Last updated: August 2026
Arista Networks commands the number-one market share in data center switching with over 150 million cloud networking ports deployed globally, and interns work directly on production code shipped to customers including Microsoft, Meta, and other cloud titans. With $10.5 billion in trailing revenue, a $238 billion market cap, and 37.7% year-over-year revenue growth, Arista entered the Fortune 500 in 2026 and is one of the fastest-growing S&P 500 companies. Summer 2027 intern postings are expected on the SmartRecruiters portal starting September 2026.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Arista SmartRecruiters Portal |
| Application window (2027–28) | September–December 2026 (projected, rolling) |
| Rolling? | Yes; positions filled as qualified candidates are identified |
| Eligibility | 3rd or 4th year CS, CE, or EE students; new grads welcome |
| Duration | ~10–12 weeks (estimated from industry norms) |
| Compensation | ~$45–55/hr (community-reported, Indeed); official rate not published |
| Return offers | Not published; rapid revenue growth (37.7% YoY) suggests strong demand |
| Locations | Santa Clara (HQ), Austin, Vancouver, Nashua, Dublin, Bangalore |
| # Tracks | 2 confirmed (Software Engineering, Hardware Engineering); 3+ projected |
Arista runs a focused engineering internship program where interns write production-level code deployed to real customers. Community-reported pay is $45-55/hr, competitive with Cisco and above the national SWE intern average. The program is smaller than FAANG but offers exceptional engineering autonomy.
While Arista's Summer 2027 postings are not yet live, build the cybersecurity and systems engineering skills their JDs demand through a remote Externship. The Hydroficient IoT Cyber Defense Externship develops the network security skills relevant to Arista's cloud infrastructure, while the Wayfair AI Agent Engineering Externship builds the Python automation and data pipeline skills Arista's 20,000+ daily test infrastructure requires. Explore all Externships.
What Is an Arista Networks Internship?
Arista's university internship program places engineering students on production-level projects across Software Engineering and Hardware Engineering tracks. Software interns take projects from design through implementation and testing, with their code deployed directly to customer environments. Hardware interns own individual PCB design and high-speed board layout projects using state-of-the-art lab equipment. The company has been recognized as a Glassdoor top 50 workplace, and employees rate work-life balance at 4.5/5 on Blind. It is worth pursuing because Arista's smaller intern cohort (estimated 20-40 per summer) means each intern gets meaningful visibility with senior engineers and ships real product work, not demos or prototypes.
When Do Arista Networks Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
Arista follows the standard tech industry recruiting calendar, with intern postings appearing in fall for the following summer. The company uses SmartRecruiters and does not publish fixed deadlines, filling positions on a rolling basis once qualified candidates are identified.
Build networking protocol knowledge (BGP, OSPF, TCP/IP) and C/C++/Python projects. Study EOS architecture and Arista's open approach to network operating systems.
Summer 2027 intern postings expected on SmartRecruiters. Apply early with resume, transcript, and cover letter (all three explicitly required).
Technical screening and interviews. Expect coding assessment (C/C++, Python, DSA) plus networking fundamentals questions specific to Arista's domain.
Offers extended on rolling basis. Team matching discussions with potential manager about project fit.
Summer internship begins. ~10-12 weeks of production-level project work, Hack-a-Switch hackathons, and mentorship from senior engineers.
How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.
Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open
Arista's intern cohort is estimated at 20-40 students per summer, dramatically smaller than FAANG programs that hire hundreds. Each opening therefore receives fewer applications but fills faster, meaning the window from 'posting live' to 'position closed' can be weeks rather than months. Students who apply in September 2026 when postings first appear will have completed interviews before most candidates even notice the positions exist.
Which Arista Networks Internship Programs Should You Target?
Arista offers two confirmed intern tracks (Software and Hardware Engineering) with additional tracks projected from full-time hiring patterns.
| Track | Focus | Duration | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer Intern | Cloud networking OS (EOS), protocols, distributed systems | ~10–12 weeks | C/C++, Python, networking protocols, Linux |
| Hardware Engineer Intern | PCB design, high-speed board layout, power supply design | ~10–12 weeks | Signal integrity (10+ Gbps), Cadence/Altium, power electronics |
| ASIC/Chip Design Intern | VLSI/ASIC design for switching silicon (projected) | ~10–12 weeks | Verilog/VHDL, digital design, verification |
| Test/QA Engineer Intern | Automated testing, 20,000+ daily test infrastructure (projected) | ~10–12 weeks | Python scripting, CI/CD, test automation frameworks |
| Customer Engineering Intern | Technical customer support, network troubleshooting (projected) | ~10–12 weeks | EOS configuration, TCP/IP troubleshooting, communication |
Monitor Arista's SmartRecruiters portal and university careers page for specific track openings.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
Arista targets upper-level engineering students with a preference for networking and systems knowledge.
• Class year: 3rd or 4th year students; college graduates and new grads also welcome
• Majors: Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering
• GPA: No minimum published
• Required documents: Resume, transcript copy, and cover letter (all three explicitly noted for internship applications)
• Work authorization: Not explicitly stated for interns; confirm with recruiter per posting
• Hardware track location: Santa Clara only (due to lab equipment requirements)
Does Arista Have a GPA Cutoff for Interns?
Arista does not publish a minimum GPA requirement on its university careers page. The company emphasizes project experience, technical depth, and cultural fit over academic metrics alone. However, competitive SWE intern candidates at peer networking companies (Cisco, Juniper) typically hold a 3.2+ GPA. At Arista, demonstrating hands-on networking knowledge (building a home lab, contributing to open-source networking tools, or completing relevant coursework in TCP/IP and distributed systems) likely matters more than a tenth of a GPA point.
What Skills Does Arista Networks Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
Arista's intern JDs reflect the company's identity as a networking-first engineering organization. C/C++ and Python are the primary languages (EOS is built in C/C++, and the 20,000+ daily test suite relies heavily on Python automation), but the differentiating factor is networking protocol knowledge. Understanding BGP, OSPF, VXLAN, and packet flow separates Arista applicants from generic SWE intern candidates.
What Arista Networks looks for in interns
Skills across 5 Arista Networks intern & analyst job descriptions · Arista university careers page, product focus, and peer networking company JDs
Frequency based on Arista's university page descriptions, EOS architecture requirements, and peer networking company intern JDs.
How Is Demand for Networking & Systems Interns Moving Right Now?
Networking and systems engineer intern hiring right now: August 2026
Aggregate market data, all employers
The networking intern market is expanding rapidly, driven by the AI infrastructure boom that benefits Arista directly. The company's 37.7% YoY revenue growth and raised FY26 guidance to $12.6B confirm accelerating hiring demand.
Method: aggregate job posting data from major boards, August 2026.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
And every skill in that chart maps to a remote Externship.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Python scripting & automation | EOS test infrastructure: 20,000+ automated daily tests powered by Python | Wayfair AI Agent Engineering for BI |
| Computer networking & security | Security Technology: DDoS mitigation, WAF, cloud networking protection | Hydroficient IoT Cyber Defense Externship |
| Data analysis & visualization | Network telemetry, performance monitoring, anomaly detection | Center for Improving Youth Justice Data Visualization |
Each Externship gives you a portfolio project demonstrating the automation and systems skills Arista engineers look for in technical interviews.
What Is the Arista Networks Application and Interview Process Like?
Arista's intern hiring process includes technical screening focused on both coding and networking domain knowledge.
1. Monitor the careers portal. Check careers.smartrecruiters.com/AristaNetworks and arista.com/careers/university weekly starting September 2026 for new intern postings.
2. Prepare application materials. Arista explicitly requires a resume, transcript copy, and cover letter for internship applications. Highlight networking/systems projects in all three.
3. Apply online. Submit via SmartRecruiters or email careers@arista.com. Apply in September-October for the strongest response times.
4. Complete technical screening. Expect a coding assessment in C/C++ and Python, plus networking fundamentals questions (TCP/IP, BGP, packet flow).
5. Technical interview(s). 1-2 rounds with engineering team members focused on networking protocols, systems design, and coding ability. Team matching follows.
Arista warns of job scams. Official offers come only from @arista.com email addresses. See Arista's university page for program details and application guidance.
What the Community Says
Here is what employees and interns say about working at Arista Networks, drawn from Indeed reviews, Blind data, and community salary reports.
Arista earns a 4.1 out of 5 on Indeed across 50 reviews, with work-life balance also at 4.1. On Blind, where engineers are typically more critical, the company still scores 3.9 out of 5 from 257 reviews with culture at 4.2 and work-life balance at an impressive 4.5. Interns describe a startup-culture feel inside a Fortune 500 company.
Community-reported intern pay runs approximately $45 to $55 per hour, with Bay Area locations like Santa Clara and San Francisco at the top of that range. That is competitive with Cisco at $38 to $54 per hour and above the national SWE intern mean of roughly $40 per hour. Housing and relocation assistance have not been confirmed.
Technical interviews at Arista lean heavier on networking fundamentals than at typical SWE intern roles. Candidates consistently advise studying the OSI model, DNS resolution, TCP/IP, and routing protocols alongside standard data structures and algorithms prep. The smaller cohort of roughly 20 to 40 interns means more visibility but a tighter selection bar.
How Do You Stand Out at Arista?
First, build a networking project that demonstrates protocol knowledge. Candidates who have built lab environments using GNS3 or EVE-NG, automated configurations with Ansible or Netmiko, or contributed to open-source networking tools immediately differentiate themselves from pure-algorithm applicants. Second, study Arista's EOS (Extensible Operating System) and understand what makes it different from Cisco's IOS. EOS's single-image consistency, Linux underpinnings, and programmable APIs (eAPI, gNMI, OpenConfig) are fundamental to the company's identity. Reference this in your cover letter. Third, highlight any hackathon participation or rapid-prototyping experience. Arista runs twice-yearly internal 'Hack-a-Switches' and values engineers who ship fast and own their work end-to-end.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
Arista competes for intern talent with other networking, infrastructure, and cloud hardware companies building the AI data center ecosystem.
- Cisco SystemsLargest enterprise networking competitor with a more structured and larger-scale intern program but less production-level autonomy per internCareers site
- Juniper NetworksDirect competitor in routing and switching with a cloud-native networking focus and similar engineering cultureCareers site
- BroadcomNetworking silicon and VMware infrastructure company with overlap in both hardware and software engineering intern tracksCareers site
- Palo Alto NetworksNetwork security adjacent with a cloud-native approach and a similar Bay Area talent poolCareers site
- NVIDIAHigh-speed networking (InfiniBand, Ethernet NICs via Mellanox) with significant AI and data center infrastructure overlapCareers site
Compare all technology internship programs on our Tech Internships hub page.
FAQ
Does Arista Networks offer internships?
Yes. Arista runs a formal university internship program with Software Engineering and Hardware Engineering tracks. Interns work on production-level projects deployed to real customers, with mentorship from senior engineers and participation in Hack-a-Switch hackathons.
How much do Arista Networks interns make?
Community-reported data suggests approximately $45-55 per hour. Bay Area locations (Santa Clara, San Francisco) trend toward the higher end. Official compensation is not published. This range is competitive with Cisco ($38-54/hr) and above the national SWE intern average.
When should I apply for the Summer 2027 internship?
Monitor Arista's SmartRecruiters portal and university careers page starting September 2026. Intern postings appear in fall for the following summer. Apply early since positions fill on a rolling basis, and the small cohort size means slots close quickly.
What locations are available for Arista interns?
Software engineering internships are available in Santa Clara (HQ), Austin, Vancouver, Nashua, Dublin, and Bangalore. Hardware engineering internships are exclusively at Santa Clara due to lab equipment requirements.
What makes Arista's interview different from other tech companies?
Arista interviews heavily emphasize computer networking fundamentals alongside standard coding questions. Expect questions on TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, packet flow, and the OSI model. Linux systems-level knowledge is also tested more than at typical software companies.
Do I need networking experience to intern at Arista?
Networking knowledge is strongly preferred and effectively a differentiator. Build a home lab, take a networking course, or contribute to open-source networking projects before applying. Understanding routing protocols and switching architectures gives you a significant advantage.
Does Arista sponsor visas for interns?
Visa sponsorship for interns is not explicitly stated. The company hires globally (offices in India, Ireland, Canada, Singapore) which suggests openness to international talent. F-1 students on CPT should verify eligibility per specific posting.
What is the return offer rate at Arista?
No official conversion rate is published. However, Arista's rapid growth (37.7% YoY revenue increase) and expanding headcount suggest strong hiring demand. The program is positioned as a talent pipeline. Industry average conversion is approximately 62% (NACE 2025).
Arista's Summer 2027 postings are expected in September-October 2026. Build the networking and systems engineering skills that set Arista applicants apart with a remote Externship so your resume shows hands-on project work when the window opens. Explore all Externships.
About the Author
Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.
