How to hire a project manager internship

How to hire a project manager internship, step by step

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

What does a project manager internship do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the project manager internship you need to hire. Certain project manager 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

   A project manager internship's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, project manager 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 project manager interns and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Project Manager Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Project Manager Internship		$14-23
   Project Administrator	A project administrator is a professional who assists the project manager in the preparation, reporting, and analysis of projects. Project administrators are given tasks with administrative responsibilities such as managing the budget for supply orders, coordinating meetings with contractors, and doing site visits... Show more	$15-39
   Project Director	A project director is a professional responsible for supervising workers from various departments given specific tasks to complete a given project. They create a budget to complete a job while monitoring the amount of money spent to ensure that overspending is avoided... Show more	$33-77

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Jira
   • HR
   • Confluence
   • Scrum
   • PowerPoint
   • Status Reports
   • Financial Analysis
   • CAD
   • RFI
   • Construction Projects
   • Market Research
   • Cost Savings
   • SharePoint

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage SharePoint site and create necessary folders for all documents, risks and issues relate to the project.
   • Provide counsel and strategic planning for implementation of propose restructuring of campus ministry, achieving approval from board and constituency.
   • Evaluate and manage financial portfolio risk and margin, monitor and evaluate macroeconomic and financial events relate to the managed portfolio.
   • Disclose any missing openings (windows, doors, garage, etc . )
   • Conduct JAD sessions for the ERP requirements gathering as well as the technical specifications creation.
   • Develop, maintain, track and distribute RFI's to all stake holders on various projects.

   More project manager internship duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your project manager internship job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A project manager 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 a project manager internship in Iowa may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level project manager internship usually earns less than a senior-level project manager internship. Additionally, a project manager 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 project manager internship salary

   $38,852yearly

   $18.68 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level project manager internship salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average project manager internship salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$45,810	$22
   2	Virginia	$43,525	$21
   3	Wisconsin	$43,211	$21
   4	California	$42,155	$20
   5	Massachusetts	$41,314	$20
   6	New Jersey	$41,171	$20
   7	District of Columbia	$38,984	$19
   8	North Carolina	$37,984	$18
   9	Pennsylvania	$37,839	$18
   10	Indiana	$37,838	$18
   11	Texas	$36,305	$17
   12	Kansas	$36,178	$17
   13	Maryland	$35,786	$17
   14	Colorado	$35,475	$17
   15	Illinois	$35,380	$17
   16	Arizona	$34,978	$17
   17	Louisiana	$34,741	$17
   18	West Virginia	$34,340	$17
   19	Idaho	$33,800	$16
   20	Nevada	$33,660	$16

   Average project manager internship salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	SAP	$54,650	$26.27	9
   2	Genentech	$54,107	$26.01	8
   3	Oracle	$52,394	$25.19	1,689
   4	MDU Resources	$49,278	$23.69
   5	American Enterprise Institute	$48,074	$23.11	1
   6	Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc	$46,893	$22.54	5
   7	Intel	$46,102	$22.16	4
   8	Kronos Incorporated	$45,899	$22.07
   9	FNF Construction	$44,904	$21.59
   10	International Baccalaureate	$44,363	$21.33
   11	Legal Aid NW Texas	$44,062	$21.18
   12	Oshkosh	$43,299	$20.82	9
   13	Rachel Contracting	$42,966	$20.66
   14	P&G	$41,708	$20.05	19
   15	Smith & Nephew	$41,244	$19.83	2
   16	QTS	$40,932	$19.68	35
   17	Equinix	$40,701	$19.57	5
   18	EMCOR Group	$40,297	$19.37	200
   19	Pearson	$40,085	$19.27	14
   20	Trane	$39,534	$19.01	29

4. Writing a project manager internship job description

   A job description for a project manager 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 project manager internship job description:

   Project manager internship job description example

   We heard you knock!
   
   Internship Learning Outcomes: As a Project Manager intern, you will work with various Masonite Project Management Offices to identify, develop, publish and implement project management best practices that best meet the unique business needs of Masonite and the company's growth strategy. Intern assignments will be project-oriented and focus on supporting the improvements to the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) that includes developing a Project Management community and network to foster PM engagement and cross organizational learning and driving best in class standard process and tools to equip Masonite's PMs for optimized performance. In addition, you will be participating in a program that encompasses: Approximately ten-week summer assignment at Masonite's corporate headquarters in Tampa, Florida
   Development of personal and professional skills through training, networking and mentoring relationships Interactions with senior leaders during intern activities such as lunch-and-learn events and leadership dialogues The opportunity to build teamwork skills through interaction with other interns and colleagues Leadership Relationships:
   Enterprise Project Management Office Director Masonite Innovation Center Director of PMO Global Business Services Vice President Responsibilities and Accountabilities:
   Support EPMO with ongoing or new projects Maintain confidentiality of all aspects of job responsibilities Exhibit strong verbal and written communication skills Establish and maintain effective relationships with management and employees Exchange information clearly and concisely and to present ideas, report facts, and other pertinent information
   Will work effectively both autonomously and within a team environment Strong team player, flexible and adaptable to changing environments Minimum Qualifications and Experience Requirements: Currently enrolled in a university at the Junior or Senior level
   Major: Business Management, Project Management, Program Management, Risk Management, Change Management, Communications, Political Science, Policy Development, Leadership, Legal Analysis, Supply Chain Management, Global Operations or related GPA: 3.0 minimum Proficient with the Microsoft Office suite and other business applications Strong Interpersonal Communication Skills Integrity and Confidentiality
   Project Management, Program Management Lean, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis, Problem Solving Skills Strong Business Acumen
   Masonite is an equal opportunity employer
   #LI-DV1
   
   Open to extraordinary!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right project manager 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 project manager internship job on Zippia to find and recruit project manager internship candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit project manager 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 project manager internship

   Once you've selected the best project manager 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.

   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.

   To prepare for the new project manager internship first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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