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The differences between student workers and interns can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a student worker, becoming an internship takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an internship has an average salary of $35,254, which is higher than the $25,735 average annual salary of a student worker.
The top three skills for a student worker include customer service, front desk and twitter. The most important skills for an internship are powerpoint, financial statements, and C++.
| Student Worker | Internship | |
| Yearly salary | $25,735 | $35,254 |
| Hourly rate | $12.37 | $16.95 |
| Growth rate | 9% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 82,353 | 51,064 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 42 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Student workers are students who are employed while also enrolled at the university. They usually work in a department or college where they handle different tasks. Most of the time, student workers are assigned to do administrative activities. Their tasks include sorting mail, sending outgoing mail, manning telephone lines, filing documents, updating records, liaising with other departments, and documenting meetings, among others. Student-workers may also be assigned to handle or assist in university-wide events and activities. They are expected to be technologically savvy so that they can really help out in the department they are assigned to. Student-workers should be responsible, trustworthy, and diligent.
Interns are trainees who are engaged by a company to work for them for a brief period. Interns usually use this opportunity to gain actual work experience, fulfill university or college requirements, and ensure that they are working towards the right career path for them. They sign on for a fixed amount of time. The responsibilities of interns depend on the company and the department that handles them. They do a variety of tasks that exposes them to the type of work that the company is engaged in and to the different aspects of the professional world.
Student workers and interns have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Worker | Internship | |
| Average salary | $25,735 | $35,254 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $34,000 | Between $24,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Albany, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Alaska |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Qorvo |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a student worker and an internship in terms of educational background:
| Student Worker | Internship | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between student workers' and interns' demographics:
| Student Worker | Internship | |
| Average age | 42 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3% | Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 10.3% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 6% |