Quick Facts
Figma internship · at a glance
Software Engineer Intern (Summer 2027), Brand Design Intern (Summer 2027), Product Design Intern (2027) and Data Science Intern (2027) posted September 14 to 15, 2026, plus Software Engineer Intern… Apply early, and check the portal for every live role.
Before you applyWould your profile get you in?6 questions, under a minute. Compared with real interns who landed similar roles.Check my oddsAlso in this guide
Put real project work on your résumé, with the Wayfair AI Agent Engineering Externship or the TruBridge Healthcare Data Analytics Externship.
Explore all externships →All quick facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | figma.com/careers. Set a job alert on LinkedIn so you catch week one |
| Application window (2027–28) | OPEN NOW for summer 2027: Software Engineer Intern (Summer 2027), Brand Design Intern (Summer 2027), Product Design Intern (2027) and Data Science Intern (2027) posted September 14 to 15, 2026, plus Software Engineer Intern (Winter 2027). SF or New York hub, summer start dates May 3, May 17, June 1 or June 14, 2027. Rolling, no published deadline |
| Rolling? | Likely rolling with batch review. The SWE Intern (2026) listing was live Aug 29, 2025 to Jan 29, 2026, closing once filled |
| Eligibility | Enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s in CS or related field, with at least one term remaining after the internship. PhD preferred for Data Scientist roles |
| Duration | 12 weeks, full-time, hybrid (in-office at SF or NYC hub). In-person onboarding mandatory |
| Compensation | SWE intern NYC $60/hr ($10,400/mo), SF $51.06/hr ($8,850/mo). Plus $2,000/mo housing stipend, meals, travel reimbursement |
| Visa sponsorship | Not explicitly stated in job descriptions. Figma is an equal opportunity employer with global offices in 12+ cities |
| Locations | San Francisco, CA (HQ) and New York City, NY are primary intern hubs. London, UK for Developer Tools track |
| # Programs | 5+ tracks: SWE (Product), SWE (Developer Tools), SWE (Infrastructure), Product Design, Data Engineering / Data Science |
Last updated: October 2026
Figma went public on July 31, 2025 at a $68 billion market cap, and the company has roughly doubled its headcount since, from ~1,646 in March 2025 to ~2,877 by April 2026. That growth means more intern seats, but Figma is still a mid-size company with an estimated 30 to 80 summer interns, not 15,000. So every seat is competitive, and the timeline is the lever. For the 2027–2028 cycle the summer 2027 listings are live: Software Engineer Intern (Summer 2027), Brand Design Intern (Summer 2027), Product Design Intern (2027) and Data Science Intern (2027) were posted on figma.com/careers on September 14 and 15, 2026, alongside the Winter 2027 SWE listing, with rolling review that rewards early applicants. The calendar, not just your portfolio, decides your odds.
What Is a Figma Internship?
A Figma internship is a paid, 12-week summer placement where students are embedded into a single product team building what millions of designers and developers use every day. Figma is the collaborative design platform that went public at $68B in July 2025 after Adobe's attempted $20B acquisition collapsed in 2023. The company has grown to ~2,877 employees and ships products across Design, FigJam, Dev Mode, Slides, Sites, Draw, Make, and Buzz. Intern reviews back it up: a Glassdoor SWE intern from SF rated the experience 5.0 out of 5, citing great culture and impactful teamwork. Interns here don't shadow; they ship.
When Do Figma Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
Figma's intern hiring calendar follows a predictable pattern. The SWE Intern (2026) listing posted August 29, 2025 and closed by January 29, 2026, with the strongest consideration window in September to November. For summer 2027, expect listings to open in late August to September 2026 with rolling review that fills seats by late fall. The practical deadline is months before the official close, because rolling review rewards the first wave.
Summer 2027 is live: Software Engineer Intern (Summer 2027), Brand Design Intern (Summer 2027), Product Design Intern (2027) and Data Science Intern (2027) went up on figma.com/careers on September 14 and 15, 2026, next to the Software Engineer Intern (Winter 2027) listing. The SWE requisition names SF or New York and start dates of May 3, May 17, June 1 or June 14, 2027. Figma reviews rolling with no fixed deadline, so apply this week.
The Summer 2027 listings opened here: SWE, Brand Design, Product Design and Data Science, all posted September 14 to 15, 2026. Apply in the first two weeks for best chances, since rolling review fills the strongest spots first.
Peak review period. Recruiter screens and Byteboard technical assessments go out. Hiring manager interviews and virtual onsites follow within weeks.
Winter 2027 internship runs January through March. 12 weeks, hybrid, embedded on a single team at the SF or NYC hub.
Summer 2027 internship: 12 weeks, hybrid. Perform like the return offer is on the table, because it is.
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
Rolling review is the whole game at Figma. The SWE Intern (2026) listing was live from August 29 to January 29, but the strongest candidates applied in September to October for priority consideration. By late fall, the most competitive spots were already filling. So set a job alert on figma.com/careers and LinkedIn, and submit within the first two weeks of a posting going live. The date you apply matters more than most things on your resume.
Which Figma Internship Programs Should You Target?
Figma runs 5+ distinct intern tracks, from core product engineering to design to data. Which one should you target? Figma lets applicants indicate team preference at application time, choosing from Product, Tech Platform, Infrastructure, Security, or Desktop.
| Program | Focus | Location | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWE Intern (Product) | Building features across Figma Design, FigJam, Dev Mode, Slides, Draw, Buzz, Sites, Make | SF, NYC | C++ (WebAssembly), TypeScript/React, Rust |
| SWE Intern (Developer Tools) | Dev Mode, Code Connect, AI-powered design-to-code translation | SF, NYC, London | TypeScript, React, API development |
| SWE Intern (Infrastructure) | Performance, scalability, internal tools, monetization, billing, security, desktop apps | SF, NYC | C++, Rust, systems programming |
| Product Design Intern | Own real projects from ideation to execution; ship meaningful contributions | SF, NYC | Prototyping, design systems, UX research, portfolio |
| Data Engineer / Data Scientist Intern | Data infrastructure, analytics, experimentation | SF, NYC | Python, SQL, statistics (PhD preferred for DS) |
See every open track on figma.com/careers. The Developer Tools track is listed separately from general SWE, and London is an option there. Indicate your preferred engineering area early, because team matching starts at application.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
Figma's requirements are straightforward, and they explicitly encourage applicants whose backgrounds don't perfectly align:
• Enrollment: currently enrolled in a Bachelor's or Master's in computer science or a related technical field, with at least one term remaining after the internship.
• GPA: no stated minimum GPA requirement in any Figma intern job description.
• Design roles: a strong portfolio with case studies showing process, not just results, is essential. Figma product familiarity is expected.
• Data Science: PhD preferred for Data Scientist roles; Data Engineer is more accessible at the Bachelor's/Master's level.
• Work authorization: not explicitly stated in listings. Figma is an equal opportunity employer with offices in 12+ cities globally, including London, so international options exist.
Does Figma Have a GPA Cutoff?
No. Figma does not list a GPA cutoff in any of its intern job descriptions. The company explicitly states, 'We encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn't perfectly align'. What actually gates you is the Byteboard coding assessment for engineering roles, or your portfolio for design. Genuine interest in design tools and clean coding ability matter more than a decimal on your transcript.
Profile Match · Extern Data
Could You Get In at Figma? Compare Your Profile
Based on 403 software engineering interns who started their first software internship between 2024 and 2026 (public LinkedIn profiles, aggregated). Six questions, under a minute.
Which summer are you applying for?
Recruiting timelines differ by class year, so we compare you with the right group.
Which group is your school closest to?
Firms recruit on campus in tiers. We match you against admits from schools like yours.
Is your major computer science, software engineering, data science or electrical engineering?
Almost every software intern in our data studied one of these. Other majors get in, but the coursework has to show elsewhere.
How many internships, externships or research positions have you held so far?
Count anything with a real employer, mentor or principal investigator attached. Retail and food service do not count.
Has any of that experience been tech-related?
Software, data, IT, engineering or a research lab. Any size of company counts.
Do you have at least one project on your resume or LinkedIn?
Personal, class, hackathon or open-source projects all count.
Aggregated from public LinkedIn profiles of people who held the internship. No individual profile is shown. Read the cross-industry study of 2,500+ intern profiles.
What Skills Does Figma Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
Read across five Figma intern job descriptions, SWE (Product), SWE (Developer Tools), Data Engineer, Data Scientist, and Product Design, and the pattern holds. Programming and data structures appear in four of five, communication and collaboration in all five, and React/TypeScript in three. But the skill list only tells half the story. Figma's engineering values emphasize 'communicate early and often,' 'lift your team,' and 'craftsmanship,' and those show up in every interview round. So bring the technical skills, then wrap every answer in how you collaborate.
What Figma looks for in interns
Skills across 5 Figma intern & analyst job descriptions · 2025–26 cycle Figma intern JDs, projecting 2027–2028
Method: full-text analysis of five Figma intern job descriptions read verbatim (SWE Product, SWE Developer Tools, Data Engineer, Data Scientist, Product Design). Prior-cycle basis; Figma's engineering values (communicate early, lift your team, craftsmanship, prioritize impact) are evaluated in interviews rather than listed as JD qualifications.
How Is Demand for Software Engineering Interns Moving Right Now?
Software engineer intern postings · Sep vs Aug 2026
vs 790 in August
For Figma applicants: Software engineer intern hiring picked up sharply in September; apply within the first week a role posts, while the most seats are open.
Daily US job-posting counts, Sep 1–30 vs Aug 1–31, 2026. Covers under half of US postings; shows direction, not market size.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
And every skill in that chart maps to a remote Externship where you finish a real project before a role opens.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Programming, frontend engineering & React/TypeScript | SWE JDs: "C++, TypeScript/React, data structures and algorithms, clean readable code" | Wayfair AI Agent Engineering |
| Data analysis, experimentation & metrics-driven decisions | Data Engineer/DS JDs: "data infrastructure, analytics, experimentation, quantitative background" | TruBridge Healthcare Data Analytics |
| Cross-functional collaboration & communication | All JDs: "strong communication, asking great questions, cross-functional teamwork with engineers, PMs, designers" | Wayfair AI Agent Engineering |
How close is the overlap? The Wayfair project is agent-engineering work that yields the build-and-explain evidence Figma's applied coding rounds probe for, and the TruBridge project ends on the data-driven story a Figma behavioral round wants.
What Is the Figma Application and Interview Process Like?
Figma's interview funnel spans 3 to 5 weeks with 4 to 6 rounds, averaging about 24.5 days from first interview to decision:
1. Apply on figma.com/careers. Indicate your preferred engineering area (Product, Tech Platform, Infrastructure, Security, Desktop). A few well-matched roles beat spraying the board.
2. Recruiter screen, 30 minutes. Background review, motivation for Figma, experience alignment, and logistical fit (location, timeline).
3. Technical assessment. For SWE roles: a Byteboard coding challenge focused on practical implementation and clean, readable code. For Product Design: portfolio review plus a timed 'Jam Session' with critique exercises.
4. Hiring manager interview, 45 to 60 minutes. Deep dive into past technical projects, collaboration style, and communication ability.
5. Virtual onsite, 3 to 4 sessions. Applied coding, system design or architecture discussion, behavioral questions, and a project deep-dive. Camera must be on for all video rounds.
6. Decision. Typically within 1 to 2 weeks of the final round.
So the two skills to drill are clear: data-structures fluency and clean coding for the Byteboard and applied rounds, and three to four project stories flexible enough for behavioral and deep-dive sessions. For design roles, your portfolio is the primary evaluation artifact, and the Jam Session tests how you think under pressure.
What Students on Reddit Say
Three community perspectives on the Figma intern experience, all paraphrased from first-party accounts.
Figma's final-round SWE intern interviews lean heavily on system design and practical frontend problems rather than pure LeetCode. Brush up on real-world architecture, component design, and collaborative coding since interviewers care as much about your thought process as the final answer.
Figma consistently ranks near the top for intern compensation and resume impact. Students choosing between Figma and Big Tech often pick Figma for smaller team sizes, stronger mentorship, and the chance to ship features that millions of designers actually use.
Former Figma interns say the culture is genuinely collaborative and the onboarding is well-structured. Expect behavioral questions focused on teamwork and product intuition alongside the technical rounds, and come prepared to talk about why you care about design tools.
How Do You Stand Out at a $68B Design Platform?
Three moves, all before a role opens. First, apply in week one: rolling review plus a limited intern class means timing and prep beat prestige. Second, use Figma itself to build something, whether that's your portfolio, a side project, or your application materials. The company explicitly values product familiarity, and showing you understand the tool signals genuine interest. Third, prepare project stories that demonstrate Figma's engineering values: communicate early, lift your team, craftsmanship, and prioritize impact. Every behavioral round is scored against those values, so a finished deliverable beats a hypothetical every time.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
Figma isn't the only design-forward tech company hiring interns on a fall-rolling calendar. If you're building a tech-internship list, these are the obvious neighbors:
- Adobedirect competitor, larger intern class, creative tools and enterprise softwareGuide →
- Canvacollaborative design rival, Australian HQ with US officesGuide →
- Notioncollaborative productivity tool, similar product-minded cultureGuide →
- Pinterestvisual and design-oriented platform, strong product engineeringGuide →
- Snapcreative and visual tech, AR and camera platformGuide →
Our tech internships summer 2027 guide maps the whole landscape, timeline by timeline.
FAQ
When should I apply for the Figma internship?
Apply now. The summer 2027 listings (SWE, Brand Design, Product Design, Data Science) posted on September 14 and 15, 2026 and the Winter 2027 SWE listing is live too. Figma's SWE Intern (2026) listing posted August 29, 2025 and closed by January 29, 2026, so expect a similar close this cycle. The strongest candidates apply in September to October for priority consideration. Monitor figma.com/careers and LinkedIn for announcements.
What is the Figma internship interview like?
Figma's interview process spans 3 to 5 weeks with 4 to 6 rounds: a recruiter screen, a Byteboard technical assessment, a hiring manager interview, and a multi-session virtual onsite covering applied coding, system design, behavioral questions, and project deep-dives. For Product Design interns, a Jam Session with timed critique exercises replaces some technical rounds.
How much do Figma interns get paid?
Software engineering interns earn $51.06 to $60.00 per hour ($8,850 to $10,400 per month), with NYC roles paying at the higher end. Figma also provides a $2,000 per month housing stipend, travel reimbursement, relocation assistance, and complimentary on-site meals. A 12-week internship totals approximately $33,000 to $37,000 including housing.
What programming languages does Figma use?
Figma's core canvas engine is built in C++ compiled to WebAssembly, while the UI layer uses React and TypeScript. The multiplayer server runs Rust. For interviews, candidates can use any general-purpose language they are comfortable with, including C++, JavaScript, Python, or Java.
Does Figma have a Product Design internship?
Yes. Figma offers a dedicated Product Design Intern program where interns own real projects from ideation to execution. A strong portfolio with case studies showing design process is essential. The interview includes a unique Jam Session with timed critique and creative exercises that simulate real-team collaboration.
Where are Figma internships located?
Primary internship hubs are San Francisco, CA (headquarters) and New York City, NY. A Developer Tools SWE intern position has also been offered in London, UK. Figma operates on a hybrid model with mandatory in-person onboarding. The company has 12+ global offices.
How competitive is the Figma internship?
Very competitive. Figma is a high-profile, recently IPO'd company ($68B market cap) with a beloved product in the design and tech community. The company has approximately 2,900 employees, suggesting a relatively small intern class of 30 to 80. Strong CS fundamentals, clean coding ability, and genuine interest in design tools are key differentiators.
Do Figma interns get return offers?
Figma does not publicly disclose its intern conversion rate. The industry average for top tech companies is 50 to 70 percent. Figma actively hires for new-grad roles, including Data Scientist and early-career sales positions, suggesting they convert strong performers. Full-time SWE total compensation at Figma ranges from $221K to $733K across all levels.
Figma's intern class is small, and every seat is won through rolling review that rewards the first wave. Spend the runway building proof: a remote Externship turns 'interested in Figma' into a finished project you 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.
