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

Last updated: July 2026

RTX is the #2 U.S. defense contractor by revenue ($90.4 billion) with 180,000 employees across three business units: Raytheon, Collins Aerospace, and Pratt & Whitney. The company runs intern and co-op programs at 34 locations nationwide, and positions fill fast once fall recruiting begins. For the summer 2027 cycle, requisitions are expected to start posting in August–September 2026, roughly 8–10 months before the late-May start. Raytheon hires on a rolling basis, and multiple Reddit threads warn that intern slots are "the first to fill up once fall season hits." Miss the first two weeks and you may be competing for whatever remains.

Quick Facts

The two numbers that matter: positions expected to post August–September 2026 for summer 2027, and rolling review that fills seats well before postings close. And unlike many tech companies, US citizenship is mandatory for virtually every Raytheon role.

Externships are short, remote professional experience programs where you finish a real project with a real company. The Hydroficient IoT Cyber Defense Externship and the Wayfair AI Agent Engineering for Business Intelligence Externship build exactly the systems-thinking and technical project evidence a September application needs. Explore all Externships.

What Is a Raytheon (RTX) Internship?

A Raytheon internship is a paid, 10–12-week summer placement that puts college students into real engineering and business roles across RTX’s three business units: Raytheon (missiles, radar, cybersecurity), Collins Aerospace (avionics, aircraft systems), and Pratt & Whitney (jet engines). And the intern experience rates well: 4.8 out of 5 on Glassdoor from intern reviews, significantly higher than the 3.8 overall company rating, with a 4.0/5 work-life balance score. RTX runs 10 rotational Leadership Development Programs that have graduated over 4,000 alumni, and interns can enter the full-time pipeline directly: the community consensus is that return offers go to essentially everyone who wants one.

When Do Raytheon (RTX) Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

Raytheon’s hiring calendar is consistent and community-documented: intern requisitions open in early September, with peak application volume September through November and interviews running October through February. For summer 2027, you apply in fall 2026, roughly 8–10 months before the late-May start. The average time from application to hire is about 20 days once your file gets picked up, but add 2–4 weeks for interim security clearance processing after the offer. One pattern worth knowing: positions are reviewed on a rolling basis and close once the pool is sufficient, so the posted deadline is a ceiling, not a target.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

The r/Raytheon community says it plainly: "Intern positions are the first to fill up once fall season hits. Requisitions open at the beginning of September." Rolling means the class fills while postings are still technically open, and by mid-winter another thread confirms "these positions are normally filled by now." Most applicants treat the posted closing date as the real deadline. Don't. By the time that date arrives, hiring managers have been interviewing for months, and the remaining seats are whatever teams couldn't fill in the first wave.

Which Raytheon (RTX) Internship Programs Should You Target?

RTX runs intern and co-op positions across three business units and 12+ functional tracks. Which one should you pick? The honest answer is the one whose skills you can already show, because each track interviews against its own job description and hiring manager preferences.

See all tracks on the official campus page. Additional tracks include Supply Chain, Program Management, Communications, Government Security, and Operations. Post-graduation, RTX offers 10 rotational Leadership Development Programs (2-year LDPs) across engineering, finance, digital, HR, and operations that have graduated 4,000+ alumni.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Raytheon publishes consistent requirements across its intern postings, with one that dominates everything else:

• US citizenship: mandatory for virtually all positions. Raytheon work is overwhelmingly ITAR-controlled, and job postings state: "U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance." No exceptions for green card holders on most defense roles. No H-1B sponsorship for interns.

• Enrollment: must be pursuing a Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant STEM field, enrolled full-time, and returning to school after the internship. Minimum sophomore standing by start date.

• GPA: 3.0 cumulative preferred, listed as "preferred" or "desired" rather than a hard cutoff on most postings. Leadership Development Programs require 3.0 or higher.

• Security clearance: most positions require ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance. Some require higher. Factor in 2–4 weeks for clearance processing after receiving an offer.

Does Raytheon Hire International Students?

In practice, no, for nearly all intern positions. The ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) and security clearance requirements restrict access to U.S. citizens only. This isn't a preference or soft guideline; it's a legal compliance requirement for defense work. International students on F-1 visas, green card holders, and dual citizens of certain countries are generally not eligible. The narrow exceptions would be Collins Aerospace’s commercial-facing roles or Pratt & Whitney’s commercial engine programs, but even these frequently carry citizenship requirements. If you need visa sponsorship, Raytheon’s intern program is effectively not an option.

What Skills Does Raytheon (RTX) Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

Raytheon intern postings across engineering tracks are consistent about what they screen for: technical depth in your specific discipline, plus the behavioral competencies the STAR interview probes. Problem solving and analytical thinking appear in virtually every posting. Communication and teamwork show up just as frequently, because defense programs are large, cross-functional efforts where an intern who can’t explain their work to a team of 3–4 interviewers won’t get the offer. The technical asks stay track-specific: SWE wants Python, C++, and Linux; Mechanical wants CAD and FEA; EE wants MATLAB and signal processing. What does the mix tell you? Raytheon hires engineers who can solve problems and communicate about them, then trains the domain.

How Is Demand for Engineering Interns Moving Right Now?

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 application window opens.

How close is the overlap? The Hydroficient deliverable is a cybersecurity project in the defense-systems vocabulary Raytheon’s own postings use, and the finished engineering artifacts all three Externships produce are the "tell me about a time you solved a technical problem" evidence the STAR interview demands.

What Is the Raytheon (RTX) Application and Interview Process Like?

Raytheon’s funnel is leaner than you might expect for a company this size, averaging about 20 days from application to decision, plus clearance processing time:

1. Apply at careers.rtx.com with a resume, most recent transcript (including cumulative GPA and graduation date), and application questions. Upload one application per role; apply to multiple positions if eligible.

2. ATS screening and resume review. The system checks citizenship, GPA, graduation date, and relevant major. Transcripts are verified against the posting’s requirements.

3. Phone or video interview with the hiring manager and 2–3 team members, 30–60 minutes. STAR-format behavioral questions about teamwork, problem solving, and past projects, plus a resume walkthrough and light technical discussion specific to the role.

4. Offer (conditional on clearance). If selected, you receive an offer contingent on passing a background check and obtaining interim security clearance. Glassdoor rates interview difficulty at 2.5 out of 5, with the process described as approachable and fit-focused.

There is no standardized online assessment, no HireVue, and no LeetCode-style coding challenge for most Raytheon intern roles. The process "is entirely up to that specific hiring manager" on what is asked and how many rounds are involved. Prepare for behavioral rounds with the STAR method: our HireVue question guide with a free AI mock tool builds the same time-pressure muscle even though Raytheon doesn’t use HireVue specifically.

What Students on Reddit Say

Three threads from r/Raytheon show the process from the inside.

How Do You Stand Out When Rolling Review Fills Seats in Weeks?

Three moves, all executable before September. First, apply in week one; rolling review combined with limited intern slots makes timing itself a filter, and the community confirms positions are "normally filled" by mid-winter. Second, show technical depth in your discipline's language. The STAR interview probes your past projects, so a finished engineering or data project answers "tell me about a time you solved a technical problem" with an artifact instead of an anecdote. Third, be flexible on location. RTX provides relocation stipends ($2,500–$5,000), and less obvious sites like Tucson and McKinney have lower competition than the East Coast hubs. And remember: the return offer is described as "your offer to lose." Interview like someone auditioning for the full-time seat, because you're.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Raytheon’s peer set is the Big Five U.S. defense primes, plus adjacent aerospace players with their own intern pipelines.

Our engineering internships guide covers the full market of STEM internships across defense, aerospace, and tech.

FAQ

When do Raytheon internship applications open for summer 2027?

Based on previous cycles, Raytheon intern requisitions typically open in early September, with the peak application window running September through November. For summer 2027, expect positions to start posting on careers.rtx.com in August–September 2026. The community strongly advises applying within the first week or two of a posting going live, as positions fill quickly on a rolling basis.

Does Raytheon require US citizenship for internships?

Yes. Virtually all Raytheon internship positions require US citizenship because the work involves ITAR-controlled defense technology and requires security clearance eligibility. Job postings state: "U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance." International students on F-1 visas and green card holders are generally not eligible, and RTX doesn't sponsor H-1B visas for interns.

What GPA do I need for a Raytheon internship?

A 3.0 cumulative GPA is the commonly cited preferred minimum across most Raytheon intern postings. it's listed as "preferred" or "desired" rather than a hard cutoff. For Leadership Development Programs, 3.0 or higher is required. Students below 3.0 with strong relevant projects, prior internships, or leadership experience may still receive consideration.

How much do Raytheon interns get paid?

Raytheon interns earn $27–$43 per hour depending on role, location, and academic level. The most common range is $33–35/hr for software and systems engineering roles. RTX also provides relocation stipends (reported at $2,500–$5,000) and benefits including medical, dental, 401(k) match, and paid time off.

What is the Raytheon internship interview like?

Raytheon uses behavioral interviews based on the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Expect a phone or video interview with the hiring manager and 2–3 team members, lasting 30–60 minutes. Questions focus on past teamwork experiences, problem solving, and cultural fit rather than intense technical grilling. Glassdoor rates interview difficulty at 2.5/5. There is typically no standardized online assessment or coding challenge.

Do Raytheon interns get return offers?

Community consensus is that return offers are very common, described as "your offer to lose" by multiple Reddit users. Typical conversion offers for engineering roles are around $78–80K base salary plus a $10K sign-on bonus and $5K relocation. However, some experienced engineers caution that RTX’s long-term compensation growth can be slow compared to tech-industry peers, so new graduates should research market rates carefully.

What is the difference between Raytheon, Collins Aerospace, and Pratt & Whitney internships?

All three are business units under RTX Corporation. Raytheon focuses on defense systems (missiles, radar, cybersecurity) with major hubs in Tucson AZ, McKinney TX, and Tewksbury MA. Collins Aerospace specializes in avionics and aircraft systems (Cedar Rapids IA, Fort Wayne IN). Pratt & Whitney makes jet engines (East Hartford CT, West Palm Beach FL). All share the same careers portal (careers.rtx.com) and benefits structure, but each has its own culture, projects, and hiring managers.

Does Raytheon provide housing or relocation for interns?

Yes. RTX provides relocation stipends for interns, reported at $2,500–$5,000 depending on the position. Some locations offer corporate housing options. Software engineering interns have reported $4,000 in housing and relocation support. The community advises being open to less competitive locations (like Tucson), as RTX covers moving costs and these sites often have lower cost of living.

Applications are rolling and the first wave of seats fills within weeks. Spend the runway building proof: a remote Externship turns "interested in engineering" into a finished technical project a September application can point at.