Last updated: September 2026
Buck is a 110-year-old HR and benefits consulting firm that was acquired by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) in April 2023, and a student searching for “Buck internship” today will find a dead website. The domain buck.com returns HTTP 404. All internship applications now go through Gallagher, one of the world’s largest insurance brokerage and risk management firms with operations in over 130 countries and $12.4 billion in FY2025 revenue. Buck historically hired actuarial consulting interns at a median base pay of $30/hr across its pension and health practices, and Glassdoor rates the company 3.7 out of 5 from 264 reviews. The next opportunity is summer 2027, through Gallagher’s recruiting pipeline.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | jobs.ajg.com/ajg-students (Gallagher’s student page). Do NOT go to buck.com — it returns 404 |
| Application window (2027–28) | Expected to open fall 2026 for summer 2027 (Gallagher follows a standard campus recruiting cycle). No Buck-specific deadline has been published |
| Rolling? | Unknown. No rolling language and no deadline language was found for any Buck or Gallagher HR consulting intern role |
| Eligibility | Pursuing a bachelor’s degree; minimum 3.0 GPA (ManagementConsulted.com); international students not eligible (Vault.com) |
| Duration | ~10–12 weeks (summer); industry standard for actuarial consulting internships |
| Compensation | Median $30/hr base (Glassdoor, n=4); range $25–$42/hr total pay |
| Locations | New York, NY (historical HQ); Berwyn, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Gallagher has 140+ US offices |
| # Programs | Five historical Buck tracks: Actuarial, Health & Productivity, Retirement, Communication, Wealth & Investments; plus Gallagher Sales Internship and IN2GB Program |
The single most important fact: Buck no longer exists as an independent employer. Its website is dead. All internship applications go through its parent, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., at jobs.ajg.com. Apply in fall 2026 for the best shot at a summer 2027 consulting or actuarial intern seat.
Externships are short, remote professional experience programs where you finish a real project with a real company. The Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis Externship and the Corporate Strategy Externship Mentored by Eric Ries build exactly the analytical and consulting evidence a Gallagher/Buck application needs. Explore all Externships.
What Is a Buck Internship?
A Buck internship was a paid summer placement within one of the oldest HR and benefits consulting firms in the United States, founded in 1916 by George B. Buck Sr. in New York City. Buck served 45% of Fortune 100 companies across actuarial, retirement, health, and investment consulting. The company was acquired by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. for approximately $660 million in April 2023, and its internship pipeline now runs through Gallagher. Historically, Buck offered a formal summer internship program with five tracks (Actuarial, Health & Productivity, Retirement, Communication, Wealth & Investments). Interns worked hybrid, primarily using Excel, within the pension or health practice teams. Glassdoor rates Buck 3.7 out of 5 from 264 reviews, with 68% recommending the company to a friend and an 83% CEO approval rating under Jack Freker.
When Do Buck Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
Buck no longer operates as an independent employer. Its website (buck.com) is dead, and there is no Buck-branded application portal or careers page. All internship applications now go through Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. at jobs.ajg.com. Gallagher’s Sales Internship and consulting intern roles typically recruit on a standard fall campus cycle for the following summer. No Buck-specific application window, deadline, or rolling language has been found anywhere. The practical path is to monitor jobs.ajg.com, join the Gallagher Talent Community for alerts, and apply as soon as consulting or actuarial intern postings appear in fall 2026.
If you are searching for a Buck internship, know this first: Buck was acquired by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in April 2023, and buck.com is dead. There is no Buck careers page. All applications now go through Gallagher at jobs.ajg.com. Zero Buck-branded intern roles are live on any job board today. Join the Gallagher Talent Community now so you receive alerts when consulting intern roles post.
Join the Gallagher Talent Community at jobs.ajg.com so you receive alerts when consulting intern roles post. If you are targeting an actuarial track, pass one or two SOA/CAS exams before applying. Build Excel proficiency, the only skill explicitly named in Buck’s Glassdoor intern interview. Research Gallagher’s benefits consulting division to understand the combined entity.
Gallagher’s Sales Internship and consulting roles are expected to post in the fall for the following summer. Monitor jobs.ajg.com for “Consulting Services Intern,” “Actuarial Intern,” or “Benefits Intern” postings. A Summer 2027 Consulting Services Intern role was visible on LinkedIn under Gallagher. No specific deadline is known.
Phone screens and interviews. Glassdoor’s Buck interview data: 65% positive experience, difficulty 2.78 out of 5, average time to hire 47 days. Common stages: phone interview (21%), one-on-one interview (16%), group panel (15%), skills test (11%). An intern in Berwyn, PA was asked about Excel projects.
Historical Buck interns worked hybrid, primarily using Excel, within the pension or health practice teams. Pay was community-reported at $23–$30/hr post-2023. Under Gallagher, benefits consulting interns may work across a broader range of services including retirement planning, compliance, HR technology, and benefits administration.
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
Buck no longer exists as an independent employer, and zero Buck-branded intern postings are live on any job board. The path to the same work runs through Gallagher, which has 140+ US offices and a standard fall recruiting cycle. But Gallagher’s consulting intern class is small, and positions fill as qualified candidates are found. Waiting until January 2027 to apply for something that may post in September 2026 means the hiring managers have already been interviewing for months. The formula is simple: join the Gallagher Talent Community now, apply in the first week postings appear, and arrive with a finished project that shows Excel depth and actuarial or benefits consulting relevance. If you have already passed an SOA exam, lead with that. Exam progress is the single most reliable differentiator for actuarial consulting internships at firms like Buck/Gallagher, Mercer, and WTW.
Which Buck Internship Programs Should You Target?
Buck historically offered five internship tracks under its own brand, and Gallagher adds at least two more student programs. Which one to target depends on whether you want actuarial, consulting, or sales exposure, and whether you are looking for a summer placement or a longer rotational experience.
| Program | Focus | Duration | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actuarial Intern (historical, Buck brand) | Pension and health benefits actuarial calculations, analysis, and consulting support | ~10–12 weeks (industry standard) | Excel, SOA/CAS exam progress, analytical skills, attention to detail |
| Health & Productivity Intern (historical) | Health benefits consulting, wellness program analysis, cost containment | Summer | Health benefits knowledge, data analysis, communication |
| Retirement Intern (historical) | Pension plan administration, retirement plan design, compliance | Summer | Pension legislation, Excel, actuarial fundamentals |
| Gallagher Sales Internship (current) | Client meetings, sales challenges, business strategy; 500+ peer intern network, Chicago conference | Summer | Sales, relationship building, communication, business strategy |
| Gallagher IN2GB Program (HBCU-focused) | Rotational program across insurance, risk management, consulting, claims; capstone project with senior leadership | Summer | Leadership, collaboration, analytical thinking, presentation skills |
See all openings on the Gallagher students page. The actuarial consulting track is the most directly relevant to Buck’s historical work, while the Gallagher Sales Internship and IN2GB Program offer broader insurance and risk management exposure.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
Buck’s pre-acquisition eligibility criteria, documented on ManagementConsulted.com and Vault.com, provide the best available guide to what Gallagher expects for benefits consulting intern roles:
• Enrollment: must be pursuing a bachelor’s degree at an accredited university.
• GPA: minimum 3.0 GPA required (ManagementConsulted.com). This was a hard gate under H.I.G. Capital ownership; post-Gallagher requirements may differ.
• Actuarial exams: passing one or two SOA/CAS exams is the standard entry bar for actuarial consulting internships at comparable firms (Mercer, WTW, Aon).
• International students: not eligible (Vault.com). US work authorization required.
Does Gallagher (or Buck) Have a Hard GPA Cutoff?
Under the Buck brand, ManagementConsulted.com listed a 3.0 GPA minimum. Post-acquisition, no current posting confirms or denies this requirement. The practical reality for actuarial consulting internships is that SOA exam progress carries more weight than GPA. A candidate with Exam P passed and a 2.9 GPA is more competitive than a 3.5 candidate with zero exams. If your GPA is below 3.0, lead with actuarial credentials and Excel project work, and apply through the Gallagher Talent Community rather than waiting for a campus event.
What Skills Does Buck Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
Buck’s internship was rooted in actuarial and benefits consulting, and the skills that mattered reflect that identity. The only skill explicitly named in Buck’s Glassdoor intern interview was Excel. The one Indeed intern review corroborates: “used mainly excel.” Gallagher’s 10-K describes its benefits consulting division as covering retirement planning, actuarial services, compliance, HR technology, and benefits administration. These are quantitative, detail-oriented roles that reward analytical depth over breadth. What does this tell you? Show Excel mastery and actuarial exam progress, not a long list of surface-level software skills.
What Buck looks for in interns
Skills across 2 Buck intern & analyst job descriptions · 1 Glassdoor intern interview + 1 Indeed intern review + Gallagher FY2025 10-K, projecting 2027–2028
Method: skills inferred from 1 Buck intern Glassdoor interview (Berwyn PA, Aug 2024), 1 Indeed intern review (New York, Oct 2024), and Gallagher’s FY2025 10-K. This is a small-sample inference, not a frequency analysis across multiple JDs.
How Is Demand for HR & Benefits Consulting Interns Moving Right Now?
HR & benefits consulting intern hiring right now: September 2026
Across US consulting intern postings tracked this month · aggregate market data, all employers
September 2026 is the fall recruiting wave: consulting intern postings jumped 78.9% from August, and 60.7% of new listings already carry Summer 2027 in the title. Seats fill on rolling review, so the applications that go in this month meet the widest pool of open roles.
Method: aggregate analysis of US consulting intern postings on Adzuna's US index, August average versus September 2026 to date (3 collection days). Sample indexes under half of all US postings; figures show direction and relative level, not total market share.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
And every skill in the chart maps to a remote Externship where you finish a real company project before the window opens.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Data analytics & quantitative analysis | Actuarial work, Excel-heavy analysis, benefits valuation, pension calculations | Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis |
| Strategy consulting & process design | HR consulting engagements, organizational strategy, workforce analytics | Corporate Strategy Externship (Eric Ries) |
| Operational strategy & people analytics | HR administration, workforce data, benefits operations, process improvement | Amazon Fulfillment Center Operational Strategy |
How close is the overlap? The Breaking Games deliverable is e-commerce data analysis with the same Excel-heavy, quantitative rigor Buck’s actuarial work demands. The Eric Ries project builds the strategy consulting and process design skills that map to benefits consulting engagements. And the Amazon operations project develops people analytics capability directly relevant to HR administration work.
Career Explorer · 5-minute preview
See what this job actually feels like
Try a quick task based on the kind of work you'd do in a real role.
A company keeps getting the same customer complaint. Can you figure out what's causing it?
Try it Not for meNo account needed.
What Is the Buck Application and Interview Process Like?
Buck no longer has its own application portal. The path to what was once a Buck internship now runs through Gallagher. Here is the practical process:
1. Do NOT go to buck.com — it is dead. The domain returns HTTP 404. Buck was acquired by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in April 2023.
2. Go to Gallagher Careers and search for “intern” or “actuarial intern” or “consulting intern.”
3. Check the Students page for the Sales Internship Program and the IN2GB Program.
4. Join the Gallagher Talent Community so you receive alerts when roles matching your interests post.
5. Complete phone/video screening if selected. Glassdoor reports: phone interview (21%), one-on-one (16%), group panel (15%), skills test (11%). Difficulty 2.78/5, 65% positive. Average time to hire: 47 days.
Because Buck is absorbed into Gallagher and publishes fewer process details than standalone employers, timelines can vary. Prepare for behavioral interviews by practicing STAR-method answers focused on analytical decisions, pension/benefits knowledge, and cross-functional collaboration. Our HireVue question guide with a free AI mock tool covers the same behavioral-question pressure and format.
What the Community Says
Zero Reddit threads discuss Buck internships specifically. The cards below draw on Glassdoor and Indeed, where employees and interns provide the most relevant data.
Buck rates 3.7 out of 5 on Glassdoor from 264 reviews. Work-life balance scores 3.8 out of 5 and D&I scores 3.8, the highest sub-ratings. Compensation and benefits comes in at 3.4, the lowest. One Glassdoor review titled ‘great new future with Gallagher’ says the combined organization is now a mega player in the HR and benefits consulting space.
Intern pay ranges from $25 to $42 per hour in total compensation based on 4 salary submissions on Glassdoor, with a median base of $30 per hour. A 2023 Pittsburgh intern reported $23 to $27 per hour. The sample is small and may not reflect current Gallagher rates, but it places Buck in line with mid-tier consulting intern pay.
An actuarial intern at Buck in Berwyn, Pennsylvania described the interview process as fairly normal and was asked ‘Have you worked on any projects in Excel?’ On Indeed, an actuarial intern in New York said they worked hybrid, used mainly Excel, and found coworkers helpful and encouraging of actuarial exam preparation.
How Do You Stand Out When the Company Has Been Absorbed?
Three moves, all executable before fall 2026. First, know the ownership chain. Buck employees have been acquired five times in 26 years (Mellon, ACS, Xerox, Conduent/H.I.G., then Gallagher). A Glassdoor review says the combined organization is now a mega player in HR and benefits consulting. Demonstrating that you understand Buck’s place inside Gallagher shows genuine interest that most applicants will not have. Second, pass at least one SOA exam before applying. Actuarial exam progress is the single most reliable differentiator for actuarial consulting internships. Third, build Excel depth, not breadth. The only skill explicitly named in Buck’s intern interview was Excel. An Excel project portfolio with pivot tables, VBA macros, or actuarial models will stand out more than listing ten software names on your resume. And remember: you are applying through Gallagher now. Frame your application around Gallagher’s combined benefits consulting platform, not just the Buck brand.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
Buck’s peer set spans consulting firms with HR, benefits, and actuarial practices. With Buck now inside Gallagher, the competitive landscape includes both direct consulting peers and the broader insurance brokerage sector.
- Accenturebroad management and technology consulting; dwarfs Buck in scale but overlaps in HR transformation and people analyticsGuide →
- Oliver Wymanstrategy consulting under Marsh McLennan, which also owns Mercer (a direct Buck competitor in HR consulting)Guide →
- FTI Consultingforensic and litigation consulting with a growing HR and organizational strategy practiceGuide →
- West Monroedigital consulting with people and organizational capabilities, similar mid-market positioning to pre-acquisition BuckGuide →
- Huron Consulting Grouphealthcare and higher education consulting with HR advisory overlap; Chicago-based like GallagherGuide →
Our consulting internships summer 2027 guide maps the full landscape of consulting opportunities, timeline by timeline.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a summer 2026 Buck internship?
No. Buck no longer exists as an independent employer. The company was acquired by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in April 2023, and buck.com returns a 404 error. There are no Buck-branded internship postings anywhere. The next opportunity for work that was formerly Buck is summer 2027 through Gallagher’s pipeline at jobs.ajg.com.
Is Buck still a company?
Not independently. Buck was acquired by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in April 2023 and now operates as part of Gallagher’s employee benefits consulting division. The Buck website at buck.com returns a 404 error. Students looking for Buck internships should apply through Gallagher’s careers portal at jobs.ajg.com instead.
How much do Buck interns get paid?
Community-reported data on Glassdoor shows a median base pay of about $30 per hour, with a total pay range of $25 to $42 per hour across four salary submissions. A 2023 Pittsburgh intern reported $23 to $27 per hour. These figures are small-sample and may not reflect current Gallagher rates.
What GPA does Buck require for an internship?
ManagementConsulted.com listed a minimum 3.0 GPA for Buck’s internship program under prior ownership. Post-Gallagher acquisition, no current posting confirms this requirement. For actuarial consulting internships, SOA exam progress is likely a more decisive factor than GPA at this stage.
What kind of internships did Buck offer?
Primarily actuarial consulting internships within its pension and health benefits practices, plus tracks in Health and Productivity, Retirement, Communication, and Wealth and Investments. Interns performed actuarial calculations, benefits analysis, and consulting support using Excel. Post-acquisition, these roles may be posted under Gallagher’s benefits consulting division.
What is the Buck interview process like?
Expect a phone screen followed by one-on-one or panel interviews. Across 49 Glassdoor interview reports, 65% describe a positive experience, and difficulty rates 2.78 out of 5. Average time to hire is 47 days. An intern in Berwyn, Pennsylvania was asked about Excel projects. Actuarial candidates were asked about pension schemes and new legislation.
Does Buck sponsor visas for interns?
Unknown for current Gallagher postings. Vault.com listed international students as not eligible for Buck’s internship program under prior ownership. Gallagher’s website does not address intern sponsorship specifically. Students requiring sponsorship should inquire directly with Gallagher’s recruiting team.
Where are Buck internships located?
Historical Buck interns worked in New York, Berwyn and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, and Marietta and Norcross in Georgia. Post-acquisition, roles may appear under any of Gallagher’s 140-plus US offices. The one intern review describes a hybrid work arrangement.
Buck’s internship pipeline now runs through Gallagher, and the recruiting cycle opens in fall 2026. Spend the runway building proof: a remote Externship turns “interested in HR consulting” into a finished project a fall 2026 application can point at.
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.
.png)
