How to hire an architectural internship

How to hire an architectural internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step architectural internship hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an architectural internship job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new architectural internship
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an architectural internship do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an architectural internship, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An architectural internship's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, architectural interns from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents architectural internship salaries for various positions.

   Type of Architectural Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Architectural Internship	Drafters use software to convert the designs of engineers and architects into technical drawings. Most workers specialize in architectural, civil, electrical, or mechanical drafting and use technical drawings to help design everything from microchips to skyscrapers.	$19-33
   Computer Aided Drafter	A computer-aided drafter is responsible for creating designs, usually for industrial manufacturing and construction projects, using computer-aided software systems and applications. Computer-aided drafters should have excellent command in programming languages and navigating computer system codes to develop a technical output, following the clients' specifications and business requirements... Show more	$15-27
   Computer Aided Design Designer	A computer-aided design (CAD) designer is responsible for creating plan outlines and project designs for a specific business need. A CAD designer utilizes various technologies and software applications to generate graphic illustrations... Show more	$19-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sketch
   • Auto CAD
   • PowerPoint
   • BIM
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • Java
   • Schematic Design
   • Rhino
   • Construction Administration
   • Architectural Drawings
   • Project Management
   • Construction Drawings
   • Architectural Design

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a team of 6 experts in Cisco networks, VMware, Cisco UCS, NetApp and many other technologies.
   • Lead microarchitecture and RTL designer of cache control and memory control for Intel's next generation server microprocessor.
   • Web development HTML, CSS, MySQL and SQL, PHP, jQuery, AJAX.
   • Utilize REVIT to produce architectural working drawings.6.
   • Architect and design cache controller that creates significant new revenue.
   • Troubleshoot and repair used CNC vertical mill and plasma for personal use.

   More architectural internship duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your architectural internship job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An architectural internship can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, architectural interns' average salary in mississippi is 31% less than in vermont.
   • Seniority. Entry-level architectural interns 41% less than senior-level architectural interns.
   • Certifications. An architectural internship with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an architectural internship's salary.

   Average architectural internship salary

   $53,914yearly

   $25.92 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level architectural internship salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average architectural internship salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$63,106	$30
   2	New York	$60,958	$29
   3	Maryland	$60,860	$29
   4	Massachusetts	$60,603	$29
   5	California	$59,017	$28
   6	Arizona	$58,570	$28
   7	Illinois	$58,518	$28
   8	Washington	$57,872	$28
   9	Oregon	$56,271	$27
   10	Wisconsin	$56,239	$27
   11	Pennsylvania	$55,756	$27
   12	Colorado	$54,821	$26
   13	Missouri	$53,643	$26
   14	Utah	$53,427	$26
   15	Nevada	$52,395	$25
   16	Texas	$51,760	$25
   17	Oklahoma	$51,051	$25
   18	North Carolina	$50,841	$24
   19	Virginia	$50,800	$24
   20	Florida	$50,750	$24

   Average architectural internship salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Micron Technology	$63,935	$30.74	12
   2	OCC	$62,793	$30.19	1
   3	Rafael Viñoly Architects	$62,204	$29.91
   4	1100 Architect	$61,814	$29.72
   5	Pei Cobb Freed & Partners	$61,798	$29.71
   6	Robert A.M. Stern Architects	$61,681	$29.65
   7	SFCS Architects	$61,489	$29.56
   8	Elkus Manfredi Arch	$61,477	$29.56
   9	Zgf Architects	$61,471	$29.55	1
   10	Heller Manus Architects	$61,333	$29.49
   11	FBT Architects	$61,309	$29.48
   12	Ennead Architects	$61,301	$29.47
   13	Steelman Partners	$61,294	$29.47
   14	bKL Architecture	$60,793	$29.23
   15	Perkins&Will	$60,784	$29.22	51
   16	KieranTimberlake	$60,777	$29.22
   17	Bloom Energy	$60,727	$29.20
   18	Arquitectonica	$60,719	$29.19	3
   19	Nelsen Partners	$60,713	$29.19
   20	Perkins Eastman	$60,691	$29.18	3

4. Writing an architectural internship job description

   A job description for an architectural internship role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an architectural internship job description:

   Architectural internship job description example

   As a multimarket firm, we touch many areas of life: from designing highways and bridges that connect people, to clean water systems, to hospitals and corporate campuses of the future. That's why we're able to offer endless opportunities for people to hone their skills and strengthen their understanding of different disciplines and perspectives. Behind all the hard work is a team of really sharp, down-to-earth people who love a good challenge - and a good time.
   
   Internships and Co-Ops are an excellent way to provide students with an opportunity to develop real-world skills in an environment that encourages personal and professional growth. Gresham Smith accepts interns from accredited design schools in the areas of architecture, engineering, interior design, and planning. Many interns have been offered continued employment as full-time employees after graduation.
   Minimum Qualifications
   
   In order to be considered for an internship with Gresham Smith, a student should:
   Be currently enrolled in a full-time academic program at an accredited college or university; Maintain a good academic standing; Pursue a field of study that is consistent with Gresham Smith needs for intern assignments. Students who hold F-1, OPT, or H1-B visas are eligible for consideration.
   Gresham Smith is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Gresham Smith provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender, national origin, status as a protected veteran, disability or any other classification protected by law.
   
   Gresham Smith will not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, headhunters, contract recruiters, search firms or employment agencies. An executed GRESHAM PLACEMENT SERVICES AGREEMENT (PSA) is required prior to any payment obligation for either a referral or recruiter fee.In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously executed PSA, GRESHAM SMITH explicitly reserves the right to recruit and hire those candidate(s) at its discretion, and without any financial obligation whatsoever to the recruiter or agency.Any such unsolicited resume or candidate contact information, including those submitted directly to GRESHAM SMITH'S hiring managers or any other employee, shall become the property of GRESHAM SMITH upon receipt.
   
   #LI-DNI

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find architectural interns for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your architectural internship job on Zippia to find and recruit architectural internship candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with architectural internship candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new architectural internship

   Once you've found the architectural internship candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new architectural internship. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an architectural internship?