Do interns get benefits?

No, most interns do not get benefits. Most interns do not receive employee benefits from the company they are interning with because they are not considered employees; they are considered interns. However, there are some instances when interns may receive benefits.

• Unpaid interns. Unpaid interns do not qualify as full-time employees. They normally have work weeks in the 10 to 20-hour range and are not paid for their positions.

  Unpaid internship programs only last for a couple of months at most. Because of their non-employee status, these interns do not receive benefits. The majority of internship programs are unpaid.

• Paid interns. Paid internships are in the minority in the United States, but those interns working in a paid internship might be eligible for certain employee benefits, such as health care packages.

  A paid intern who works more than 30 hours a week might qualify for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

• Company benefits. Some companies give their interns certain fringe benefits. However, this is totally up to the discretion of each employer, and most do not practice this, at least in a robust way. Some fringe benefits employers might offer to interns include:

  • Gym membership

  • Free meals

  • The use of a company vehicle

  • Employee discounts