The weather is undoubtedly getting warmer which means Summer is quickly approaching. For those of you who are in your junior or senior year of college, this likely means securing a summer internship in order to get a step ahead in your job search in the years to come. Working a summer internship is a great first step towards landing a job after graduation. But just because it’s a temporary job doesn’t mean it has to be unpaid. Here are some of the highest paid summer internship programs (according to data found on GlassDoor) that will not only help you get ahead, but will also pay for those margaritas by the beach (and you know, maybe some books for next semester).
1. Facebook.
Facebook pays summer interns an average of $8000 a month. That’s more than most entry level positions let alone an internship, and reviews on Glassdoor are overwhelmingly positive.
“Fast paced company with high expectations, but incredibly fair. You won’t a place that cares more about it’s people.”
– Anonymous employee.
2. Microsoft
Microsoft pays interns an average of $7,100 a month.
Reviews however are somewhat mixed, with some stating that a work-life balance can be a bit challenging.
“You get to live in Seattle during the most beautiful months of the year. You get to exposure to a wide variety of business teams within Microsoft. The entire Microsoft intern experience is stellar, and it is very easy to quickly make friends with similar interests. The work is challenging, so you will push yourself to grow your skills. Also, the intern concert/experience is one of the coolest events that I have been to in my entire life.
“You can start to feel trapped inside of the Redmond/Microsoft bubble. Just make sure to get out and explore Seattle and the surrounding areas.”
—Intern in Seattle
3. Salesforce
Salesforce pays interns an average of $6,450 a month.
Interns on Glassdoor state that while it can be chaotic at times the perks well out weigh the cons.
“People: some of the smartest in the industry. Perks: they shower you with perks, especially in engineering. Location: Salesforce invests heavily in their real estate and the prime locations really show. Mobility: you have a ton of opportunities to move around in the org, especially if you’re proactive.
“Growth: Salesforce is growing at an insane rate for its size and still has a huge amount of market share left to capture. They’ll be around for a while, and there are lots of opportunities for leadership. Hardware: They invest heavily in your hardware, giving you top of the line computers (especially for engineering).
“Because Salesforce has such a high priority on growth, things can seem chaotic at times — especially in engineering. Becoming a Larger Company: As Salesforce grows, it matures and the culture changes with it. There are more processes and less one-off discretion than there used to be.”
— Software Development Intern in San Francisco, CA
4. Amazon
Amazon pays interns an average of $6,400 a month.
Recently the New York Times ran an article stating that Amazon employees were extremely overworked so I was surprised to read that the interns seem happy. They mention that while overtime can happen and they don’t seem to offer as many perks as other companies, the work is still exciting.
“The work is fast pace and exciting. Also, there are many opportunities to learn and grow. Friday Learning Series talks and Principles of Amazon (given by principle engineers) are my favorites.
“No free food like some other tech companies. On call for full-time engineers can affect work-life balance a bit (interns don’t have on call though).”
— Software Development Engineer Intern in Seattle, WA
5. Apple
Apple pays interns an average of $6,400 a month.
Apple interns state tons of perks but mention some bureaucratic tape along the way.
“Amazing team, state-of-the-art technology, really fast-paced. Company perks such as food, snacks, housing, are always great.
“Still pretty bureaucratic and it is an extremely large company. Secrecy becomes a big issue for interns because it hinders your access to information you need in order to work and can be a big time drain.”
6. BlackRock
BlackRock pays interns an average of $5,400 a month.
While the pay is high, the interns claim that communication is slightly lacking and the environment can be tense.
“I had a great learning experience on the Risk and Quantitative Analysis team at BlackRock. Things move at a very fast pace, but having BlackRock on your resume goes a long way. I feel the team could’ve done better in terms of communication. The work culture is not exactly relaxing and friendly.” — Quantitative analyst intern in New York, N.Y.
7. Capital One
Capital One pays interns an average of $5,000 a month
Interns state that the company is organized and helpful, but there is little room to give feedback.
“Very focused on getting you acclimated to the company. Well-managed program, structurally. Top management commitment to program gives interns exposure to high level associates in the bank. Little opportunity to give and get honest feedback to program management. Internship feeds into the Finance Rotation Program (FRP) where employees have little say on the types of roles they will be assigned.” — Intern in McLean, Va.
8. Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank pays interns an average of $4,640 a month.
Interns mention a strong workload with a good possibility of getting accepted to the graduate program.
“There was fair amount of workload and it got intense in the middle of the internship when we were given additional side projects that counted towards evaluation. But overall, it was a fun and memorable summer! Most people in the class of 30-ish got accepted into the full-time graduate program.
9. Bank of America
Bank of America pays interns an average of $4,570 a month.
Again reviews here are conflicted, with most stating a good opportunity for growth but mention some frustration with bank cut backs.
“You have the opportunity to converse with people at least three levels above you. “You’ll present to your manager and their managers.”
“The technology piece of the on boarding process wasn’t great. The company is growing in certain areas but cutting back in some also.” — Intern in Charlotte, N.C.
10. Visa
Visa pays interns an average of $4,480 per month.
Interns mention a family atmosphere and a cut and dry hiring process.
“Everyone tries to treat you like family, and they don’t try to act like they are above you. The majority of them just want to be successful and they know that comes with the whole team, not just one person. The hiring process is very black and white. You have to meet pre-standardized requirements before getting any position. And then moving up also requires performance reviews which are also very cut and dry.” — Technical writer intern in Highlands Ranch, Colo. May 11, 2017