Do You Get Paid in an Internship? What Students Actually Need to Know

TL;DR

• About 57% of internships are paid, with an average hourly rate of $34 according to Glassdoor's 2026 data. Pay ranges wildly, though. Tech interns can clear $50+/hr while nonprofit interns often earn nothing.

• Paid interns land a median starting salary of $62,500 after graduation versus $42,500 for unpaid interns, plus nearly twice as many job offers (NACE 2022 Student Survey).

• Federal law doesn't require all internships to be paid. The DOL uses a seven-factor "primary beneficiary" test to decide whether compensation is required.

• If paid internships feel out of reach, alternatives like Externships let you build resume-ready experience through real company projects without the traditional internship gatekeeping.

An Externship is a short, professional experience where students work on real company projects with guided support from an extern manager. Explore current Externships: Amazon Operations Strategy Externship, TikTok Content & Brand Strategy Externship, Flourish (Canva) Data Visualization Externship, Explore all Externships →

Do Interns Actually Get Paid?

The Short Answer: Most Do

Do you get paid in an internship? Usually, yes. About 57% of interns reported receiving compensation, according to NACE's 2024 Student Survey. So a slight majority of internships are paid. But over four in ten still aren't.

A paid internship is any arrangement where an employer compensates an intern through hourly wages, a salary, or a stipend. The average paid intern in the U.S. earns roughly $34 per hour as of early 2026, though that number gets pulled upward by high-paying tech and finance roles. Whether your specific internship should be paid depends on the industry, the employer type, and a few legal factors we'll get into below.

For a broader look at how internships work in general, check out our complete guide to internship types.

Paid vs Unpaid: The Outcomes Gap

The difference between paid and unpaid isn't just about the paycheck. It shows up in your career outcomes for years.

NACE found that paid interns averaged 1.61 job offers after graduation, compared to 0.94 for unpaid interns. Paid interns also reported a median starting salary of $62,500 versus $42,500 for their unpaid peers. That's a $20,000 gap right out of the gate.

And the conversion rate matters too. Employers extended full-time offers to 62% of their 2024 intern class on average, with in-person interns seeing an even higher 72% rate. Paid internships aren't just about covering rent during school. They're a pipeline to your first full-time role.

How Much Do Paid Internships Pay?

What Interns Actually Earn in 2026

The typical paid intern earns about $34 per hour as of March 2026, according to Glassdoor, based on over 178,000 self-reported salaries. But that average can be misleading.

Most internship compensation falls into one of three models. Hourly wages are the most common: you clock in, you get paid. Stipends give you a fixed amount for the entire internship period regardless of hours. And some companies, especially in finance, pay monthly salaries that can range from $3,000 to over $11,000 depending on the firm.

Here's the thing about the $34/hr average. It gets pulled up by tech and finance interns earning $45-67/hr. If you're interning at a smaller company or in a lower-paying field, expect something closer to $15-20/hr. Still better than zero, obviously.

Which Industries Pay the Most (and Least)?

Not all industries treat intern pay the same. The spread is massive.

Tech leads. Software engineering interns earn an average of $67 per hour on Glassdoor, with companies like Google, Meta, and Apple paying well above that. Technology interns more broadly average about $44/hr.

Finance is close behind, but the range is enormous. Investment banking interns at bulge-bracket firms typically earn $10,000-12,000 per month. Capital One's tech interns reportedly pull in $11,500/month plus an $8,000 relocation stipend. Quantitative finance interns at firms like Citadel? Over $20,000 per month. (Yes, really.)

Consulting sits in the middle-to-high range. Salary.com puts the average consulting internship at about $45/hr, with McKinsey, BCG, and Bain at the top.

Then there's a big drop-off. Marketing interns typically earn $15-22/hr. Healthcare and government internships vary but often land at $15-25/hr. And nonprofits, media, and arts organizations? Many don't pay at all.

Does Company Size Change Anything?

Generally, yes. Fortune 500 companies almost always pay their interns, and they pay well. Budgets, structured programs, competition for talent. It all drives compensation up.

Mid-size companies (500-5,000 employees) are more of a mixed bag. Many pay competitive rates, but programs tend to be less structured. Startups are the wildcard. Some funded startups pay well to attract talent. Early-stage companies might offer equity, stipends, or nothing at all. You're trading guaranteed pay for more responsibility and learning. Whether that's a good deal depends entirely on your situation.

What Decides Whether an Internship Is Paid?

The FLSA Primary Beneficiary Test

The legal standard comes from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Department of Labor uses a seven-factor "primary beneficiary" test, laid out in Fact Sheet #71.

The core question: who benefits more, the intern or the employer? The seven factors look at whether the intern knows there's no expectation of pay, whether the role provides educational training, whether it ties to academic credit, whether it works around the academic calendar, whether the duration is limited, whether the intern's work complements (rather than replaces) paid employees, and whether both sides understand there's no guaranteed job at the end.

No single factor is a dealbreaker. It's a flexible, case-by-case analysis. But if you're doing productive work that a paid employee would normally do, at a for-profit company, with minimal training or academic integration? That internship probably should be paying you.

For-Profit vs Nonprofit: Different Rules Apply

For-profit companies face the strictest scrutiny. If the intern is doing real work that benefits the company, federal law generally requires payment unless the primary beneficiary test clearly favors the intern.

Nonprofits and government agencies get more leeway. Under the FLSA, they can accept volunteer labor in many cases, which is why unpaid internships stay common in government offices, advocacy organizations, and charitable groups. That said, many nonprofits do pay their interns, especially larger ones with established programs. It's not a blanket rule.

Where Does the Big Money Go?

Tech and Finance Dominate Intern Pay

Want the biggest intern paycheck? Tech and finance. That's where the money is. Google, Meta, Amazon, and Apple all offer intern packages that rival entry-level salaries at plenty of other companies. Software engineering interns at these firms routinely earn $50-67/hr plus housing stipends and relocation bonuses.

In finance, the numbers get even wilder at the top. Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley pay their investment banking interns $10,000-12,000 per month. Quant firms like Citadel and Optiver push past $20,000/month for specialized roles. Even "regular" finance internships at mid-tier firms pay $25-35/hr, well above the national average.

Where Unpaid Internships Stick Around

Some sectors have been slow to change. Smaller nonprofit organizations frequently can't afford to pay interns. Government agencies, from congressional offices to local city departments, often rely on unpaid or stipend-based arrangements. Media and journalism internships are improving, but many smaller outlets still don't pay. And the arts and entertainment world remains one of the tougher spots, with production companies, galleries, and studios offering "exposure" instead of compensation.

This isn't a judgment call. Budget constraints are real. But it does mean students from lower-income backgrounds get locked out of certain fields. That's one of the reasons NACE has formally called for all internships to be paid.

How to Actually Find Paid Internships

Five Places to Search Right Now

Finding paid internships isn't complicated. It just requires knowing where to look.

Start with your university career center. They often have exclusive postings from employers who recruit specifically at your school and have already committed to paying interns. Underused resource. Seriously.

Handshake is the default platform for college students. Most internships posted there are paid, and you can filter by compensation type. LinkedIn works too, especially for mid-size to large companies. Use the salary filter.

Indeed has the broadest selection but requires more filtering. Search "paid internship" plus your field and location. And don't skip company career pages directly. Many big companies post internship programs on their own sites before they hit job boards.

For a deeper list of platforms, see our guide to the best websites to find internships.

When to Apply: Timelines That Actually Matter

Timing matters more than most students realize.

Finance and consulting recruit insanely early. Top firms open applications in August and September for the following summer. If you're reading this in spring and aiming for Goldman or McKinsey, you may have already missed this cycle. (I know. It's rough.)

Tech runs from September through January for most companies, though some keep hiring into spring. Marketing, communications, and general business roles are more flexible. Many companies post spring and summer internships from January through April.

If you're in that "it feels too late" zone, don't panic. Plenty of companies hire on rolling timelines, and some of the best experiences come from smaller firms that recruit closer to the start date. For more timing advice, check our summer 2026 internships spring recruiting guide.

What If You Can't Land a Paid Internship?

Are Unpaid Internships Ever Worth It?

Honestly? Sometimes.

An unpaid internship can be worth it if the brand name opens real doors (think: the United Nations, a major media outlet, a well-known startup), if you'll gain clearly defined skills with actual mentorship, and if the commitment is short. Ideally under three months.

It's probably not worth it if you're doing mostly admin work with no real learning. Or if there's no mentorship structure. Or if it drags on past a semester with no clear end date. Or if you simply can't afford to work for free.

Here's the uncomfortable part: unpaid internships favor students from wealthier families who can afford months without income. If that's not your situation, don't feel guilty about prioritizing paid roles. Your time has value.

Externships: Real Experience, Different Model

Internships aren't the only path to professional experience. Externships work differently. Instead of committing to weeks or months of full-time work at one company, Externships are short, project-based professional experiences where you work on real company-endorsed projects with guided support from an extern manager.

Through Extern, students complete Externships with companies like Amazon, TikTok, and HP. You take hands-on training, learn industry skills, build resume-ready experience and earn an Externship credential to show future employers. It's not a simulation. It's real project work with professional mentorship and career exploration baked in.

For students who can't access traditional paid internships, whether because of geography, timing, or finances, Externships are one of the strongest alternatives out there. Learn more about how Externships compare to internships.

Other Ways to Build Experience on Your Terms

If neither paid internships nor Externships fit right now, you've still got options. Freelance projects on Upwork or Fiverr let you build a portfolio and earn something. Open-source contributions on GitHub show technical skills. Volunteer work builds soft skills and networking connections. Personal projects like starting a blog, building an app, or running a social media campaign show initiative.

You don't need someone's permission to start building experience. For more ideas, check out our guide on building a resume with no experience.

Your Rights as an Intern

Federal Rules You Should Know

Under the FLSA, if you're performing work that benefits a for-profit employer, you're generally entitled to at least minimum wage. The "primary beneficiary" test is the legal framework. But the practical takeaway is simpler: if your internship looks and feels like a regular job, with productive work, employee schedules, and clear company benefit from your output, you should probably be getting paid.

Federal minimum wage sits at $7.25/hr, though most states set it higher. If you believe your internship should be paid but isn't, you have legal options.

State Laws That Go Further

Several states offer protections beyond federal minimums.

California requires unpaid internships at for-profit companies to meet strict training-focused criteria. The state also explicitly protects all interns, paid and unpaid, from workplace discrimination and harassment under the Fair Employment and Housing Act.

New York expanded its Human Rights Law to cover unpaid interns, protecting them from discrimination and harassment regardless of pay status. The city and state have been among the most aggressive in cracking down on exploitative arrangements.

Illinois similarly extends anti-discrimination protections to unpaid interns and has strengthened enforcement around wage theft claims.

What to Do If Something Feels Off

If your unpaid internship doesn't feel right, here's a practical approach.

First, review the seven-factor test from DOL Fact Sheet #71. Honestly ask: am I the primary beneficiary here, or is the company getting more from this deal? Second, document what you actually do each day. Track your tasks, hours, and any work that looks like it would normally go to a paid employee.

Third, talk to your university career center. They handle this regularly and can advise you without jeopardizing your academic credit. If things are clearly exploitative, you can file a complaint with your state labor board or the DOL's Wage and Hour Division.

Don't be dramatic about it. But don't ignore it either. You have rights.

How Internship Pay Shapes Your Whole Career

The Salary Gap Starts Way Earlier Than You Think

That $20,000 gap between paid and unpaid intern starting salaries doesn't stay flat. It compounds. NACE data shows paid interns start at a median of $62,500 while unpaid interns start at $42,500. And because salary negotiations for your second and third jobs are often anchored to your first one, that initial gap tends to widen over time. Not shrink.

This isn't meant to scare you. It's context for making an informed decision. If you're choosing between a paid and unpaid internship in a similar field, the paid one is almost always the better long-term bet.

Why Paid Interns Get More Job Offers

Beyond salary, paid interns simply get more offers. NACE's data: 1.61 offers versus 0.94 for unpaid interns. That's not because unpaid interns are less talented. It's because paid internships tend to exist at companies with established hiring pipelines, structured programs, and the resources to convert interns into full-time hires.

Employers also weight paid internship experience more on resumes. Rightly or not, a paid internship signals that a company invested in you. That makes the next employer more willing to do the same. It's one of the core reasons entry-level jobs seem to require experience: employers want proof that someone else already vetted you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all internships pay?

No. About 57% of internships are paid, according to NACE's 2024 Student Survey. Whether an internship is paid depends on the industry, employer type, and legal requirements. Tech, finance, and consulting internships are almost always paid, while nonprofit, government, and arts/media positions are more likely to be unpaid.

How much do paid interns make per hour?

The average paid intern earns roughly $34 per hour according to Glassdoor's 2026 data, based on over 178,000 self-reported salaries. But that average is heavily influenced by tech and finance. Software engineering interns can earn $50-67/hr, while marketing or nonprofit interns might sit closer to $15-20/hr.

Are unpaid internships legal?

Yes, under specific conditions. The Department of Labor's seven-factor "primary beneficiary" test determines legality. If the intern benefits more than the employer through structured training, academic credit, and educational value, the internship can be unpaid at for-profit companies. Nonprofits and government agencies have more flexibility.

Do you get paid for a summer internship?

Most summer internships at mid-to-large companies are paid. Summer is peak recruiting season, and companies compete for talent with competitive wages. According to NACE, employers extended full-time offers to 62% of their 2024 intern class, with in-person summer interns seeing even higher conversion rates at 72%.

What is the difference between a paid and unpaid internship?

A paid internship compensates you with hourly wages, salaries, or stipends. An unpaid internship offers no monetary compensation. The value is supposed to come from training, mentorship, and academic credit. The career outcomes differ significantly: paid interns report higher starting salaries ($62,500 vs $42,500) and nearly double the job offers.

Can high school students get paid internships?

Some paid opportunities exist for high school students, mainly in tech, STEM pipeline programs, and local businesses. Options are more limited than for college students. Alternatives like Externships and project-based programs let younger students build real skills and credentials before college without needing traditional internship access.

Do Big 4 accounting firms pay their interns?

Yes. Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG all pay competitively. Rates typically range from $25-35 per hour depending on the service line (audit, tax, advisory, consulting) and office location. Advisory and consulting roles tend to pay slightly more than audit and tax within the same firm.