Port of Seattle Internship 2027–2028: Programs, Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: November 2026

The Port of Seattle has run its internship program since 1963, and it says "100 percent of our internships are paid." On 11 November 2026, though, its college and graduate job board lists no openings. Summer 2027 roles post one department at a time, and the Port's post-secondary program page says full-time summer internships "generally post between late December and early May." In plain words: you apply between late December 2026 and May 2027, you intern in summer 2027. The only internships open today are two Winter 2027 high-school roles limited to students at two named schools.

Quick Facts

Nothing is open for college or graduate students today; summer 2027 department postings are expected from late December 2026 to early May 2027, and each one closes on its own.

Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most commonly over 8 weeks at 5 to 10 hours a week. The Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis Externship fits the Port's accounting and finance roles, and the Reggie Stephens Foundation AI Strategy Consulting Externship fits its planning and business development work. Explore all Externships.

What Is a Port of Seattle Internship?

A Port of Seattle internship is a paid placement with the public port district that runs Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and the Port's maritime facilities on the Seattle waterfront. College and graduate students apply to individual department postings titled "College Intern" or "Graduate Intern". The Port lists accounting, airport operations, business development, commission or government relations, construction management, engineering, environment and sustainability, external relations, finance and budget, human resources, information technology, maritime operations and project management. Separate high-school programs run in summer and winter. The Port is a different employer from the City of Seattle, the Port of Tacoma and the Northwest Seaport Alliance, and Port Jobs is a separate workforce nonprofit.

When Do Port of Seattle Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

The Port doesn't run one application round. Each department posts its own College Intern or Graduate Intern requisition, and the Port's program page gives the pattern: full-time summer internships "generally post between late December and early May," and part-time fall internships between late August and mid-November. For summer 2027 that puts the first postings in late December 2026 and the last in early May 2027; if a role starts in June, that's a lead of about five to six months at the front and one month at the back. The Port doesn't publish start dates for college interns. The fall 2026 part-time window is nearly over and showed no college postings on 11 November 2026, so don't count on a fall role this year. High school students follow a separate calendar: summer applications open in May, winter applications in November.

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 short-window process, not a rolling program with one long deadline. The Port posts summer roles one department at a time, and each requisition carries its own close date. The Port doesn't publish how long a posting stays open, and there is no second round for a department that has already filled its role. A saved search on the intern board is the only reliable way to see a posting on the day it appears, so set it up before late December and apply within the first week.

Which Port of Seattle Internship Programs Should You Target?

The Port runs several student routes. College and graduate students apply to department postings; the high-school and fellowship programs are separate.

Past titles come from the Port's own intern board in earlier cycles; summer 2027 titles depend on which departments post. Program rules are on the Post Secondary Program page and the High School Internships page.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

These are the college and graduate rules from the Port's Post Secondary Program page, followed by the high-school rules.

• Enrollment: currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree, or graduated less than a year ago. Some technical certificate students qualify, and graduating seniors heading to a graduate program the next year are accepted.

• Coursework: interns "should be advanced enough in their educational programs to have begun taking courses in a field related to their work at the Port." Work experience can sometimes substitute.

• School: the program page names no school or region limit, and the Port's own intern stories feature students from the University of Chicago and the University of Washington.

• Intern activities: you're expected to join activities run by the Port's Human Resources team.

• Work authorization: the college program page doesn't state a rule; the high-school page requires authorization to work in the United States.

• High school: age 16 or older by the start, enrolled in high school, graduated within the last 12 months or in a GED program. The Winter 2027 roles are open only to students currently enrolled at Highline Big Picture School or Maritime High School.

Is There a GPA Cutoff?

No GPA minimum appears on the Port's program pages. It asks for transcripts, official or unofficial, and looks for coursework related to the department's work, so the classes you've taken matter more than a single number.

What Skills Does the Port of Seattle Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

The Port hasn't posted a college requisition this cycle, and closed ones on its board no longer show their text, so the skills below come from the Port's own pages. The department list points to finance and accounting, engineering and construction, data and IT and operations at the airport and the waterfront. Past posting titles add business intelligence, cyber risk and survey and mapping. The Port's resume tips ask you to "include specific classes that relate to the internship," and its current high-school postings name project management, public speaking, professional networking and team leadership. Every posting also carries an equity expectation: "equity is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all Port employees."

Note: We didn't build a skills frequency chart. No college or graduate posting is open on the Port's board, and closed postings no longer show their text, so there are too few Port-published job descriptions to count.

How Is Demand for Operations Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each row ties a Port department or past posting title to a remote Externship that leaves you with a finished project to describe in a cover letter.

None of these Externships is connected to the Port of Seattle. They help because a finished project gives you a specific result to name when a department posting asks why you fit.

What Is the Port of Seattle Application and Interview Process Like?

The steps come from the Port's Post Secondary Program page and its Taleo intern board.

1. Watch the board. Create a candidate profile on the Taleo intern section and save a search, since summer roles post one department at a time from late December.

2. Pick the department. Each College Intern or Graduate Intern posting is a separate requisition with its own duties and close date, so apply to the ones that match your coursework.

3. Submit the full package. The Port requires an online application, a resume, a cover letter and transcripts (official or unofficial).

4. Interviews. The Port doesn't describe its college interview steps on its own pages; the hiring department contacts the candidates it shortlists.

5. Onboarding. Selected interns join the Port's Human Resources intern activities during the internship.

Apply to more than one department if your coursework fits, because each posting is reviewed on its own.

What Interns and Applicants Say

Reddit has no threads about Port of Seattle internships, so two cards come from intern stories the Port publishes on its own site and are labelled that way. The third is a Reddit thread about general Port hiring, not an internship.

How Do You Stand Out for a Port of Seattle Internship?

First, be early: set up the saved search before late December and apply within a week of a matching posting, because each department fills its own role. Second, tie your resume and cover letter to the department, naming the classes you've taken, as the Port's own resume tips ask. A Continuous Process Improvement intern in one Port story found the role through a campus career fair, so watch your school's fairs too. Third, show how you'd apply equity in the work, since every posting states it as an expectation. The Port publishes no applicant count, class size or conversion rate.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Students looking at the Port of Seattle often also consider these Seattle employers and transportation organizations.

For more public-sector options, see our government internships summer 2027 guide.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 Port of Seattle internship?

No. Summer 2026 roles followed the Port's usual late-December-to-early-May posting window and have closed. On 11 November 2026 the Port's college and graduate board lists no openings. Summer 2027 postings are expected from late December 2026 to early May 2027, so save a search on the intern board now.

When do Port of Seattle summer 2027 internships open?

They're expected to open from late December 2026. The Port says full-time summer internships "generally post between late December and early May," one department at a time, and each posting closes on its own date. Expect the first summer 2027 roles in late December 2026 and the last ones by early May 2027.

Are Port of Seattle internships paid?

Yes. The Port says "100 percent of our internships are paid." It doesn't publish the hourly rate for college or graduate interns on its own pages. The only rate posted now is for the Winter 2027 high-school internships, which pay $22.14 an hour, part-time, and are open only to students at two named schools.

Who can apply for a Port of Seattle college internship?

Undergraduate or graduate students, recent graduates within a year, and some technical certificate students. You should already have taken courses related to the department's work, though experience can sometimes substitute. The program page names no school or region limit, and Port intern stories include students from the University of Chicago and the University of Washington.

What do I need to apply to a Port of Seattle internship?

For college and graduate roles you need an online application on the Port's Taleo intern board, a resume, a cover letter and transcripts, which can be official or unofficial. Prepare all four before late December, because summer postings appear one department at a time and close on separate dates.

Does the Port of Seattle have high school internships?

Yes. The summer high-school program opens for applications in May each year and is open to students aged 16 or older. Two Winter 2027 roles are open now until 22 November 2026, but only for students enrolled at Highline Big Picture School or Maritime High School. Both pay $22.14 an hour.

Where do Port of Seattle interns work?

At Port sites in and around Seattle. The Port's job board lists locations including Pier 69 downtown, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Fishermen's Terminal and Shilshole Bay Marina. Your site depends on the department; an Airport Operations intern in one Port story worked at the International Arrivals Facility at SEA.

Are there part-time Port of Seattle internships during the school year?

Sometimes. The Port says part-time fall internships generally post between late August and mid-November, but its board showed none on 11 November 2026. Part-time roles have also appeared alongside summer postings in past cycles, so a saved search on the intern board will catch them when they post.

Summer 2027 postings at the Port are expected from late December 2026. If you want a finished project to name in your cover letter before then, a remote Externship fits around classes at 5 to 10 hours a week.