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Graduate internship salary
Average graduate internship salary
$52,511
Average Graduate Internship Salary
The average salary for a graduate internship is approximately $52,511 per year, translating to about $25 per hour. Salaries can differ significantly depending on location, industry, and the intern's level of experience. For example, internships in major cities often offer higher pay rates compared to rural areas.
Top Paying States for Graduate Interns
Some of the highest paying states for graduate interns include:
- California - Known for its tech and entertainment industries.
- New York - A hub for finance and media roles.
- Texas - Home to a diverse range of industries, including energy and healthcare.
Understanding these variables can help you negotiate better salaries and find the most suitable opportunities. Additionally, internships in sectors such as technology, healthcare, and finance typically offer higher compensation than those in non-profits or education. By researching salary estimates and current trends, you can make informed decisions about your internship applications and career path.
Let Zippia find your next graduate internship job
Let Zippia find your next graduate internship job
Where can a Graduate Internship earn more?
Graduate internship salary estimates from across the web
Average graduate internship salary by state
The highest-paying states for graduate interns are Massachusetts, Maryland, and Virginia. The lowest average graduate internship salary states are Iowa, Colorado, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for graduate interns
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $62,666 | $30.13 |
| 2 | Maine | $63,541 | $30.55 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $69,740 | $33.53 |
| 4 | Maryland | $67,249 | $32.33 |
| 5 | Idaho | $58,723 | $28.23 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $60,353 | $29.02 |
| 7 | Virginia | $64,955 | $31.23 |
| 8 | Oregon | $60,911 | $29.28 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $60,655 | $29.16 |
| 10 | New York | $64,450 | $30.99 |
| 11 | Washington | $63,024 | $30.30 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $58,670 | $28.21 |
| 13 | Indiana | $60,468 | $29.07 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $55,014 | $26.45 |
| 15 | Illinois | $60,288 | $28.98 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $53,490 | $25.72 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $53,181 | $25.57 |
| 18 | California | $63,049 | $30.31 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $48,908 | $23.51 |
| 20 | Texas | $57,681 | $27.73 |
| 21 | Michigan | $52,137 | $25.07 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $52,183 | $25.09 |
| 23 | Ohio | $55,400 | $26.63 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $55,445 | $26.66 |
| 25 | Vermont | $50,189 | $24.13 |
| 26 | Alabama | $52,917 | $25.44 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $52,326 | $25.16 |
| 28 | Delaware | $50,555 | $24.31 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $50,503 | $24.28 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $45,558 | $21.90 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $48,483 | $23.31 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $45,440 | $21.85 |
| 33 | Montana | $46,886 | $22.54 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $46,986 | $22.59 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $46,294 | $22.26 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $47,496 | $22.83 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $48,818 | $23.47 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $47,929 | $23.04 |
| 39 | Nevada | $46,545 | $22.38 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $42,927 | $20.64 |
| 41 | Arizona | $45,382 | $21.82 |
| 42 | Missouri | $46,424 | $22.32 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $41,874 | $20.13 |
| 44 | Utah | $43,203 | $20.77 |
| 45 | Iowa | $43,184 | $20.76 |
| 46 | Georgia | $46,081 | $22.15 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $43,948 | $21.13 |
| 48 | Minnesota | $44,146 | $21.22 |
| 49 | Colorado | $43,113 | $20.73 |
| 50 | Kansas | $42,180 | $20.28 |
| 51 | Florida | $40,957 | $19.69 |
Highest paying cities for graduate interns
The highest-paying cities for graduate interns are Boston, MA, Towson, MD, and Folsom, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $69,464 | $33.40 |
| 2 | Towson, MD | $67,561 | $32.48 |
| 3 | Folsom, CA | $65,549 | $31.51 |
| 4 | Virginia Beach, VA | $64,630 | $31.07 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $64,385 | $30.95 |
| 6 | Federal Way, WA | $63,984 | $30.76 |
| 7 | Milwaukee, WI | $60,813 | $29.24 |
| 8 | Hillsboro, OR | $60,715 | $29.19 |
| 9 | Albuquerque, NM | $60,493 | $29.08 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $60,463 | $29.07 |
| 11 | Indianapolis, IN | $60,225 | $28.95 |
| 12 | Philadelphia, PA | $58,861 | $28.30 |
| 13 | Austin, TX | $57,725 | $27.75 |
| 14 | Jersey City, NJ | $55,544 | $26.70 |
| 15 | Washington, DC | $52,299 | $25.14 |
| 16 | Flint, MI | $52,081 | $25.04 |
| 17 | Durham, NC | $48,727 | $23.43 |
| 18 | Las Vegas, NV | $46,266 | $22.24 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $46,187 | $22.21 |
| 20 | Kansas City, MO | $46,065 | $22.15 |
Graduate Interns are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Graduate internship salary details
A graduate internship's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $88,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a graduate internship's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42 |
| 75th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| Average | $52,511 | $4,376 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
Highest paying graduate internship jobs
The highest paying types of graduate interns are doctoral student, student instructor, and graduate teaching assistant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teaching Fellow | $44,040 | $3,670 | $21.17 | 40,551 |
| Student Instructor | $49,436 | $4,120 | $23.77 | 39,719 |
| Graduate Research Student | $34,658 | $2,888 | $16.66 | 58,921 |
| Clinical Externship | $35,831 | $2,986 | $17.23 | 63,061 |
| Community Health Internship | $32,586 | $2,715 | $15.67 | 113,667 |
| Graduate Researcher | $32,346 | $2,696 | $15.55 | 17,313 |
Top companies hiring graduate interns now:
Which companies pay graduate interns the most?
Graduate internship salaries at Menorah Medical Center and Safeway are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average graduate internship salary at companies like Kaiser Permanente and Providence Health & Services are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Menorah Medical Center | $132,108 | $63.51 |
| 2 | Safeway | $127,674 | $61.38 |
| 3 | Kaiser Permanente | $125,392 | $60.28 |
| 4 | Providence Health & Services | $103,984 | $49.99 |
| 5 | Raley's | $96,564 | $46.42 |
| 6 | Trinity Health | $85,474 | $41.09 |
| 7 | Albertsons Companies | $84,019 | $40.39 |
| 8 | World Wildlife Fund | $81,561 | $39.21 |
| 9 | ABB | $80,356 | $38.63 |
| 10 | SAP | $78,357 | $37.67 |
| 11 | University of Massachusetts Medical School | $74,072 | $35.61 |
| 12 | Duke University Health System | $73,161 | $35.17 |
| 13 | LifePoint Health | $71,018 | $34.14 |
| 14 | HealthTrust | $70,799 | $34.04 |
| 15 | Family & Children Assoc | $70,259 | $33.78 |
| 16 | Comcast | $68,275 | $32.82 |
| 17 | Adventist HealthCare | $67,709 | $32.55 |
| 18 | Xerox | $67,527 | $32.46 |
| 19 | Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (finra) | $67,300 | $32.36 |
| 20 | Pharmaceutical Product Development | $67,016 | $32.22 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Graduate Internship salary by industry
The average graduate internship salary varies across industries:
- The average graduate internship salary in the automotive industry is $67,349, the highest of any industry.
- The average graduate internship salary in the finance industry is $67,014.
- Graduate interns in the government industry earn an average salary of $49,135, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for graduate interns
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive | $67,349 | $32.38 |
| 2 | Health Care | $67,014 | $32.22 |
| 3 | Retail | $62,754 | $30.17 |
| 4 | Technology | $59,186 | $28.45 |
| 5 | Professional | $55,868 | $26.86 |
| 6 | Non Profits | $53,521 | $25.73 |
| 7 | Education | $51,896 | $24.95 |
| 8 | Government | $49,135 | $23.62 |
High paying graduate internship jobs
Graduate internship salary trends
The average graduate internship salary has risen by $8,564 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average graduate internship earned $43,947 annually, but today, they earn $52,511 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for graduate interns over the last decade.
Compare graduate internship salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average graduate internship salary over time
Compare graduate internship salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Graduate internship salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $52,500 | $25.25 | +2.0% |
| 2025 | $51,500 | $24.74 | +7.8% |
| 2024 | $47,400 | $22.80 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $45,700 | $21.96 | -5.5% |
| 2022 | $48,200 | $23.16 | +10.0% |
Recently added graduate internship salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Origin | Spring 2026 Corporate Strategy Intern-Graduate | Arlington, VA | 06/30/2025 | $70,958 |
| Blue Origin | Spring 2026 Return Internship-Graduate | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $79,306 |
| Glenstone Museum | Graduate Archives Intern | Potomac, MD | 06/24/2025 | $48,001 |
| Chancelight Programs | Graduate Intern | Phoenix, AZ | 06/20/2025 | $33,392 |
| Rossier Park School | Graduate Intern | Phoenix, AZ | 06/20/2025 | $33,392 |
| Deschutes County, or | 2025 Behavioral Health Specialist II, Graduate Intern | Ione, OR | 06/18/2025 | $81,873 |
| Brennan Center for Justice | Fall 2025 Multimedia Producer Internship (Graduate or Undergraduate) | New York, NY | 06/18/2025 | $36,523 |
| McLarty Associates | Intern/Graduate Fellow, Brazil and Southern Cone | Washington, DC | 06/13/2025 | $37,566 |
| Mission Support & Test Services, LLC (MSTS | Post-Baccaulareate Graduate Internship (Engineering, Computer Science or Physics) | North Las Vegas, NV | 06/10/2025 | $55,431 |
| Mission Support & Test Services, LLC (MSTS | Undergraduate/Graduate Internship-Tepp (Associate In Information Technology-Levels I-XI) | Los Alamos, NM | 06/10/2025 | $31,305 |
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