What is a Business Internship?

Primarily, a business internship is aimed at educating students on the various business aspects. Generally, it offers students an opportunity to perform a few or more business-related tasks. Participants of this internship analyze business reports. They visit the facilities of the firm and check for improvements. They evaluate the processes employed by the firm to perform various activities and make recommendations. Besides this, they assist with special projects. Also, they observe and learn from the decision-making process of the different managers. Additionally, they perform other tasks as assigned. Business interns report to a manager.

Interested applicants must be enrolled in a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in business administration. It is essential to have an outstanding academic credential. You must be conversant with Microsoft Word and Excel. You must possess communication, time management, attention to detail, teamwork, and interpersonal skills. Business interns earn between $25,000 and $74,000 with an average salary of $43,114 yearly.

What Does a Business Internship Do

There are certain skills that many business interns have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed analytical skills, communication skills and interpersonal skills.

Learn more about what a Business Internship does

How To Become a Business Internship

If you're interested in becoming a business internship, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 74.0% of business interns have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 11.5% of business interns have master's degrees. Even though most business interns have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Business Internship

Business Internship Job Description

A business intern is an individual who is in charge of assisting other employees in managing a business and is also meant to learn on the job from senior members of staff. A business intern might run clerical errands, help with documentation, and prepare materials.

Learn more about Business Internship Job Description
Top Business Internship Jobs Near You

Business Internship Career Paths

In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of law clerk you might progress to a role such as consultant eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title finance vice president.

Business Internship

Top Careers Before Business Internship

Internship(51,064 Jobs)
23.4 %
Sales Associate(579,849 Jobs)
9.9 %
Marketing Internship(122,135 Jobs)
8.8 %

Top Careers After Business Internship

Internship(51,064 Jobs)
17.8 %
Marketing Internship(122,135 Jobs)
8.8 %
Sales Associate(579,849 Jobs)
7.8 %

Recent Job Searches

Average Salary for a Business Internship

Business Interns in America make an average salary of $35,282 per year or $17 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $44,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $27,000 per year.
Average Business Internship Salary
$35,282 Yearly
$16.96 hourly
See More Salary Information

What Am I Worth?

salary-calculator

Roles and Types of Business Internship

The role of a business internship includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general business internship responsibilities:

  • Work on projects often requiring independent decision-making. These projects are normally scoped the length of the internship. Develop powerpoint presentations
  • Learn and demonstrate knowledge of safety culture within the organization identify problems
  • Participate in planning and executing programs that support piston aircraft. Conduct quality control of

There are several types of business internship, including:

Business Developer

Role:

If you want to earn an average salary of $90,301 per year, you can try working as a Business Developer. With a job growth rate of 8%, you are also given a chance to further your career after some time.

With enough experience and years of working, you can be an Account Manager, a Regional Sales Manager, and a National Sales Manager after beginning as a Business Developer.

As a Business Developer, you will conduct in-depth business analysis and craft different strategies to help businesses grow and raise brand awareness. You will identify areas that need to be improved and come up with new ideas to strengthen your client base.

As a Business Developer, you are expected to be creative, have great interpersonal skills, and possess excellent organizational skills. When you have these skills, there is a big chance that you will land the job and do well in the field.

  • Average Salary: $101,635
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Business Consultant

Role:

Business consultants analyze the processes and efficiency of a company. They identify potential problems and design business strategies for tackling them. They create business plans, increasing the potential of the company, and advise on the most cost-effective ways to achieve realistic business goals.

Business consultants work in a variety of sectors from healthcare to manufacturing, human resources, or financing. They do, however, tend to specialize in one area or another. Often they are self-employed, providing their services to a number of different clients, or they might be permanent employees at a firm. Either way, their job is essentially to listen and understand the company's particular needs.

Starting a consultancy business seems like an attractive solution to many who prefer to be their own bosses. Charging more for your services than you think you should as a freelance consultant gives you credibility and generates trust in your clients toward your services. That is one ground rule that will not be very painful to stick to, right?
  • Average Salary: $87,214
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Summer Analyst

Role:

A summer analyst works as an intern for a bank, typically on a three-month term during the summer. They are usually a college student in their junior year looking to gain experience in finance before entering their last year in college.

The work of a summer analyst is relatively simple if one has a background in finances. Usually, the duties of a summer analyst revolve around performing tasks to support full-time analysts, which typically include entering data into systems, organizing financial documents, digitizing paperwork, and run errands like ordering food or preparing coffee.

To qualify for a summer analyst internship, a student must be at least in their junior year of finance, economics, or business degree. Work experience, of course, is not required for this position. However, a good attitude and basic finance skills are a must.

A summer analyst internship can either be paid or not. If a student qualifies for a paid internship, they can earn around $15 to $20 an hour, which is the average range for paid internships.
  • Average Salary: $66,837
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
View More

States With The Most Business Internship Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active business internship jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where business interns earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Business Internship Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California3,379$37,624
2Pennsylvania2,639$39,591
3Texas1,941$31,863
4Ohio1,894$32,352
5Michigan1,846$36,355
6New York1,733$37,805
7Minnesota1,610$35,605
8Illinois1,399$40,180
9Florida1,349$31,378
10Wisconsin1,256$36,991
11Indiana1,183$32,692
12Massachusetts1,181$38,635
13Missouri1,160$33,409
14Tennessee1,111$31,892
15Virginia1,085$35,776
16North Carolina1,062$33,860
17New Jersey1,034$40,324
18Georgia957$32,807
19Iowa860$32,965
20Maryland839$35,490
21Kentucky820$32,063
22Alabama764$29,577
23South Carolina725$30,597
24Washington710$39,450
25Kansas710$33,455
26Arkansas693$27,457
27Arizona669$33,660
28Colorado648$33,310
29Nebraska638$32,908
30Louisiana606$33,908
31Connecticut592$40,223
32Oklahoma580$32,144
33Oregon564$35,194
34Utah516$29,024
35Nevada490$32,043
36Idaho437$35,140
37Mississippi430$30,454
38New Mexico421$30,101
39Montana385$30,358
40South Dakota382$29,567
41Maine362$34,373
42Delaware345$34,918
43New Hampshire342$38,147
44West Virginia317$33,253
45Rhode Island294$39,852
46Vermont290$34,540
47Alaska267$42,800
48North Dakota244$41,959
49Wyoming222$29,127
50Hawaii195$31,690

Business Internship Education

Business Internship Majors

Business
32.9 %
Finance
11.0 %
Accounting
8.7 %

Business Internship Degrees

Bachelors

74.0 %

Masters

11.5 %

Associate

8.4 %

Top Colleges for Business Internships

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Computer Science
Communication
Accounting
Economics

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Finance
Business
Economics
Political Science
Computer Science

3. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Marketing
Psychology
Accounting
Finance

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Psychology
Communication
Computer Science
Economics

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Political Science
Economics
Finance
International Business

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Economics
Communication
Psychology
Computer Science

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Economics
Law
Psychology
Political Science

8. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Psychology
Accounting
Marketing
Communication
Finance

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-State Tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Political Science
Psychology
Business
Economics
Marketing

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,262

Enrollment

14,629

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Finance
Accounting
Business
Psychology
Economics

Top Skills For a Business Internship

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 8.1% of business interns listed customer service on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and communication skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Business Internship Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Business Internship templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Business Internship resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume
Business Internship Resume

Business Internship Demographics

Business Internship Gender Distribution

Male
Male
55%
Female
Female
45%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among business interns, 45.0% of them are women, while 55.0% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among business interns is White, which makes up 70.4% of all business interns.

  • The most common foreign language among business interns is Spanish at 31.1%.

Online Courses For Business Internship That You May Like

Advertising Disclosure  

1. SQL - MySQL for Data Analytics and Business Intelligence

udemy
4.6
(44,755)

SQL that will get you hired SQL for Business Analysis, Marketing, and Data Management...

See More on Udemy

2. Business Analytics Complete Course

udemy
4.2
(325)

Learn Business Analytics with complete Hands on Exercises...

See More on Udemy

3. Advanced SQL: MySQL Data Analysis & Business Intelligence

udemy
4.7
(3,892)

Master advanced SQL database coding w/ MySQL Workbench. My SQL course takes your SQL analysis skills to new heights!...

See More on Udemy
Show More Business Internship Courses
Job type you want
Full Time
Part Time
Internship
Temporary

Best States For a Business Internship

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a business internship. The best states for people in this position are Alaska, North Dakota, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Business interns make the most in Alaska with an average salary of $42,800. Whereas in North Dakota and New Jersey, they would average $41,959 and $40,324, respectively. While business interns would only make an average of $40,223 in Connecticut, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Alaska

Total Business Internship Jobs: 267
Highest 10% Earn:
$51,000
Location Quotient:
2.06

$42,800

Avg. Salary

View 267 Business Internship Jobs In AK

2. North Dakota

Total Business Internship Jobs: 244
Highest 10% Earn:
$52,000
Location Quotient:
1.69

$41,959

Avg. Salary

View 244 Business Internship Jobs In ND

3. Rhode Island

Total Business Internship Jobs: 294
Highest 10% Earn:
$51,000
Location Quotient:
1.56

$39,852

Avg. Salary

View 294 Business Internship Jobs In RI
Full List Of Best States For Business Interns

How Do Business Internship Rate Their Jobs?

Working as a Business Internship? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary
Do you work as a Business Internship?
Rate how you like work as Business Internship. It's anonymous and will only take a minute.

Top Business Internship Employers

Most Common Employers For Business Internship

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Sandia National Labs$51,622$24.8216
2Grant Thornton$50,303$24.1822
3Thomson Reuters$45,874$22.0553
4Ernst & Young$45,476$21.8653
5Pwc$43,369$20.8518
6Pfizer$40,993$19.7121
7Sony Music Entertainment$38,852$18.6821
8JPMorgan Chase & Co.$38,799$18.6516
9Kiewit$38,652$18.5817
10The Walt Disney Company$37,428$17.9928
Show More

Becoming a Business Internship FAQs

Do Business Interns Get Paid?

Yes, the majority of business interns get paid for the duration of their internship. Compensation often depends on the company and duties associated with the internship and can come in several forms.

How Do I Start An Internship Program For My Business?

You can start an internship program for your business by understanding laws regarding internships, developing internship roles, and advertising the role to local colleges. By taking these steps to start a good internship program, a business ensures overall success.

What Do You Gain From A Business Internship?

You gain valuable real-world experience and networking connections from a business internship. As a major with so many career path options, business majors have many options to choose from, and internships are valuable to help students navigate their future careers.

What Is A Good Salary For An Internship?

A good salary for an internship is around $31,000 a year (about $2,607 per month or $15 per hour). That's the average for a typical internship, but, as most internships go, factors like location, industry and company can determine whether you receive compensation.

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

Search For Business Internship Jobs

Business Internship Related Careers

Business Internship Related Jobs

Business Internship Jobs By Location

Business Internship Jobs By Company

Updated February 6, 2023