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Job outlook for programming interns in the United States
Programming internship job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected programming internship job growth rate is 21% from 2018-2028.
About 284,100 new jobs for programming interns are projected over the next decade.
Programming internship salaries have increased 10% for programming interns in the last 5 years.
There are over 17,391 programming interns currently employed in the United States.
There are 49,839 active programming internship job openings in the US.
The average programming internship salary is $31,896.
Are programming internship jobs in demand?
Programming internship job and salary trends over time
Programming internship jobs over time
Programming internship job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17,391 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 16,460 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 5,862 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 32,914 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 30,948 | 0.01% |
Average programming internship salary over time
Programming internship salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $31,896 | $15.33 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $30,845 | $14.83 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $30,147 | $14.49 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $29,614 | $14.24 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $29,117 | $14.00 | +1.9% |
Programming internship jobs by state
Most common states for programming interns
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 623,657 | 209 | 34% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 214 | 31% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 150 | 26% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 240 | 25% |
| 5 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 215 | 25% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 174 | 23% |
| 7 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 277 | 21% |
| 8 | Alaska | 739,795 | 149 | 20% |
| 9 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 330 | 19% |
| 10 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 201 | 19% |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 244 | 18% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 195 | 18% |
| 13 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 287 | 15% |
| 14 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 963 | 14% |
| 15 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 400 | 13% |
| 16 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 488 | 12% |
| 17 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 372 | 12% |
| 18 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 250 | 12% |
| 19 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 598 | 11% |
| 20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 410 | 11% |
Most common cities for programming interns
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankfort | 1 | 4% | $28,437 |
| 2 | Annapolis | 1 | 3% | $32,832 |
| 3 | Culver City | 1 | 3% | $34,391 |
| 4 | Gloucester | 1 | 3% | $33,994 |
| 5 | Marietta | 1 | 2% | $28,921 |
| 6 | Burbank | 1 | 1% | $34,431 |
| 7 | Hartford | 1 | 1% | $33,796 |
| 8 | Santa Clara | 1 | 1% | $36,146 |
| 9 | Wilmington | 1 | 1% | $33,888 |
| 10 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $28,868 |
| 11 | Baton Rouge | 1 | 0% | $27,657 |
| 12 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $33,252 |
| 13 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $30,049 |
| 14 | Saint Paul | 1 | 0% | $35,118 |
Programming Internship job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of programming internship experts
Angelo State University
Duke University
Northern Kentucky University
Jeremy St. John
Associate Professor of Management Information Systems and Department Chair of Accounting, Economics, and FinanceAngelo State University
Accounting And Related Services
What general advice would you give to a Programming Internship?
Jeremy St. John: Graduates beginning their career tend to lack experience and employers want to see experience. I encourage students to look for internships within their field before graduation. The internship is a chance for students to see if the company is a good fit for them and vice versa. Certainly, one hopes an internship pays well and develops into a full-time job offer, but the reference from the employer might be the most valuable part of an internship. For that reason, students working as interns should strive to demonstrate good work ethic, value, and reliability. Here at Angelo State University's Norris-Vincent College of Business our most recent program, a banking certificate program, has an internship as a required part of the class. We met with the local banks and had them promise to provide 35 ongoing internship positions for students in our banking certificate program. We are considering other ways in which to incorporate internships as a required part of curriculum, that is how important we think it is.
What Programming Internship skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jeremy St. John: I think reliability has become one of the most sought-after skills. Showing up on time and having a good work ethic are highly sought after skills. More and more I am hearing from my students that the employers want them to be able to use AI at work. Students able to work with AI are telling me things like "my boss says I am the most productive employee, and it is because I use AI to help me do the work." If the ability to work with AI can make you the most productive employee in the eyes of your employer, that is an important skill to have. Technical skills should continue to be in demand. People-skills, critical thinking, and systems thinking are already in demand and I think they will grow in importance simply because they complement AI.
Michael Munger
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Director, PPE ProgramDuke University
Department of Political Science
What skills stand out on Programming Internship resumes?
Michael Munger: Anyone serious about getting a job, almost any kind of job, should have had at least one class in computer science, and be reasonably literate in either PYTHON or HTML programming. Whatever the job, adding those skills make a person much more flexible, and much more useful. Another skill is video production and editing.
Notice that all these are on TOP of substance area skills. You can't just know stuff, you have to be able to share it and influence others.
Yaw Frimpong-Mansoh Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy and Acting ChairNorthern Kentucky University
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Philosophy
What technical skills for a Programming Internship stand out to employers?
Yaw Frimpong-Mansoh Ph.D.: Here is a brief description of the top nine transferable skills that student graduates vitally need to succeed effectively and efficiently in this constantly changing world.
Analytical and Critical Thinking. Employees with these competencies recognize there may be more than one valid point of view or one way of doing things. They evaluate an issue or problem based on multiple perspectives, while accounting for personal biases. They are able to identify when information is missing or if there is a problem, prior to coming to conclusions and making decisions.
Applied Problem Solving. People with this skill recognize constraints and can generate a set of alternative courses of action. They are able to evaluate alternatives using a set of criteria in order to select and implement the most effective solution and monitor the actual outcomes of that solution. They are also able to recognize there may be more than one valid point of view or course of action.
Ethical Reasoning and Decision Making. Workers trained with these competencies can assess their own moral values and perspectives as well as those of others. They are able to integrate those values and perspectives into an ethical framework for decision making. They consider intentions and anticipate the consequences of actions, both at the personal and social levels, and understand the ethical principles that apply to a situation before making decisions.
Innovation and Creativity. People with these competencies challenge existing paradigms and propose alternatives without being constrained by established approaches or anticipated responses of others. They bring their knowledge, skills, abilities, and sense of originality to the work that they do. They are willing to take risks and overcome internal struggle to expose their creative self in order to bring forward new work or ideas.
Digital Literacy. People with this competency have expertise in evaluating sources of information for accuracy, relevance, purpose, and bias. They respond quickly and creatively to emerging communication technologies and to the changing uses of existing technologies. They recognize how the basics of effective communication persist as the technological landscape evolves and changes while also recognizing the opportunities created for new and innovative approaches to get a message across.
Engaging Diversity. This competency makes employees understand that diversity provides a broader perspective, giving an organization a wider range of options toward resolving challenges. Such employees have the ability to see others points of view and recognize that only seeing things through one’s own culture and experiences is an impediment to achieving goals. They possess the cultural humility to acknowledge their own biases and to manage the conflicts that are inevitable in an increasingly diverse world.
Active Citizenship and Community Engagement. Employees with this competency understand that creating change and opening paths to new futures starts with the active participation of citizens in their local communities and even spans globally. They actively engage with their communities, because they know that their contributions impact the community and that their engagement with the community in turn shapes them. Through coursework, participation in service-learning projects, and volunteering, they have developed and fine-tuned their awareness of social and cultural differences, of the dynamics and needs of the local as well as global communities and are active citizens who engage with their communities to find new futures.
Teamwork and Leadership. Employees who possess this ability are able to both lead and be a part of a cohesive group. They understand their roles and responsibilities within a group, and how they may change in differing situations. They are able to influence others as leaders or as contributing members and have the willingness to take action. They leverage the strengths of the group to achieve a shared vision or objective. They effectively acknowledge and manage conflict toward solutions.
Oral and Written Communication. Employees with these vital skills have the ability to intentionally engage with various audiences to inform, persuade, and entertain. They are able to demonstrate their proficiency and expertise in various means of oral and written communication. They can create effective relationships with an audience as they keep in mind the needs, goals, and motivations of all involved. They are able to ensure that the communication they create is functional and clear to achieve a desired outcome.