 10,000, especially for quantitative analysis or trading roles.

3. Consulting

  • Hourly Pay: Consulting internships at top firms like McKinsey, Bain, and Boston Consulting Group pay around 25 to 40 per hour.
  • Monthly Pay: Interns can expect to earn 5,000 to 8,000 per month in consulting roles, depending on the company and location.

4. Engineering (Non-Software)

  • Hourly Pay: Engineering internships in fields like mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering typically offer between 15 to 30 per hour.
  • Monthly Pay: Interns in these fields can expect monthly earnings between 3,000 and 5,000.

5. Healthcare, Research, and Biotech

  • Hourly Pay: Healthcare, research, and biotech internships generally pay between 15 to 30 per hour, though rates may vary by specific role.
  • Monthly Pay: Interns in research and healthcare roles may earn 3,000 to 5,000 per month.

6. Media, Marketing, and Arts

  • Hourly Pay: Interns in media, marketing, and the arts are typically paid between 12 to 20 per hour.
  • Monthly Pay: Monthly salaries for these internships usually range from 2,500 to 4,000.

7. Nonprofits and Public Service

  • Hourly Pay: Nonprofits and public service roles may offer unpaid internships, stipends, or hourly pay ranging from 10 to 20 per hour.
  • Monthly Pay: Paid internships in this sector might offer 1,500 to 3,000 per month, depending on funding.

8. Additional Benefits

In some fields, paid internships also include benefits like housing stipends, relocation support, transportation, and other perks, particularly in high-cost areas or competitive industries like tech and finance.

Conclusion

Intern salaries vary widely, with tech, finance, and consulting internships generally offering the highest pay (up to $10,000 per month or more). Other fields offer competitive compensation but at generally lower rates, while nonprofits and public service internships may offer lower pay or unpaid opportunities with stipends or academic credit.

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CONTRIBUTOR
Arslan Ahmad
Arslan Ahmad
ex-FAANG engineering manager and author or Grokking series.
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