dbt Labs Internship 2027–2028: What You Need to Know

Last updated: September 2026

dbt (data build tool) is used by 50,000+ data teams every week and dbt Labs crossed $100M in annual recurring revenue in early 2025, yet the company lists zero internship or new-grad engineering roles. After its all-stock merger with Fivetran closed on June 1, 2026, the combined company generates approximately $600M in annual revenue, is led by CEO George Fraser (ex-Fivetran) and President Tristan Handy (ex-dbt Labs), and has 150+ open positions on its Greenhouse board, all at the Senior, Staff, or Principal level. For students who want to work on the data transformation framework that powers analytics engineering, here is what the path in actually looks like.

Quick Facts

There is no published internship program at dbt Labs or the merged Fivetran entity. All open engineering roles require 3+ years of experience. The path in is through open-source contribution, community engagement, and eventually applying to a Software Engineer II or customer-facing engineering role.

Externships are short, remote professional experience programs where you finish a real project with a real company. The Wayfair AI Agent Engineering for Business Intelligence Externship and the Pfizer Advanced AI-Powered Document Intelligence Externship build the data engineering and AI skills that would make a dbt Labs application credible. Explore all Externships.

What Is a dbt Labs Internship?

dbt Labs is the company behind dbt (data build tool), the open-source framework that defined the "analytics engineering" discipline. Founded in 2016 as Fishtown Analytics in Philadelphia by Tristan Handy, Connor McArthur, and Drew Banin, the company rebranded to dbt Labs in 2021 and raised $222M at a $4.2B valuation in its 2022 Series D led by Altimeter. The June 2026 merger with Fivetran created a combined data infrastructure company generating ~$600M in annual revenue, positioning itself as "the data infrastructure for trusted AI agents." Despite this scale, dbt Labs does not currently run a formal internship program. Every open engineering role is Senior, Staff, or Principal level.

When Do dbt Labs Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

dbt Labs does not currently run a formal internship program, and no timeline exists for when one might launch. The Fivetran merger closed on June 1, 2026, and the combined company is still integrating. All open engineering roles are for experienced professionals. If the merged company introduces an early-career track, it would most likely follow a standard tech timeline: fall posting for summer start. Until then, the best approach is to build dbt and open-source credibility while monitoring both career sites.

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

There is no internship to apply for at dbt Labs, and that is exactly the point of this guide. Students searching for "dbt Labs internship" need to know the real path in, not a fictional application timeline. The company hires almost exclusively experienced engineers, and the Fivetran merger has added organizational complexity without adding entry-level roles. The practical path is three-fold: first, learn dbt by actually using it (the open-source framework is free, and the dbt Community has 100,000+ members); second, contribute to dbt Core, MetricFlow, or community packages to build genuine credibility; third, aim for a Software Engineer II role once you have approximately three years of experience, or consider the customer-facing Solutions Architect path, which may be accessible earlier. If the merged company ever launches an intern program, open-source contributors and community members will be first in line.

Which dbt Labs Internship Programs Should You Target?

dbt Labs does not run a formal internship program. Based on the merged company's actual engineering organization and live job postings, the following are the functional areas where engineering talent works. These are not intern tracks; they are the teams a future early-career program would most likely map to.

These are full-time engineering areas, not internship tracks. The most junior open engineering title is Software Engineer II (3+ years experience). Monitor fivetran.com/careers for any future early-career programs.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

No intern eligibility criteria exist because no program exists. The following requirements are inferred from current full-time engineering JDs:

• Education: bachelor's in Computer Science or Software Engineering (stated in Software Engineer II JD).

• Experience: 3+ years of professional software experience for the most junior open role. Most postings are Senior, Staff, or Principal level.

• Technical: systems or OO languages (Java, C++, C#) for Fivetran-origin teams; Python and SQL for dbt-origin teams. Both require distributed systems, cloud (AWS/GCP/Azure), and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes) experience.

• AI fluency: JDs explicitly require comfort using AI code assistants and conversational AI systems for SDLC artifacts.

• Open-source signal: dbt-origin roles heavily value open-source contribution to dbt, MetricFlow, or related projects.

Can I Get Into dbt Labs Without an Internship?

Yes, but it requires patience and strategic positioning. The open-source pathway is the strongest signal: contributing to dbt Core, MetricFlow, or community-maintained adapters and packages demonstrates both technical ability and cultural fit. The dbt Community (100,000+ active members) is where the company's engineering leadership is most visible and accessible. The customer-facing Solutions Architect path may also be accessible with fewer years of engineering experience, and it is the role with the most documented interview reports on Reddit. If the merged company launches an internship program, expect open-source contributors and community members to have a significant advantage.

What Skills Does dbt Labs Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

dbt Labs sits at the intersection of data engineering and analytics engineering, and its hiring reflects two distinct technical cultures that coexist after the Fivetran merger. The dbt-origin side prioritizes Python, SQL, and open-source contribution, while the Fivetran-origin side demands systems programming in Java, C++, or C#. Both sides value distributed systems architecture, cloud platform fluency, and increasingly, comfort with AI coding tools. The common thread is that dbt Labs does not hire generalists: every role requires deep expertise in at least one domain.

How Is Demand for Data Engineering Skills Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

The skills above are exactly what these remote Externships train, giving you portfolio evidence while you build toward the experience dbt requires.

How close is the overlap? The Wayfair Externship builds the AI agent engineering skills the merged company is betting its future on, the Pfizer project trains AI/ML system development at production scale, and the CIJY work covers the data visualization and analytical skills the Semantic Layer team uses daily.

What Is the dbt Labs Application and Interview Process Like?

No intern interview process exists. The following is reconstructed from Glassdoor data and Reddit reports for full-time engineering and solutions roles. Glassdoor rates overall interview difficulty at 2.88 out of 5 and Software Engineer difficulty at just 2.3 out of 5:

1. Monitor both career sites. Set alerts at fivetran.com/careers (Greenhouse) and getdbt.com/about-us/careers, which redirects to the same board.

2. Build dbt and open-source credibility. Contribute to dbt Core, MetricFlow, or community packages. Be active in the dbt Community (100,000+ members). This is the strongest signal for dbt-origin roles.

3. Apply to Software Engineer II or customer-facing roles when you have ~3 years of experience. Expect the standard Greenhouse flow.

4. Recruiter screen. Background, motivation, and role fit.

5. Technical rounds. SQL and Python for dbt-side roles; systems coding (Java/C++/C#) for Fivetran-side roles. May include a design discussion.

6. Values and team interviews. Collaboration and communication assessment for a distributed, async-first team.

The interview is described as practical and conversational rather than heavy LeetCode-style algorithm puzzles. Glassdoor shows about 39 to 40 percent of candidates rate the experience positive. For customer-facing engineering (Solutions Architect / Customer Solutions Engineer), expect a domain presentation and customer-scenario loop.

What the Community Says

dbt Labs is a company students aspire to but one that offers few entry points. Reddit discussions focus on the company's technical reputation, the Fivetran merger, and the difficulty of breaking in without experience.

How Do You Build a Path Into a Company That Does Not Hire Interns?

The answer is open-source contribution and community presence. dbt Core is open-source, MetricFlow is open-source, and the dbt Community has 100,000+ active members. The company's engineering leadership is accessible through community channels in a way that is rare at most $600M-revenue companies. Three concrete moves: first, complete the dbt Fundamentals certification (free at learn.getdbt.com) and then contribute to a dbt adapter or community package. Even a well-documented bug fix or feature PR signals engineering fluency. Second, participate in the dbt Community Slack and dbt Coalesce events, where hiring managers and engineers discuss real technical problems. Third, build a project that uses the dbt Semantic Layer or MetricFlow and publish it. A portfolio piece that demonstrates you understand the company's actual product, not just its reputation, carries more weight than any cover letter. When the time comes to apply for a Software Engineer II role (or if the merged company launches an intern program), these contributions become your application.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

dbt Labs competes for the same data engineering talent as these data infrastructure companies, all of which do run internship or new-grad programs.

Our finance internships summer 2027 guide and other industry-specific guides cover companies that do run active intern programs.

FAQ

Does dbt Labs offer internships?

No. As of September 2026, the dbt Labs careers page routes to Fivetran's Greenhouse board, which lists 150+ roles and zero internship, new-grad, or early-career positions. All engineering openings are Senior, Staff, or Principal level.

What happened with the Fivetran merger?

dbt Labs and Fivetran completed an all-stock merger on June 1, 2026. The combined company generates approximately $600M in annual revenue, led by CEO George Fraser (ex-Fivetran) and President Tristan Handy (ex-dbt Labs). dbt Core and the Fusion engine both continue.

How can I get hired at dbt Labs without an intern listing?

Build open-source credibility by contributing to dbt Core, MetricFlow, or community packages. Engage in the dbt Community (100,000+ members). Apply to Software Engineer II or customer-facing engineering roles once you have approximately three years of experience.

What is the compensation at dbt Labs?

No intern pay data exists. Full-time software engineer median total compensation is approximately $193K per year (Levels.fyi). A live Software Engineer II posting in Oakland shows a base band of $140,592 to $168,717 plus RSU grants.

What languages and skills does dbt Labs use?

Two engineering cultures coexist. dbt-origin teams use Python and SQL for dbt Core, MetricFlow, and the Semantic Layer. Fivetran-origin teams use Java, C++, and C# for distributed data pipelines. Both value cloud platforms, Kubernetes, CI/CD, and AI coding tools.

Is dbt Labs remote?

Yes, remote-first. The company went fully distributed rather than opening a large Philadelphia headquarters. Post-merger, hybrid options exist at Oakland, Denver, Austin, New York, and Philadelphia hubs with two days per week in office.

How hard is the dbt Labs interview?

Glassdoor rates overall interview difficulty at 2.88 out of 5 and Software Engineer difficulty at 2.3 out of 5, suggesting a practical and conversational approach rather than heavy algorithm puzzles. About 39 to 40 percent of candidates report a positive experience.

What is dbt Labs' Glassdoor rating?

3.3 out of 5 from 91 reviews. 56 percent would recommend it to a friend, and Tristan Handy has a 76 percent CEO approval rating. Recent reviews are mixed, with several citing Fivetran merger-driven instability as a concern.

dbt Labs does not run an intern program today, but the data engineering skills it values are trainable right now. A remote Externship gives you a finished project in AI engineering or data visualization that a future dbt application can point at.