How to hire an internship

How to hire an internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step 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 internship job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new internship
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an internship do?

Post an internship job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the internship you need to hire. Certain internship roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An internship's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, 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 internship salaries for various positions.

   Type of Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Internship	General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.	$11-23
   Office Worker	An office worker is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the daily operations of the business. Office workers assist in receiving calls to respond to the clients' inquiries and concerns, as well as welcoming visitors, verifying their appointments, and leading them to the appropriate personnel and department for their business needs... Show more	$11-34
   Office Clerk	Office clerks are administrative employees who handle clerical activities for the organization. They are in charge of managing company records, organizing and storing documents, filing and sorting hard copies of documents, and liaising with other departments or external partners... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PowerPoint
   • Financial Statements
   • C++
   • Mental Health
   • Data Analysis
   • Facebook
   • R
   • Twitter
   • Front Desk
   • Data Collection
   • HR
   • Windows
   • Vital Signs
   • Substance Abuse

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead enrollment process efficiently through securing proper registration forms, official transcripts, immunization records, and IEP documentation as needed.
   • Manage all company financial transactions through QuickBooks.
   • Design PHP application to automate schedule updating process.
   • Manage a web-base graphical interface that utilize a SQL database to better track fabrication lab operations.
   • Organize online recipe content through the blog, design flyers for it and spread the contest word through twitter and blog.
   • Develop sponsored post strategy for LinkedIn and Facebook.

   More internship duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your internship job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An internship salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an internship in Kansas may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level internship usually earns less than a senior-level internship. Additionally, an internship with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average internship salary

   $35,254yearly

   $16.95 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level internship salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average internship salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$43,161	$21
   2	Washington	$42,657	$21
   3	District of Columbia	$39,684	$19
   4	Nevada	$39,552	$19
   5	Massachusetts	$39,394	$19
   6	Colorado	$39,220	$19
   7	New York	$38,639	$19
   8	Oregon	$38,522	$19
   9	Wisconsin	$36,804	$18
   10	Minnesota	$36,754	$18
   11	Pennsylvania	$36,043	$17
   12	Arizona	$35,933	$17
   13	Maryland	$35,819	$17
   14	Virginia	$35,633	$17
   15	Georgia	$35,055	$17
   16	Illinois	$34,941	$17
   17	Michigan	$34,872	$17
   18	Maine	$34,858	$17
   19	Ohio	$33,808	$16
   20	Nebraska	$33,764	$16

   Average internship salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Qorvo	$80,146	$38.53
   2	Cambridge Associates	$79,614	$38.28	8
   3	IBM	$74,274	$35.71	668
   4	American Water	$67,899	$32.64	19
   5	Zgf Architects	$64,125	$30.83
   6	OGE Energy	$63,804	$30.68
   7	McKinsey & Company Inc	$62,787	$30.19	30
   8	HCL Technologies	$61,725	$29.68
   9	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	$60,920	$29.29	60
   10	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$60,651	$29.16	18
   11	ZS	$59,762	$28.73	8
   12	Atos	$59,705	$28.70
   13	Battelle	$59,256	$28.49	4
   14	HP	$56,709	$27.26	28
   15	Mandiant	$56,601	$27.21
   16	FireEye	$56,412	$27.12
   17	Nebraska Public Power District	$56,228	$27.03	5
   18	Schneider Electric Industrial Services	$55,891	$26.87	39
   19	Splunk	$55,751	$26.80
   20	Wiss Janney Elstner	$55,677	$26.77	24

4. Writing an internship job description

   A job description for an 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 internship job description:

   Internship job description example

   Join Intel and build a better tomorrow. Intel is in the midst of an exciting transformation, with a vision to create and extend computing technology to connect and enrich the lives of every person on Earth. So join us and help us create the next generation of technologies that will shape the future for decades to come.
   Your main responsibilities include:
   Build physical models of key defect modes and characterize the noise limiting detection.Work with tool suppliers to conduct microscope simulations of the defects and noise.Work on launching a simulation program within Intel.
   
   Responsibilities may be quite diverse of a technical nature.
   Job assignments are usually for the summer or for short periods during breaks from school.
   
   This is an Intern position.
   
   Qualifications:
   Minimum qualifications are required to be initially considered for this position. Preferred qualifications are in addition to the minimum requirements and are considered a plus factor in identifying top candidates. Relevant experience can be obtained through school work, classes and project work, internships, military training, and/or work experience.Minimum Qualifications
   Must be a full-time student pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Material Science, Microelectronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or a semiconductor-related field.Must have successfully completed a Bachelor of Science degree program in one of the fields listed above.Must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA in college courses to date.
   Preferred Qualifications
   Hands-on experience with semiconductor processing or testing systems in clean room environments.Experience with software tools for the analysis of large sets of experimental data.Carry a minimum of a 3.5 GPA in college courses to date.
   
   Job Type:
   Student / Intern
   
   Shift:
   Shift 1 (United States of America)
   
   Primary Location:
   US, Oregon, Hillsboro
   
   Additional Locations:
   
   Intel strongly encourages employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Intel aligns to federal, state, and local laws and as a contractor to the U.S. Government is subject to government mandates that may be issued. Intel policies for COVID-19 including guidance about testing and vaccination are subject to change over time.
   
   Business group:
   As the world's largest chip manufacturer, Intel strives to make every facet of semiconductor manufacturing state-of-the-art -- from semiconductor process development and manufacturing, through yield improvement to packaging, final test and optimization, and world class Supply Chain and facilities support. Employees in the Technology Development and Manufacturing Group are part of a worldwide network of design, development, manufacturing, and assembly/test facilities, all focused on utilizing the power of Moore's Law to bring smart, connected devices to every person on Earth.
   
   Posting Statement:
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.
   
   Position of Trust
   N/A
   
   Work Model for this Role
   This role will be eligible for our hybrid work model which allows employees to split their time between working on-site at their assigned Intel site and off-site. In certain circumstances the work model may change to accommodate business needs.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right internship for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your internship job on Zippia to find and recruit internship candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit interns, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   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 internship

   Once you've decided on a perfect internship candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire an internship?