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Student internship salary
Average student internship salary
$15.03
Understanding Student Internship Salaries
The average student internship salary, as of October 2025, stands at $31,256 per year, or about $15 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on several factors, including location, industry, and experience level. For instance, internships in technology and engineering fields often offer higher compensation compared to those in non-profit sectors.
Top Paying States
States such as California, New York, and Massachusetts consistently rank among the highest paying for student interns. In California, for example, the average hourly wage can exceed $20, making it an attractive destination for aspiring interns.
Industry Insights
Industries like tech, finance, and healthcare tend to provide the most lucrative internships. Companies in Silicon Valley often pay well above the average, reflecting the demand for skilled interns in these fields. Understanding these dynamics can help students target their applications more effectively.
Conclusion
By researching average salaries and considering geographical and industrial factors, students can enhance their internship search. Zippia provides comprehensive salary insights and resources to aid in making informed career choices.
Let Zippia find your next student internship job
Let Zippia find your next student internship job
Where can a Student Internship earn more?
Student internship salary estimates from across the web
Average student internship salary by state
The average student internship salary in Alaska, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average student internship salary states are Oklahoma, Indiana, and Missouri.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for student interns
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $46,851 | $22.52 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $40,178 | $19.32 |
| 3 | Maine | $36,586 | $17.59 |
| 4 | Vermont | $35,687 | $17.16 |
| 5 | Montana | $35,583 | $17.11 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $40,309 | $19.38 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $32,805 | $15.77 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $34,640 | $16.65 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $35,382 | $17.01 |
| 10 | Oregon | $34,231 | $16.46 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $38,235 | $18.38 |
| 12 | Washington | $38,592 | $18.55 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $37,879 | $18.21 |
| 14 | Delaware | $31,006 | $14.91 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $34,783 | $16.72 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $33,533 | $16.12 |
| 17 | Arizona | $32,018 | $15.39 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $30,002 | $14.42 |
| 19 | Michigan | $30,514 | $14.67 |
| 20 | New York | $33,177 | $15.95 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $30,393 | $14.61 |
| 22 | California | $35,649 | $17.14 |
| 23 | Maryland | $34,318 | $16.50 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $27,701 | $13.32 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $30,529 | $14.68 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $29,378 | $14.12 |
| 27 | Colorado | $30,712 | $14.77 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $30,062 | $14.45 |
| 29 | Nevada | $30,353 | $14.59 |
| 30 | Illinois | $30,274 | $14.55 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $28,426 | $13.67 |
| 32 | Idaho | $27,587 | $13.26 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $27,540 | $13.24 |
| 34 | Georgia | $30,103 | $14.47 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $28,556 | $13.73 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $26,592 | $12.78 |
| 37 | Iowa | $26,200 | $12.60 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $24,828 | $11.94 |
| 39 | Utah | $26,452 | $12.72 |
| 40 | Virginia | $28,560 | $13.73 |
| 41 | Alabama | $25,873 | $12.44 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $25,087 | $12.06 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $26,094 | $12.55 |
| 44 | Ohio | $25,817 | $12.41 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $25,903 | $12.45 |
| 46 | Kansas | $24,066 | $11.57 |
| 47 | Texas | $25,626 | $12.32 |
| 48 | Florida | $26,162 | $12.58 |
| 49 | Indiana | $24,998 | $12.02 |
| 50 | Missouri | $24,860 | $11.95 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $23,304 | $11.20 |
Highest paying cities for student interns
The highest-paying cities for student interns are Boston, MA, Seattle, WA, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $40,314 | $19.38 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $39,060 | $18.78 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $37,055 | $17.81 |
| 4 | Duluth, MN | $35,070 | $16.86 |
| 5 | Bozeman, MT | $34,882 | $16.77 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $34,730 | $16.70 |
| 7 | Portland, OR | $34,322 | $16.50 |
| 8 | Newburgh, NY | $33,625 | $16.17 |
| 9 | Tucson, AZ | $31,711 | $15.25 |
| 10 | Port Huron, MI | $31,273 | $15.04 |
| 11 | Wausau, WI | $31,158 | $14.98 |
| 12 | Reno, NV | $31,121 | $14.96 |
| 13 | Denver, CO | $30,759 | $14.79 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $30,479 | $14.65 |
| 15 | Columbus, GA | $29,965 | $14.41 |
| 16 | Richmond, VA | $28,421 | $13.66 |
| 17 | Sioux Falls, SD | $27,567 | $13.25 |
| 18 | Pittsburgh, PA | $27,302 | $13.13 |
| 19 | Salt Lake City, UT | $26,404 | $12.69 |
| 20 | Gainesville, FL | $26,343 | $12.66 |
Student Interns are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Student internship salary details
A student internship's salary ranges from $21,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a student internship's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| Average | $31,256 | $2,605 | $15 |
| 25th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
| 10th Percentile | $21,000 | $1,750 | $10 |
Highest paying student internship jobs
The highest paying types of student interns are graduate internship, teacher internship, and clinical externship.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Para Educator | $31,394 | $2,616 | $15.09 | 56,897 |
| Teacher Aide | $29,480 | $2,457 | $14.17 | 106,207 |
| Education Paraprofessional | $31,158 | $2,596 | $14.98 | 53,164 |
| Instructional Aide | $30,993 | $2,583 | $14.90 | 60,846 |
| Child Care Teacher | $26,036 | $2,170 | $12.52 | 139,010 |
| Clinical Externship | $35,831 | $2,986 | $17.23 | 63,061 |
Top companies hiring student interns now:
Which companies pay student interns the most?
Student internship salaries at Microsoft and Pace University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average student internship salary at companies like Google and Brigham and Women's Hospital are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | $104,096 | $50.05 |
| 2 | Pace University | $84,747 | $40.74 |
| 3 | $79,269 | $38.11 | |
| 4 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $75,679 | $36.38 |
| 5 | Jefferson Lab | $73,602 | $35.39 |
| 6 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | $72,410 | $34.81 |
| 7 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $72,211 | $34.72 |
| 8 | Gensler | $70,869 | $34.07 |
| 9 | Tucson Electric Power | $70,077 | $33.69 |
| 10 | Siemens | $65,759 | $31.61 |
| 11 | Siemens Enterprise Communications Inc | $65,171 | $31.33 |
| 12 | Oracle | $64,045 | $30.79 |
| 13 | Boston Public Schools | $61,585 | $29.61 |
| 14 | Irvine Ranch Water District | $58,806 | $28.27 |
| 15 | ALDI USA | $58,718 | $28.23 |
| 16 | Allianz Life | $58,714 | $28.23 |
| 17 | NMC | $58,295 | $28.03 |
| 18 | San Francisco University High School | $55,819 | $26.84 |
| 19 | Huntington Hospital | $53,208 | $25.58 |
| 20 | Prime Healthcare | $52,506 | $25.24 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Student Internship salary by industry
The average student internship salary varies across industries:
- The average student internship salary in the finance industry is $37,485, the highest of any industry.
- The average student internship salary in the finance industry is $36,856.
- Student interns in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $32,696, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for student interns
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $37,485 | $18.02 |
| 2 | Professional | $36,856 | $17.72 |
| 3 | Education | $34,526 | $16.60 |
| 4 | Health Care | $33,355 | $16.04 |
| 5 | Government | $32,865 | $15.80 |
| 6 | Non Profits | $32,696 | $15.72 |
High paying student internship jobs
Student internship salary trends
The average student internship salary has risen by $5,738 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average student internship earned $25,518 annually, but today, they earn $31,256 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for student interns over the last decade.
Compare student internship salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average student internship salary over time
Compare student internship salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Student internship salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $31,300 | $15.03 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $30,200 | $14.51 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $29,200 | $14.03 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $28,400 | $13.66 | +3.2% |
| 2021 | $27,500 | $13.22 | +2.0% |
Recently added student internship salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooksville | Document Imaging Student Internship (9026) | Brooksville, FL | 06/28/2025 | $29,218 |
| Gensler | Student Internship-Communications and Marketing | Los Angeles, CA | 06/25/2025 | $37,295 |
| L.A. Care Health Plan | Student Intern (Pharmacy) | Los Angeles, CA | 06/24/2025 | $45,760 |
| Philadelphia Union | Fall 2025 Student Internship (September-November) | Chester, PA | 06/22/2025 | $15,131 |
| Oregon State University | BES Nursery Student Internship | Corvallis, OR | 06/21/2025 | $30,679 |
| Schlumberger | Student Intern | Houma, LA | 06/19/2025 | $25,044 |
| Pine Lake Services LLC | Student Internship | Odessa, FL | 06/16/2025 | $29,218 |
| Geo-Logic Associates | Student Intern | Grass Valley, CA | 06/16/2025 | $41,740 |
| Orange County Sanitation District | Student Intern (Accounts Payable) | Fountain Valley, CA | 06/12/2025 | $43,827 |
| Catholic Health Initiatives | Student Intern | Lexington, KY | 06/05/2025 | $39,653 |
Student internship salary FAQs
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