A Good IT Intern Could Set You Back

These days, the competition for top-notch technology workers starts before entry-level positions: The scramble for interns is fierce, with computer science interns at the bachelor’s degree level earning roughly $19 per hour on average, according to a new survey.

The survey, released last week by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, found that computer science interns had among the highest average hourly wages for bachelor’s degree-level interns. The top-earning interns were in engineering ($20.36 per hour), computer science ($18.96 per hour) and mathematics ($18.15 per hour), NACE found.

Among interns with a Master’s degree, the top earners again were engineering majors ($24.43 per hour), physical sciences ($23.58), mathematics ($23.40) and business ($23.02) majors, the study found.

In addition, paid interns also had a distinct advantage over their unpaid counterparts when it came to securing employment upon graduation. For example, 63 percent of paid interns received at least one job offer after graduation, compared with just 37 percent of unpaid interns.

Paid interns also saw higher starting salaries than those with unpaid or no internships, the study found. The median starting salary for new grads with paid internship experience was $51,930, far outpacing their peers with an unpaid internship ($35,721) or no internship experience ($37,087).

The federal government offers a variety of paid internships, including the new Pathways programs, which offer internships to students from high school to the graduate level. A quick search of USAJOBs shows that some federal Pathways interns can earn upwards of $40,000 per year, which, on the top end, is fairly competitive with what the private sector is offering to IT interns.

What are your thoughts on the NACE study? Can federal agencies effectively compete with the private sector for top-notch IT interns?