Length of Internships, Pay, Benefits, and Perks 

The typical length of an internship is 6-9 months; however, 20% indicated that the length of their internships was negotiable. On average, interns are paid between $18 and $20/hour (external consulting positions pay $18-$20/hour, while the average hourly pay for internal consulting positions is $21-$23). Of those who responded, ten indicated that their internships were unpaid, and four pay their interns $27/hour or more.  

The average number of hours that interns are expected to work each week is approximately 20-25 (external consulting internships average between 20-25 hours/week while internal consulting internships average 25-30 hours); however, the two most frequent responses were 15-20 hours and 35-40 hours with 19% of respondents selecting each, a result that may reflect the availability of full and part-time internships.  

Additionally, interns with educational backgrounds in I/O psychology tend to make a slightly higher hourly wage than interns with other educational backgrounds but they also tend to work more hours (35-40 hours/week).  

Thirty-three respondents indicated that they provide interns with benefits and other perks. Most frequently these organizations provide health (medical and in some cases, dental) insurance (33% of those commenting), pay for all or part of expenses related to SIOP, including dues and travel to the annual conference (30%), and/or provide various training opportunities, such as project management courses (24%). A few organizations pay for parking and relocation, and some offer paid vacation days and flex time. Of particular interest to graduate students, three organizations specifically indicated that interns would have the opportunity to gather data for their thesis either during or after the internship; several even offer tuition reimbursement.  

Roughly 29% of the respondents indicated that qualified interns are likely to be offered a permanent position at the end of their internship contract. 

What does this mean for internship seekers? The average hourly wage for interns is approximately $19/hour. The number of hours you will be expected to work will depend on if the internship is full or part-time. While internal positions offer slightly more pay, you may also be expected to work more hours per week. The length of the internship is negotiable in some cases but on average will be 6-9 months.

I-O Internships Table of Contents || SIOP Home