How to hire a software developer internship

How to hire a software developer internship, step by step

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

What does a software developer internship do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a software developer internship, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect software developer internship also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of software developer interns and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Software Developer Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Software Developer Internship	Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device... Show more	$14-23
   Developer/Consultant	A developer/consultant is responsible for developing system databases and applications, depending on the business' needs and clients' specifications. Developers/consultants design their services to manage optimal performance and maximize productivity for timely submission of projects, ensuring client satisfaction and loyalty... Show more	$34-64
   PHP Developer	A PHP developer is a professional who writes PHP scripts and coding to create or modify software and applications according to the needs of clients. PHP developers must develop programs, applications, and websites by using the dynamic scripting language of PHP that is known for web development and business applications... Show more	$32-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Python
   • Software Development
   • JavaScript
   • Object Oriented Programming
   • AWS
   • Linux
   • Data Analysis
   • C
   • C++
   • Windows
   • UI
   • GIT
   • Html Css

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage various 3D-modeling, visualization and animation projects to create a comprehensive and efficient software package for large-scale 3D animation projects.
   • Update web app remotely to be more responsive and user facing with HTML, PHP and CSS.
   • Create XML calls for post, updating, deleting API calls.
   • Implement test client in Java, J2EE and run test code in Linux.
   • Establish and update databases system using Java, J2EE, HTML, SQL/PL, Perl, WebLogic.
   • Implement the web interface by retrieving the XML data in JSON format from the PHP script residing on AWS.

   More software developer internship duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your software developer internship job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A software developer internship salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, software developer interns' average salary in florida is 28% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level software developer interns earn 38% less than senior-level software developer interns.
   • Certifications. A software developer internship with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a software developer internship's salary.

   Average software developer internship salary

   $38,480yearly

   $18.50 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level software developer internship salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated November 14, 2025

   Average software developer internship salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$44,289	$21
   2	Washington	$43,319	$21
   3	Massachusetts	$41,593	$20
   4	New York	$41,302	$20
   5	Colorado	$39,907	$19
   6	Pennsylvania	$39,543	$19
   7	Delaware	$39,209	$19
   8	Oregon	$38,656	$19
   9	Virginia	$37,112	$18
   10	Arizona	$35,682	$17
   11	Texas	$34,411	$17
   12	Minnesota	$34,070	$16
   13	District of Columbia	$34,031	$16
   14	Idaho	$34,001	$16
   15	New Mexico	$33,837	$16
   16	Wisconsin	$33,634	$16
   17	Iowa	$32,722	$16
   18	Indiana	$32,466	$16
   19	Illinois	$32,438	$16
   20	Missouri	$32,141	$15

   Average software developer internship salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Sandia National Labs	$53,559	$25.75	115
   2	SAP	$46,299	$22.26	11
   3	Smartsheet	$46,110	$22.17	1
   4	Stellar	$45,116	$21.69	22
   5	Accenture	$44,969	$21.62	320
   6	National Renewable Energy Laboratory	$44,823	$21.55
   7	Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution	$44,621	$21.45
   8	QuintilesIMS	$44,112	$21.21	28
   9	Walter P Moore	$43,458	$20.89	1
   10	Northrop Grumman	$42,790	$20.57	255
   11	Oracle	$42,541	$20.45	12,718
   12	Booz Allen Hamilton	$42,408	$20.39	141
   13	VIAVI Solutions	$42,404	$20.39	7
   14	TaxSlayer	$42,231	$20.30	1
   15	MERL	$42,058	$20.22
   16	Siemens	$41,994	$20.19	49
   17	Orbital Engineering	$41,758	$20.08	1
   18	Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine	$41,666	$20.03	1
   19	Siemens Enterprise Communications Inc	$41,615	$20.01
   20	Xilinx	$41,543	$19.97

4. Writing a software developer internship job description

   A job description for a software developer 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 software developer internship job description:

   Software developer internship job description example

   We are growing our technology teams and are looking for talented individuals who can help us deliver technology solutions for the next generation of financial services. We offer co-op / intern opportunities at our Quincy location.
   Who we are looking for:
   We are looking for candidates who can work for at least 40 hours per week and are interested to stay for permanent roles with us in the future. Candidates with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field, are preferred.
   
   What We Value
   Individuals that embrace a culture of ownership and accountability Thought-leaders that Act with the highest level of integrity in all that they do Strong problem-solving skills with great attention to detail. Well-rounded professionals with a combination of academic aptitude, analytical capabilities, and excellent communication skills A desire to develop your career in the fintech industry Excellent written and spoken English The ability to motivate, inspire and promote teamwork while staying calm under pressure. Commitment to learn and complete assignments with a sense of urgency while being well-organized and flexible
   
   What You Will Be Responsible For
   Understanding business requirements, translating requirement into software, and defining test strategies for software applications Participation in SCRUM ceremonies, product demonstrations. Present code reviews and application walkthroughs Managing internal and external deadlines Develop and enhance testing processes with new tools, strategies and techniques Willingness to learn new technologies while pushing the boundaries
   
   What you will learn
   Interest in developing technical skills in mainframe and open systems platforms as well as QA methodologies in addition to expertise in executing test scripts via automation tools Solid understanding of SDLC including waterfall, SCRUM, and Kaban. You will gain knowledge in coding languages in various platforms such as COBOL, JCL, JEEE, JavaScript, and SQL. You will also gain hands on experience with Oracle and DB2 databases. Functional knowledge of fund accounting and mutual fund structures. Develop and maintain Test plans, Test cases, Test data, Test backups and other Quality related artifacts. Opportunity to collaborate with the business and development teams in delivering work items

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find software developer interns for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any software developer interns they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level software developer interns with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your software developer internship job on Zippia to find and recruit software developer internship candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with software developer internship candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a software developer internship applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 software developer internship

   Once you've decided on a perfect software developer 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.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   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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