How to hire a graphic designer internship

How to hire a graphic designer internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step graphic designer internship hiring guide:

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

What does a graphic designer internship do?

Post a graphic designer internship job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a graphic designer 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

   A graphic designer internship's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, graphic designer 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of graphic designer interns and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Graphic Designer Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Graphic Designer Internship	Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. They develop the overall layout and production design for various applications such as advertisements, brochures, magazines, and corporate reports.	$12-22
   Production Artist	A production artist is responsible for managing digital content, meeting clients' standard specifications and requests for successful project completion. Production artists must have computer proficiency, especially on utilizing various software tools and applications to create illustrations and layouts... Show more	$19-45
   Designer	A designer is someone who creates a master plan of the look or workings of something before it will be made. It could be tangible or intangible objects, products, procedures, laws, events, games, graphics, services, and even experiences... Show more	$21-46

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Graphic Design Intern
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Blog Posts
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • Adobe Illustrator
   • Photography
   • Flyers
   • PowerPoint
   • Typography
   • Graphic Design
   • Adobe Indesign
   • Brochures
   • HTML
   • Motion Graphics

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the company's Joomla website with content & design updates.
   • Attend various B2C and B2B brand trade-shows identifying new distribution channels and sales leads
   • Create, implement and manage customer activation campaigns and loyalty programs tracking ROI and retention.
   • Manage all aspects of the creative process with includes; sketch formation, client collaboration, production coordination.
   • Manage an in-house advertisement/mailer for a vendor.
   • Manage data migrations and SharePoint integration for corporate Intranet with external consultants.

   More graphic designer internship duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, graphic designer interns' average salary in south dakota is 53% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level graphic designer interns 45% less than senior-level graphic designer interns.
   • Certifications. A graphic designer 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 a graphic designer internship's salary.

   Average graphic designer internship salary

   $35,800yearly

   $17.21 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level graphic designer internship salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average graphic designer internship salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$49,819	$24
   2	California	$41,712	$20
   3	Massachusetts	$40,164	$19
   4	New York	$40,120	$19
   5	District of Columbia	$39,662	$19
   6	New Jersey	$39,497	$19
   7	Virginia	$38,413	$18
   8	Pennsylvania	$37,575	$18
   9	Michigan	$37,557	$18
   10	Colorado	$35,481	$17
   11	Connecticut	$34,957	$17
   12	Wisconsin	$33,605	$16
   13	Ohio	$33,440	$16
   14	Iowa	$32,341	$16
   15	Indiana	$31,414	$15
   16	Nebraska	$29,197	$14
   17	Georgia	$29,077	$14
   18	Texas	$28,404	$14
   19	Kansas	$28,305	$14
   20	North Carolina	$26,709	$13

   Average graphic designer internship salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Riverbed Holdings, Inc.	$63,169	$30.37
   2	Olson Kundig	$59,048	$28.39	2
   3	Ralph Appelbaum Associates	$56,121	$26.98
   4	ARA	$53,889	$25.91
   5	Intel	$53,208	$25.58	5
   6	Formlabs	$52,307	$25.15	9
   7	American Civil Liberties Union Foundation	$51,833	$24.92
   8	Fortune Brands Home & Security	$49,838	$23.96	2
   9	International Rescue Committee	$47,599	$22.88
   10	Boostability	$45,380	$21.82
   11	PSEA	$45,292	$21.77	2
   12	American Fidelity	$44,858	$21.57
   13	The University of Kansas Health System	$44,820	$21.55
   14	USG Insurance Services	$44,765	$21.52	2
   15	UMass Lowell	$43,888	$21.10
   16	United Nations Foundation	$41,632	$20.02
   17	Iowa Department of Transportation	$41,470	$19.94
   18	Brenau University	$41,433	$19.92	1
   19	Melaleuca:The Wellness	$41,394	$19.90	4
   20	KORE	$40,508	$19.48

4. Writing a graphic designer internship job description

   A job description for a graphic designer 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 a graphic designer internship job description:

   Graphic designer internship job description example

   We're excited you're considering joining a great place to work!
   Texas Mutual is deeply committed to creating and maintaining an environment of mutual respect and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law.
   About this Position
   At Texas Mutual, we spend our days creating a stronger, safer Texas. That means helping injured workers return to a productive life, empowering businesses to thrive, and giving back to our communities. The Marketing department plays an exciting role in these efforts, both propelling our mission forward and telling its story.
   
   As a graphic design intern, you'll be an important part of the Marketing team, working closely with talented writers, video producers and digital marketers to create graphics, collateral materials, marketing emails, event signage, digital signage and more. The ideal person for this position loves collaborating with others to share ideas and feedback, enjoys ideating, is organized and has a high attention to detail, and wants to create amazing work that both delights and achieves strategic goals.
   
   Responsibilities & Qualifications
   
   During this internship, you can expect to:
   Design materials such as marketing collateral, presentations, banners, emails, logos, signage, infographics, branded items and more.Design and source images for use on social media, company intranet or public website.Collaborate with the marketing team, including graphic designer, writers and videographers.Take the lead on a design project for the organization on an internal or external campaign.Support design projects from initial concept to final production.Maintain brand standards and inform others of brand standards.Source stock images or other photography, as needed.Work with external vendors and develop relationships to ensure successful delivery of print products.Inform internal clients of available production capabilities.Maintain and archive files and perform regular job file backup.
   
   It's required that you:
   Provide samples of your work or provide a link to your portfolio or website. Are pursuing a bachelor's degree in graphic design, or similar area of study.
   
   Internship details:
   12-week internship to begin in August or September (flexible on start and end date to meet credit needs).Location: Austin, TX; in-person; potential for limited remote work later in the internship.Hours: 20 hours per week (flexible).
   
   **Benefits are not included with internship positions**
   Flex-Hybrid Work Environment:
   
   Texas Mutual's flex-hybrid schedule allows you to bring your best self to work by either working remotely or collaborating in the office based on business needs. All Texas Mutual employees are required to have Texas residency and travel to their designated office as needed.
   
   Our Benefits:
   Flex-hybrid work environment for most positions Annual performance bonus and merit-based pay increase Professional development and tuition reimbursement Automatic 4% employer contribution to retirement plan 401k plan with 100% employer match up to 6%Three weeks' time off for vacation Nine paid holidays and two personal days each year Generous sick, holiday and volunteer time off Day one health, Rx, vision and dental insurance Life and disability insurance Flexible spending account Pet coverage and pet Rx discounts Free on-site gym, fitness classes, and health and wellness resources Free identity theft protection Free 2nd medical opinion service Free student loan repayment and refinancing consultation Employee referral bonus

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find graphic designer interns for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any graphic designer interns they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level graphic designer interns with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   To find graphic designer internship candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit graphic designer interns, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   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 graphic designer internship

   Once you've selected the best graphic designer internship candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new graphic designer internship. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a graphic designer internship?