KEXP Internship 2027–2028: Programs, Deadlines & How to Apply

Quick Facts

Last updated: November 2026

KEXP's internship applications aren't open right now. The Seattle radio station hires one paid cohort a year, and its internship page says applications open in January each year and that it looks forward to reading applications in 2027. The program pays $22 an hour for 450 hours over six months, and KEXP says plainly that it doesn't offer summer internships. In plain words: you apply in January to February 2027, and you intern from about May to November 2027.

What Is a KEXP Internship?

A KEXP internship is a paid, part-time, six-month role at KEXP, the listener-supported music station run by Friends of KEXP, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Seattle that started at the University of Washington in 1972. KEXP hires four interns a year as one cohort: they start together, take field trips and meet people in the music industry. The positions change from year to year. In 2026 they were Communications & Audience Engagement, Community Events, Latin American Content, and Library & Archives. KEXP says the program seeks to provide interns from historically under-invited and under-represented communities with hands-on experience. It's open to people who aren't students, and it doesn't run in the summer. KEXP publishes no conversion rate.

When Do KEXP Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

KEXP recruits one cohort a year in a short winter window. Its pages show applications open by January 17 in 2024 and 2025 and by January 20 in 2026, and closing on 15 Feb 2024, 7 Feb 2025 and 18 Feb 2026. The term began in April 2024, on May 6, 2025 and on May 12, 2026, so applications open about 3.5 to 4 months before the internship starts and close about 3 months before it. For the 2027 cohort, we expect the window to open in mid to late January 2027 and close in early-to-mid February 2027. The close moved by about 11 days across three years, so treat the exact date as uncertain and watch the page from early January.

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

This is a hard deadline, not a rolling window. Every year KEXP has published one closing date and time: 11:59pm on February 15, 2024, 7:00 PM PT on February 7, 2025, and 6:00 PM PT on February 18, 2026. The window has lasted about four weeks, and with only four positions a year there's no second round to catch. The screener answers carry the application, each long answer capped at 1,000 characters, so drafting them takes time. Start in early January 2027, and submit well before the closing hour.

Which KEXP Internship Programs Should You Target?

KEXP hires four interns a year, and the roles change each year. The table lists the 2026 roles, the most recent cohort.

Check the KEXP internships page in January for the 2027 role list. Role summaries are condensed from KEXP's 2026 role descriptions.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

These come from KEXP's internships page, read on November 11, 2026.

• Age: 18 or older before the term begins.

• Residence: you must live in the Greater Seattle Area, or move there by orientation day. KEXP doesn't help with housing.

• Work authorization: US work authorization required. KEXP says it cannot offer support to obtain authorization.

• Student status: not required. KEXP says interns don't need to be enrolled in school or be graduates.

• Experience: aimed at early-career people and career changers. Asked whether someone with more than entry-level experience in the area should apply, KEXP answers "Probably not."

• GPA: none stated.

Can You Do a KEXP Internship Remotely?

No. The internship is hybrid, with at least one day a week in the Seattle office, and some roles need more, plus occasional nights or weekends. KEXP says it doesn't offer fully remote internships or internships in the Bay Area, even though it also broadcasts as KEXC 92.7 FM there. If you're under 18 or outside Seattle, KEXP points younger listeners to its Youth DJs radio classes for ages 15 to 19 and to volunteering, which are separate, unpaid programs.

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

KEXP doesn't post enough intern job descriptions at once to count skills: the 2026 postings have been taken down and no archived copy exists. Its internships page names the skills interns build: communication, project management, problem-solving, audio editing and database management. The 2024 page listed business communication, project management, problem-solving, audio technology and database management. The 2026 roles add bilingual English and Spanish content work, archival description and digitization, event logistics, and social media content and reporting.

Note: KEXP had no intern postings on its board on November 11, 2026, and the 2026 postings can no longer be read, so there are too few job descriptions for a skills chart. The skills above come from KEXP's internships page and its 2026 role descriptions.

How Is Demand for Communications Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each skill below comes from KEXP's internships page or its 2026 roles and maps to a remote Externship you can finish before the January window.

No open Externship teaches audio editing or bilingual radio production. These cover the database, marketing and social media side of KEXP's roles.

What Is the KEXP Application and Interview Process Like?

KEXP describes a short online application with screener questions instead of a cover letter.

1. Pick your role or roles. KEXP lists the year's four positions in January, and you can apply to more than one.

2. Apply on Paylocity. KEXP accepts applications only there, not by email, mail or in person. You submit contact details, education history and a resume.

3. Answer the screener questions. Long answers are capped at 1,000 characters, alongside multiple-choice questions. KEXP says cover letters, recommendation letters and other extra materials won't be evaluated.

4. Wait for a response. In 2026 KEXP said to expect to hear between mid-March and late April. For 2027 that's expected again, not confirmed.

5. Orientation and start. The cohort starts together in early to mid May, if the pattern holds.

KEXP doesn't take phone or in-person questions about the internship; email internships@kexp.org.

What Students on Reddit Say

The KEXP subreddit has a handful of internship threads. These two are first-hand and lightly paraphrased.

How Do You Stand Out for a KEXP Internship?

First, treat the screener answers as your cover letter, because KEXP won't read anything else. Use the 1,000 characters for specific examples tied to the role, and write them yourself: a KEXP staffer warned in 2024 that the team spots ChatGPT answers. Second, match the role, not the station. The positions change every year, so read the January list and show the work that role does, whether that's bilingual content, archiving, events or social media. Third, apply at the right level. KEXP says the program is for early-career people and career changers, and that people with more than entry-level experience should probably not apply. KEXP publishes no applicant count or acceptance rate, only that it hires four interns a year.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

If you're aiming for radio, audio or music, these employers also hire interns:

Our media and entertainment internships guide compares more studios, networks and music companies.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a 2026 KEXP internship?

No. The 2026 cohort closed at 6:00 PM PT on February 18, 2026, and its term ended on November 6, 2026. KEXP doesn't run a summer program. The next door is the 2027 cohort, with applications expected to open in mid to late January 2027 and close in early-to-mid February 2027.

When do KEXP internship applications open?

In January. KEXP's page says applications open in January each year, and they were open by January 17 in 2024 and 2025 and by January 20 in 2026. For the 2027 cohort, expect mid to late January 2027, closing in early-to-mid February 2027 (closed 15 Feb 2024, 7 Feb 2025, 18 Feb 2026).

Is the KEXP internship paid?

Yes. KEXP pays $22 an hour, the same rate in 2024, 2025 and 2026, for 450 hours over six months. Interns accrue sick leave and get an ORCA transit card, but they aren't eligible for health insurance, retirement or vacation accrual. At the full 450 hours, that comes to $9,900 before taxes, by our arithmetic.

Is the KEXP internship a summer internship?

No. KEXP says it doesn't offer summer internships. The term runs about six months, from early to mid May to November in recent years (May 12 to November 6 in 2026), averaging about 18 hours a week and capped at 20. Hours fall Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM Pacific, with occasional nights or weekends for some roles.

Do I need to be a student to intern at KEXP?

No. KEXP says interns don't need to be enrolled in school or be graduates. You do need to be 18 or older before the term begins, have US work authorization, and live in the Greater Seattle Area by orientation day. The program is aimed at early-career people and career changers rather than experienced professionals.

Can I intern at KEXP remotely or from outside Seattle?

No. The internship is hybrid, with at least one day a week in the Seattle office at Seattle Center. KEXP doesn't offer fully remote internships or internships in the Bay Area, and it doesn't help with housing. If you live elsewhere, a remote Externship is one way to build similar skills on your own schedule.

Does KEXP sponsor visas for interns?

No. KEXP requires US work authorization and says it cannot offer support to obtain authorization. That rules out applicants who would need visa sponsorship to work in the US. The eligibility rules on KEXP's internships page are the ones to check each January, since the role list changes every year.

Can I send a cover letter or portfolio with my KEXP application?

No. KEXP says cover letters, letters of recommendation and other extra materials won't be evaluated if submitted. You apply through Paylocity with contact details, education history, a resume and screener questions, where long answers are capped at 1,000 characters. Those answers do the work a cover letter would, so draft them carefully.

KEXP's next window is expected in January 2027, so use the next two months to build proof. A remote Externship gives your screener answers a finished project to describe.