Last updated: September 2026
Principal Financial Group is a Fortune 500 (#337) financial services company managing $781 billion in assets with nearly 20,000 employees across 27 nations. Founded in 1879 and headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, Principal operates across retirement services, asset management, and insurance, posting $15.6 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2025. Named one of Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies and an Ethisphere World's Most Ethical Companies 2025 honoree, Principal's internship program spans 10 distinct tracks from actuarial science to equities to commercial real estate, paying $24–$29/hr plus a $4,000 lump-sum stipend with arranged housing, free parking, and a DART bus pass.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | careers.principal.com/internships |
| Application window (2027–28) | Live now (actuarial and accounting posted Aug 2026); more tracks expected Sep–Oct 2026 |
| Rolling? | Yes. Positions close when filled; Principal advises applying sooner rather than later |
| Eligibility | Currently pursuing or recently completed undergrad/grad degree; actuarial track requires 1+ SOA exam passed; no visa sponsorship |
| Duration | 10–12 weeks (summer); 6–7 months (accounting co-op); 6–9 months (investment operations) |
| Compensation | $24–$29/hr (actuarial); $24/hr (accounting) + $4,000 lump-sum stipend + arranged housing |
| Locations | Des Moines, Iowa (HQ); hybrid or in-office; Sales roles across various US territories |
| # Programs | 10 tracks: Actuarial, Accounting, Data & Analytics, Financial Analytics, Sales, CRE, Technology, Investment Ops, Equities, Other |
Two summer 2027 postings are live now (actuarial and accounting), with more tracks expected through fall 2026. Principal fills positions on a rolling basis, so apply immediately when your target track posts. The $4,000 stipend plus arranged housing makes this one of the better-compensated programs in insurance.
Externships are short, remote professional experience programs where you finish a real project with a real company. The Yinan Zhao Investing & Financial Modeling Externship builds the quantitative modeling skills Principal's actuarial and financial analytics tracks reward, and the HP Tech Ventures Deal Sourcing & Startup Analysis Externship develops the investment analysis skills the equities track values. Explore all Externships.
What Is a Principal Financial Group Internship?
A Principal Financial internship is a 10–12-week paid summer placement across one of 10 tracks at the Fortune 500 insurer and asset manager headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. Tracks span actuarial science, accounting, data and analytics, financial analytics, technology, sales, commercial real estate, investment operations, equities, and other corporate functions. All interns receive formal mentor assignments, small-group meetings with executive leadership, and professional development programming. The actuarial track pairs interns with credentialed actuaries on real projects including cluster modeling, experience studies, and foreign exchange analysis, culminating in a multi-day "Actuarial code jam" team project. Named an Ethisphere World's Most Ethical Companies 2025 honoree, Principal pays $24–$29/hr for actuarial interns plus a $4,000 lump-sum stipend, with arranged housing, free downtown parking, and a DART bus pass included.
When Do Principal Financial Group Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
Principal's internship cycle opens earlier than most insurance peers, with postings appearing in mid-to-late August and positions filling on a rolling basis. Two summer 2027 requisitions are already live as of late August 2026, with more tracks expected through fall. The process includes a recruiter pre-screen, possible assessment, and behavioral interviews using the STAR method. Principal advises candidates to apply sooner rather than later, as positions close when filled rather than on a fixed deadline.
Summer 2027 actuarial ($24–$29/hr) and accounting ($24/hr) internship postings are live now at careers.principal.com. Both include a $4,000 stipend. Apply immediately as Principal fills positions on a rolling basis. More tracks are expected to post through fall 2026.
Additional tracks expected to post: Data and Analytics, Financial Analytics, Technology, Sales, Commercial Real Estate, Investment Operations, and Equities. Check careers.principal.com/internships regularly. Apply to each track as it appears.
Positions fill on a rolling basis with no fixed deadline. Principal's page warns to apply sooner rather than later. Late applicants may find preferred tracks already full. Expect to hear back within two weeks of applying.
Principal uses structured behavioral interviewing with the STAR method. Expect a recruiter pre-screen (phone or pre-recorded), possible assessment on leadership or coding, and one to two interviews with the hiring team. Glassdoor rates intern interview difficulty at 2.6 out of 5.
Standard internships run 10–12 weeks, approximately May through August. Investment Operations runs 6–9 months. All interns get formal mentors, executive access, networking events, and professional development programming at Principal's Des Moines headquarters.
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
Principal's rolling admissions process means seats fill progressively from the moment postings go live in August. Two summer 2027 requisitions are already posted, and the remaining eight tracks will follow through fall 2026. There is no fixed deadline: once a track fills, it closes. One Reddit user described converting two internships into a full-time actuarial role, confirming that the pipeline is real but competitive. The actuarial track requires at least one passed SOA exam, which is a hard filter, so candidates who have passed Exam P and are working toward FM or IFM already hold a meaningful advantage. Apply in the first week your target track posts, and lead with evidence of quantitative or financial modeling skills.
Which Principal Financial Group Internship Programs Should You Target?
Principal offers 10 internship tracks aligned with its core business lines in retirement services, asset management, and insurance. All tracks include formal mentor assignments, executive access, and professional development programming.
| Track | Focus | Duration | Key details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actuarial | Work with credentialed actuaries on cluster modeling, experience studies, SAS reporting, and foreign exchange analysis; Actuarial code jam team project | 10–12 weeks | $24–$29/hr + $4K stipend; 1+ SOA exam required; actuarial science/math/stats major |
| Accounting | Financial reporting, analysis, internal controls using Excel, SQL/SAS, Power BI | 10–12 weeks or 6–7 months co-op | $24/hr + $4K stipend (summer) or $7K (co-op); 12+ hrs accounting coursework |
| Data & Analytics | Develop and maintain reporting processes; data storytelling and new data techniques | 10–12 weeks | Data/statistics/math degree; curiosity and storytelling abilities |
| Financial Analytics | Quantitative reasoning and communication; present results to finance leadership | 10–12 weeks | 6+ hrs finance coursework; Excel and Power BI proficiency |
| Technology | Engineering and technology roles with centralized or business-partner focus | 10–12 weeks | STEM degree preferred; technical curiosity valued |
| Sales | Phone support, prospecting, and Salesforce training with advisory teams | 10–12 weeks | Relationship-building and communication skills |
| Commercial Real Estate | Acquisitions, dispositions, CMBS, PE, mortgage servicing, portfolio management | 10–12 weeks | Real estate/finance/accounting/econ degree; intermediate CRE coursework |
| Investment Operations | Full-time immersive experience across asset classes and investment management | 6–9 months | Finance/accounting/econ/data analytics degree |
| Equities | Support analyst research, portfolio management, trade execution, client responsibilities | 10–12 weeks | Advanced Excel; finance/math/stats degree; strong investment knowledge |
| Other | Legal, strategy, marketing, and communications roles posted as individual requisitions | Varies | Requirements vary by role |
Monitor careers.principal.com/internships/jobs for the full summer 2027 slate. Principal posts new tracks throughout fall 2026.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
Principal's eligibility requirements vary by track, with the actuarial internship carrying the most specific prerequisites:
• Enrollment: currently pursuing or recently completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited institution.
• Actuarial exam: the actuarial track explicitly requires at least one SOA exam completed and passed, plus a commitment to pursue FSA credentials. This is a hard filter, not a preference.
• Coursework: track-specific. Accounting requires 12+ hours of accounting coursework (summer) or 6+ hours (co-op). Financial Analytics requires 6+ hours of finance. CRE requires intermediate commercial real estate coursework.
• Work authorization: no visa sponsorship available. International students requiring sponsorship are effectively excluded.
Does Principal Financial Have a GPA Requirement?
No. Principal does not publish a minimum GPA on any internship page or job description. The actuarial track values passed SOA exams above GPA, the accounting track values coursework hours, and the technology track values demonstrated problem-solving ability. If your GPA is below 3.0, lead with exam results, project work, or relevant technical skills rather than trying to compensate for a metric Principal does not screen on.
What Skills Does Principal Financial Group Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
Principal's intern hiring reflects its identity as a retirement and asset management company with deep actuarial roots. Across 10 track descriptions and two live summer 2027 job postings, the pattern is clear: communication skills and leadership appear in every track, Excel proficiency spans five of ten, and actuarial mathematics is the defining skill for the flagship track. What does this tell you? Principal hires people who combine quantitative ability with the communication skills to present findings to leadership.
What Principal Financial Group looks for in interns
Skills across 10 Principal Financial Group intern & analyst job descriptions · Principal Financial Group live summer 2027 JDs and internship program descriptions (careers.principal.com, August 2026)
Method: skill extraction from 10 Principal Financial internship track descriptions and 2 live summer 2027 JDs (careers.principal.com, August 2026). Counts reflect number of tracks mentioning each skill.
How Is Demand for Insurance & Asset Management Interns Moving Right Now?
Insurance & asset management intern hiring right now: September 2026
Across US insurance and asset management intern postings tracked this month · aggregate market data, all employers
September 2026 shows steady demand for actuarial and analytical interns in the insurance and asset management space. Companies with large AUM like Principal are expanding data-driven roles while maintaining traditional actuarial pipelines.
Method: aggregate analysis of US insurance and asset management intern postings, September 2026 baseline. Sample indexes under half of all US postings; figures show direction and relative level, not total market share.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
And every skill in the chart maps to a remote Externship where you finish a real company project before the window closes.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Actuarial math & financial modeling | Actuarial track: cluster modeling, experience studies, foreign exchange analysis, path toward FSA credentials | Yinan Zhao Investing & Financial Modeling |
| Data visualization & leadership presentations | Financial Analytics: present results to finance leadership; Data & Analytics: storytelling to translate data into insights | Center for Improving Youth Justice Data Visualization |
| Investment analysis & portfolio management | Equities track: support analyst research and portfolio management teams; CRE: acquisitions, dispositions, PE | HP Tech Ventures Deal Sourcing & Startup Analysis |
How close is the overlap? The Yinan Zhao deliverable covers quantitative financial modeling in Principal's own vocabulary, the CIJY project builds the data visualization and presentation skills the Financial Analytics track demands, and the HP Tech Ventures work trains the investment analysis every equities intern needs.
What Is the Principal Financial Group Application and Interview Process Like?
Principal uses a structured interview process with behavioral-based questions. Glassdoor rates intern interview difficulty at 2.6 out of 5, making it notably approachable:
1. Visit careers.principal.com/internships. Browse all 10 tracks and identify the roles matching your career interests. You can apply to multiple positions.
2. Apply online through the Principal career site. Only applications submitted through the official site are considered. The actuarial track requires at least one passed SOA exam; the accounting track requires 12+ hours of accounting coursework.
3. Recruiter pre-screen. Every application is reviewed by a recruiter. If advanced, expect a traditional phone interview or an on-demand pre-recorded interview where you record answers on your own time.
4. Assessment (some positions). Depending on the role, you may complete an assessment on leadership, general employability, or coding. No specific platform (HackerRank, CodeSignal) is named.
5. Behavioral interviews. Principal uses structured interviewing with STAR-method questions. Expect one to two rounds with the hiring team. Glassdoor reviewers describe "a series of behavioral questions that tested your capacity to work collaboratively and how conflict was resolved."
6. Decision and offer. Expect to hear back within two weeks. Offers are contingent on background check completion. Relocation assistance is available for some positions.
Principal's own How We Hire page provides behavioral question examples: describe a time you worked under pressure, made a difficult decision, or created something new. Prepare five to six STAR stories covering these themes. Our HireVue question guide with a free AI mock tool covers the same format.
What the Community Says
Principal is a major Des Moines employer and a frequent topic on Iowa-area subreddits. Here is what the community reports about the internship experience.
One employee on the Des Moines subreddit described spending 2.5 years at Principal across two internships before converting to a full-time role in the actuarial and accounting area. They said they enjoy the work and offered to share more details, confirming the intern-to-FT pipeline is real.
An Iowa State student weighing offers between Principal Financial and the Federal Reserve for a summer SWE internship posted on the CS career questions subreddit. The fact that Principal competes head-to-head with a Federal Reserve internship signals the company's standing in the Midwest tech talent market.
Glassdoor reviewers consistently describe Principal's intern interviews as approachable. One reviewer said the interview entailed behavioral questions testing capacity to work collaboratively and resolve conflict. Another described it as in-person behavioral with super nice recruiters who made you feel comfortable.
How Do You Stand Out at a $781 Billion Asset Manager?
Three moves, all executable before fall 2026. First, pass at least one SOA exam, because it is explicitly required for the actuarial track. Exam P (Probability) is the standard first exam. Candidates who have passed P plus one additional exam hold a meaningful advantage. Show your exam transcript proactively. Second, demonstrate genuine interest in Principal's specific business lines, not just insurance. Principal manages $781 billion in assets across retirement services, asset management, and insurance. An actuarial candidate who can speak to retirement plan design, annuity pricing, or pension risk transfer will stand out from someone who only knows auto or health insurance. Reference Principal's acquisition of Wells Fargo's retirement business to show you understand the company's strategic direction. Third, prepare STAR-format stories covering teamwork, pressure, decision-making, and creativity. Principal's How We Hire page explicitly teaches the STAR method and provides example questions. Glassdoor rates interview difficulty below average, so standard preparation puts you in strong position.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
Principal's peer set spans life insurance, asset management, and actuarial employers, all competing for the same quantitative intern talent.
- MetLifelargest life insurer in the US by total assets; global scale with 40+ country presenceGuide →
- New York Lifelargest mutual life insurer in the US; strong actuarial rotational program (ALDP)Guide →
- Lincoln Financial GroupVault #1 Best Internship in Financial Services (2025); 10 business tracks, hybrid formatGuide →
- Nationwidemajor mutual insurer with actuarial, technology, and underwriting tracks; Columbus, OH HQGuide →
- Cignahealth services giant; actuarial AEDP program is main pathway for hiring full-time actuarial talentGuide →
Our finance internships summer 2027 guide maps the full landscape of insurance and financial services opportunities.
FAQ
Are Principal Financial internship applications open for summer 2027?
Yes, they are open now. The Actuarial Internship and Accounting Internship for summer 2027 were posted in late August 2026 at careers.principal.com. More tracks are expected to post through fall 2026. Apply immediately, as Principal fills positions on a rolling basis.
How long is a Principal Financial internship?
Ten to twelve weeks for most tracks. Standard summer internships run approximately May through August. The Accounting track also offers a six to seven month extended co-op format, and Investment Operations runs six to nine months full-time for deeper asset class immersion.
How much do Principal Financial interns get paid?
The actuarial internship pays $24 to $29 per hour, plus a $4,000 lump-sum stipend. The accounting internship pays $24 per hour with the same stipend. All Principal internships are paid and include arranged housing, free downtown parking, and a DART bus pass.
Does Principal Financial sponsor visas for interns?
No. The actuarial internship job description states that visa sponsorship is not available. International students requiring work visa sponsorship are effectively excluded from the program. Permanent US work authorization is required across all tracks.
What exams do I need for the actuarial internship?
At least one SOA actuarial exam passed. The live summer 2027 posting requires at least one actuarial exam completed and passed along with a commitment to pursue FSA credentials. Exam P (Probability) is the standard first exam most candidates complete before applying.
Where are Principal Financial internships located?
Primarily Des Moines, Iowa, where Principal is headquartered. All confirmed summer 2027 postings are in Des Moines with hybrid or in-office options. Interns receive free downtown parking and a DART bus pass. Arranged housing is available for those relocating.
What is the Principal Financial intern interview like?
Expect structured behavioral interviews using the STAR method. Glassdoor reviewers describe behavioral questions testing teamwork and conflict resolution. The process includes a recruiter pre-screen, possible assessment, and one to two rounds with the hiring team. Difficulty is rated 2.6 out of 5.
Can a Principal Financial internship lead to a full-time job?
Yes, the program is designed as a talent pipeline. One Reddit user reported converting two internships into a full-time actuarial role at Principal. The company frames the internship as a pathway to full-time employment, though no exact conversion percentage is published.
Principal's internship applications are open now, and positions fill on a rolling basis. Spend the runway building proof: a remote Externship turns interest in actuarial science or financial analytics into a finished project a fall 2026 application 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.
