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

Last updated: October 2026

KPFF hires its summer interns one office at a time. On 3 October 2026 its own SmartRecruiters board carried 41 intern postings in 17 US cities, from "2027 Structural Engineer Summer Internship - Current Juniors" in Los Angeles to "Water Resources/Fish Passage Intern - 2027" in Lacey, Washington. Most first went up between 31 August and 23 September 2026, and none states a deadline. In plain words: you apply during fall 2026, you intern in summer 2027.

KPFF is a structural and civil engineering consultancy that describes itself in its postings as "over 1,500 professionals across 36 offices nationwide." Every posting publishes its own pay, from $23 to $37.50 an hour, and the Los Angeles and Irvine structural postings say "2 out of 3 of our interns return as full-time employees or return for another internship in the next year."

Quick Facts

Summer 2027 postings are open now in nearly every KPFF office that hires interns. There's no deadline, but individual postings close without notice, so apply to each office you'd work in this month.

Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most often over 8 weeks. They sit alongside a KPFF application, not in place of one: the Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis Externship builds the spreadsheet modeling behind project budgets and cost estimates, and the Breaking Games SQL Database Architecture Externship builds the structured-data habits survey and design records rely on. Explore all Externships.

What Is a KPFF Internship?

A KPFF internship is a paid, usually 10-to-12-week summer placement in one of KPFF's engineering offices, where interns "assist in the preparation of calculations and construction documents on active jobs under the guidance of project leaders," in the words of the Los Angeles structural posting. Civil interns work on grading, drainage and utility design; survey interns join field crews.

KPFF is decentralized by design. Its postings say the structure gives "each office the flexibility to pursue projects aligned with their regional strengths," which is why pay, GPA rules, class year and hybrid policy all differ by office. The firm says it has worked in engineering for 65 years.

When Do KPFF Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

KPFF's summer 2027 wave landed in the first three weeks of September: Salt Lake City and Boise structural on 31 August 2026, Spokane and Seattle on 1 September, Portland and Eugene on 2 and 3 September, and most remaining offices by 23 September. That's about eight to nine months before a late-May or June start. It matches last year: the Los Angeles seniors posting went up on 2 September 2025 for summer 2026 and on 9 September 2026 for summer 2027.

Since then many postings have been reposted under new IDs between 28 September and 2 October, which refreshes their listed date without changing the job, and Austin added a structural posting on 28 September. Last cycle, a few offices also added postings in January and February.

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

KPFF doesn't publish a deadline, so this is a rolling window, and its postings move. The Seattle mechanical engineering internship posted on 2 September 2026 was inactive by 28 September. A San Diego civil posting from 15 September has been replaced by a new one, and a Lacey civil posting from 1 September was replaced on 18 September and again on 1 October.

Because each office runs its own posting, a strong application to one office doesn't reach the others. If you'd work in two cities, apply to both now, while each office is still reading applications.

Which KPFF Internship Programs Should You Target?

There's no single KPFF intern program; each office writes its own posting. These are the discipline tracks live on 3 October 2026:

Los Angeles and Irvine split structural into two postings: "Current Juniors" ($29.50/hr) and "Seniors and MS Students" ($31.50/hr, bachelor's finished before the start). Pick the one that matches your standing next summer.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Rules differ by office, so read your posting. Here's the spread across the 41:

• Class year: junior standing or higher at most offices; Seattle civil and transportation accept "completion of sophomore or junior year" by the start; the LA/Irvine juniors track requires junior year complete by the start.

• GPA: "Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0" on 8 postings (Salt Lake City, Boise, Sacramento structural, St. Louis, San Diego and Austin structural); the others don't state one.

• Documents: most postings want a cover letter; LA and Irvine also want transcripts showing structural analysis, mechanics of materials, and concrete, steel or wood design, plus a PDF cover letter answering two prompts.

• Work authorization: the Newport Beach, San Francisco civil and Sacramento civil postings say they're "not eligible for visa sponsorship or transfer"; others don't say.

Is KPFF's 3.0 GPA a Hard Cutoff?

Only where the posting says so. Eight offices list a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and an applicant below it should expect to be screened out there. The other 33 postings set no GPA line at all.

If your GPA is under 3.0, apply to the offices that don't state one, and lead with coursework and software: the LA and Irvine postings ask for transcripts because they care which structural courses you've finished.

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

KPFF's postings ask for three things again and again: engineering calculations, comfort on site visits, and clear written and verbal communication. Structural postings add coursework in statics, mechanics of materials and structural analysis, and a few name RISA, SAP2000, ETABS or Revit. Civil postings center on grading, drainage and utility design in Civil 3D.

Because every office writes its own posting, read the one you're applying to and match its software list.

How Is Demand for Engineering Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

The engineering itself comes from coursework, but the habits around it can be practiced now:

None of these replaces a structural analysis course, but each gives you a finished project and a work sample, which helps when an office asks what you've done beyond class.

What Is the KPFF Application and Interview Process Like?

KPFF's postings don't describe the interview. This is the path the postings and community reports describe:

1. Choose your offices. Each office posts separately on SmartRecruiters; apply to every city you'd work in, and to the right LA/Irvine track for your class year.

2. Send the full packet. Resume and cover letter at most offices; LA and Irvine add transcripts and a PDF cover letter answering why structural engineering and what you want from the internship. Those offices won't consider resumes sent anywhere else.

3. Technical screen. Community reports describe a written test at some structural offices: one applicant got seven pages in 30 minutes covering element identification, shear and moment diagrams, a frame and a truss.

4. Interview with the office. Expect questions about your coursework, software and why that office's work interests you.

5. Offer. Interns start in late May or June and are hired as hourly, non-exempt temporary employees with overtime at time and a half.

The test reports come from entry-level and intern applicants at structural offices, and commenters stress that KPFF varies office to office, so ask your recruiter whether your office tests.

What Students on Reddit Say

Structural and civil engineering students discuss KPFF often on Reddit, mostly about its technical test and office culture.

How Do You Stand Out for a KPFF Internship?

KPFF doesn't publish applicant numbers, so we won't guess at the odds. Three moves fit how its offices hire:

1. Apply office by office, early. Each posting is its own funnel and closes without notice. Pick every office you'd work in and apply this month.

2. Prepare for a hand-calc test. Review statics, shear and moment diagrams, and simple frames and trusses. Being fast and neat on paper is what the community reports describe being tested.

3. Answer the cover-letter prompts properly. LA and Irvine ask why you chose structural engineering and what you want from the internship. A specific answer tied to the office's building types reads very differently from a generic letter.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

KPFF applicants usually also apply to other civil and structural consultancies:

Our engineering internships summer 2027 guide covers the wider civil, structural and engineering field.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 KPFF internship?

No. Summer 2026 internships have finished, but summer 2027 applications are open now: 41 postings in 17 cities, most first posted between 31 August and 23 September 2026. None has a deadline, but postings close office by office, so apply to every office you'd work in this month.

When should I apply for a KPFF summer 2027 internship?

Now. KPFF posts its summer wave in early September, the same weeks in 2025 and 2026, and postings close as offices fill them; a Seattle posting from 2 September was gone by 28 September. A few offices added postings in January and February last cycle, but don't count on that.

How much do KPFF interns get paid?

Every posting publishes pay, from $23 to $37.50 an hour. San Francisco structural pays $33.50 to $37.50, LA and Irvine structural $29.50 for juniors and $31.50 for seniors and master's students, Seattle-area roles $27 to $32, and Sacramento $23 to $25. Overtime is paid at time and a half.

Where are KPFF internships located?

In 17 cities: Seattle, Tacoma, Lacey and Spokane in Washington; Los Angeles, Irvine, Long Beach, Newport Beach, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento in California; Portland and Eugene in Oregon; Boise; Salt Lake City; Austin; and St. Louis. Work is in office or hybrid, never fully remote.

Does KPFF require a minimum GPA?

Some offices do. Eight postings, including Salt Lake City, Boise, St. Louis and the Sacramento, San Diego and Austin structural roles, require a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. The other 33 postings don't state a GPA, so a lower GPA rules you out of some offices but not KPFF as a whole.

Does KPFF hire interns full-time?

Often, though there's no firm-wide rate. The LA and Irvine structural postings say two out of three interns return full-time or for another internship the next year, and the Portland civil and survey office says 28% of its staff are former interns. Ask your office for its own record.

Does KPFF sponsor visas for interns?

Some postings say no. The Newport Beach, San Francisco civil and Sacramento civil postings state they aren't eligible for visa sponsorship or transfer now or in the future. Other offices' postings don't mention sponsorship, so ask before you apply. All postings use E-Verify.

Is there a technical test for KPFF internships?

At some offices, according to community reports. KPFF's postings don't mention one, but applicants on Reddit describe a timed written test at structural offices covering shear and moment diagrams, frames and trusses, and one commenter says juniors take a test to get in. Review statics before your interview.

KPFF's postings are open now and close office by office, so apply this month, then use the weeks before interviews to finish one project you can talk through: a remote Externship gives you that.