Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of programming internship salaries by state for the United States in 2026:
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Washington has the highest programming internship salary of $40,557
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Florida has the lowest programming internship salary of $26,723
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The national average salary for programming interns is $31,896
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The national hourly pay for programming interns is $15.33
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
Salary remains a top priority for job seekers, with most individuals citing it as a critical factor in their employment decisions. For programming interns, understanding local salary trends is essential for career planning and negotiation.
While salaries can vary based on location and demand, data for average salaries for programming internships across the U.S. provides a useful overview. These averages can guide expectations for what you might earn as a programming intern in your state.
Currently, Washington leads the way in offering the best salaries for programming interns.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for programming internship salaries:
Let’s take a look at how we got here and a full ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Programming Interns By State
| Rank | State | Average Programming Internship Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $40,557 | $31,000 | $52,000 |
| 2 | New York | $36,356 | $24,000 | $53,000 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $35,563 | $24,000 | $52,000 |
| 4 | Oregon | $35,461 | $27,000 | $46,000 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $35,126 | $27,000 | $44,000 |
| 6 | California | $34,785 | $26,000 | $46,000 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $34,303 | $25,000 | $46,000 |
| 8 | Montana | $34,021 | $26,000 | $42,000 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $33,930 | $23,000 | $49,000 |
| 10 | Delaware | $33,620 | $23,000 | $48,000 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $33,531 | $23,000 | $48,000 |
| 12 | Illinois | $33,498 | $25,000 | $43,000 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $33,471 | $25,000 | $43,000 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $33,396 | $25,000 | $43,000 |
| 15 | Idaho | $33,359 | $26,000 | $42,000 |
| 16 | Colorado | $33,234 | $26,000 | $42,000 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $33,111 | $26,000 | $41,000 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $33,106 | $23,000 | $46,000 |
| 19 | Nevada | $33,012 | $25,000 | $43,000 |
| 20 | Vermont | $32,997 | $26,000 | $41,000 |
| 21 | Maryland | $32,980 | $23,000 | $46,000 |
| 22 | Michigan | $32,732 | $24,000 | $43,000 |
| 23 | Iowa | $32,600 | $25,000 | $42,000 |
| 24 | Utah | $32,253 | $25,000 | $41,000 |
| 25 | Ohio | $32,153 | $23,000 | $43,000 |
| 26 | Virginia | $32,003 | $23,000 | $43,000 |
| 27 | Alaska | $31,459 | $26,000 | $37,000 |
| 28 | Texas | $31,294 | $24,000 | $40,000 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $31,287 | $24,000 | $40,000 |
| 30 | Arizona | $31,217 | $23,000 | $40,000 |
| 31 | Maine | $31,211 | $25,000 | $38,000 |
| 32 | Missouri | $31,131 | $24,000 | $40,000 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $31,071 | $24,000 | $39,000 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $30,915 | $25,000 | $37,000 |
| 35 | Indiana | $30,306 | $23,000 | $39,000 |
| 36 | Kansas | $30,153 | $23,000 | $38,000 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $29,517 | $22,000 | $38,000 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $29,438 | $23,000 | $37,000 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $29,231 | $22,000 | $37,000 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $29,156 | $22,000 | $37,000 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $28,837 | $22,000 | $37,000 |
| 42 | Georgia | $28,751 | $22,000 | $36,000 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $28,435 | $22,000 | $36,000 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $28,403 | $21,000 | $37,000 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $27,919 | $20,000 | $37,000 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $27,681 | $21,000 | $35,000 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $27,611 | $21,000 | $35,000 |
| 48 | Alabama | $27,041 | $21,000 | $34,000 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $26,890 | $21,000 | $34,000 |
| 50 | Florida | $26,723 | $20,000 | $35,000 |
Methodology: Programming Internship Salary By State
To better understand programming internship pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data across multiple channels, including the BLS, FLC, and OPM. We then supplement that data with actual listed salaries from job posts. Finally, the data science team calculates a weighted average of these inputs to create an average pay for programming interns by state.
We took the average annual salary data for programming interns from these estimates and ranked every state based on this criterion, with the state with the highest salary ranking as the top average salary for programming interns.
Programming Internship Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for programming interns?
The highest-paid state for programming interns is Washington with an average salary of $40,557 per year.
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What city pays programming interns the most?
Shoreline, WA pays programming interns the most with an average salary of $40,623 per year.
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What is the worst state for programming interns?
The worst state for programming interns is Florida with an average salary of $26,723 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
