The Top 25 Highest Paying Internships for College Students

Internships can be the stepping stone to a successful career. They are the best medium to gain experience in a field and take a career in the right direction while developing a professional network. This is the main reason a lot of students are happy to work for unpaid internships.

But not all internships are unpaid. As a matter of fact, there are several high paying internships. These internships are highly-coveted and competitive.

In this list, I'll share with you the Top 25 Highest Paying Internships for graduate and undergraduate students. Most of these internships pay more than twice the national average intern salary. All data provided here is from Glassdoor, for internships with more than one reported salary.

Just one disclaimer: Glassdoor salary data is anonymous and self-reported, so subject to the same set of reliability concerns that any anonymous, self-reported data would be. People like to boast about their wage, and nothing keeps them from reporting higher wages than they actually earned. So, read this list with that caveat in mind.

1. Pharmacy

Highest Monthly Salary: $11,833 to $15,416 / Month

Coming in first place is a Pharmacy Internship. A Pharmacy Intern's role is to work in a hospital or retail store under the supervision of licensed pharmacists. This training is important for gaining practical experience working in a real hospital or healthcare setting.

The internship may last a year or two. Pharmacy Interns are expected to learn and practice basic customer service skills in addition to:

• Verifying prescriptions
• Recording each prescription you fill
• Packaging drugs
• Collecting payment

You may also need to mix compounds for prescriptions.

Companies offering the highest pay for Pharmacy internships
Ultimate Care

2. Dentist

Highest Monthly Salary: $13,194 / Month

Dentist Interns are responsible for assisting dentists during treatment, which may include mixing bonding agents and impression material, suctioning, preparing bleach, treating some patients without oversight, taking computer images, preparing case discussions, taking mouth x-rays, and starting temporary crowns for patients.

Dentist Interns will also do the following during the course of their internship:

• Shadow dentists and receive training with routine cleanings, extractions, suctioning, and abscesses
• Work with endodontists to learn about using x-rays and preparing files
• Work with oral surgeons to prepare scalpels, sutures, suctioning, and retraction
• Assist orthodontists in mixing cement and light curing
• Help periodontists prepare sutures, scalpels, suction, and mix packing gum.

Companies offering the highest pay for Dentist internships
Jefferson Dental Clinics

3. Summer Associate

Highest Monthly Salary: $11,000 to $15,000 / Month

Summer Associate Interns work in diverse industries, such as transportation, healthcare, finance, electronics, energy, or nonprofit.

Summer Associates will:

• Gain practical experience by working with companies of different sizes across industry verticals
• Get exceptional training, coaching, and mentoring from seniors or full-time consultants
• Working directly with a team in all forms of client engagement and make recommendations in collaboration with the team

Companies offering the highest pay for Summer Associate internships
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
McKinsey & Company
Norton Rose Fulbright
Bain & Company

4. Senior Associate

Highest Monthly Salary: $10,000 to $12,000 / Month

Senior Associate Interns get the opportunity to apply academic and work experience to help clients solve challenging business problems.

Responsibilities for a Senior Associate Intern include:

• Applying academic and work knowledge in team environments
• Working to solve client problems across numerous industries and verticals
• Creating advanced reports and preparing presentations
• Working on international projects and consequently receiving international leadership experience

Companies offering the highest pay for Senior Associate internships
PwC

5. Geophysicist

Highest Monthly Salary: $10,425 / Month

Consistently one of the highest paying internships, duties of a Geophysicist Intern include:

• Collaborating with geophysicists to process and interpret micro, seismic, geological and geophysical data
• Working on field surveys
• Working with data and analytics

Companies offering the highest pay for Geophysicist internships
ExxonMobil

6. Trading

Highest Monthly Salary: $8,916 / Month

Trading Interns are responsible for:

• Putting together market updates
• Learning about the world's financial markets
• Understanding how to trade equities
• Working with experienced traders to analyze hedge risk
• Assisting seniors in making arbitrage strategies

Companies offering the highest pay for Trading internships
Jane Street

7. Quantitative Analyst

Highest Monthly Salary: $9,765 / Month

Quantitative Analyst Interns are responsible for:

• Performing analysis of financial models
• Validating models performed by teams in the development of statistical and analytical testing and benchmark methodologies
• Producing clear and detailed test results
• Providing written communication of findings
• Presenting results to management

Companies offering the highest pay for Quantitative Analyst internships
D. E. Shaw & Co.

8. Software Engineer

Highest Monthly Salary: $9,000 to $10,000 / Month

Software Engineer Interns have the opportunity to work with some of the newest programming languages and frameworks. You are responsible for:

• Using front-end and back-end programming languages to create end-to-end, scalable apps that improve the performance of products
• Improving code and testing
• Helping improve the reliability of customer-facing products

Companies offering the highest pay for Software Engineering internships
Citadel
Snapchat
Lyft
Airbnb
Facebook
Google

9. Research Engineer

Highest Monthly Salary: $9,000 / Month

Research Engineer Internsgain practical experience in product development.
Responsibilities include:

• Assisting scientists or seniors in executing and reporting experiments
• Supporting the application team in product development for product demonstrations, technical presentations, or client visits
• Aiding in the sensory evaluation of products

Companies offering the highest pay for Research Engineer internships
ExxonMobil

10. Investment Banking

Highest Monthly Salary: $8,000 to $10,000 / Month

Investment Banking Interns work with professionals and analysts to gain the necessary knowledge to become integral members of investment banking teams.

Responsibilities for the intern may include:

• Shadowing and learning from Senior Investment Bankers
• Assisting teams with investment research and analysis
• Participating in social events and meeting industry experts with colleagues

Companies offering the highest pay for Investment Banking internships
Barclays
Citi
Wells Fargo

11. Product Manager

Highest Monthly Salary: $8,000 to $9,000 / Month

Product Manager Interns are groomed to be future Product Managers. As part of the product management team, you are responsible for:

• Spearheading transformation of company products
• Joining a team of catalysts whose role is to innovate and develop products
• Bridging technical and business worlds with innovative products and acumen
• Breaking complex problems down into steps to drive product development

Companies offering the highest pay for Product Manager internships
Amazon
EBay

12. Manager Intern

Highest Monthly Salary: $8,888 / Month

Manager Interns work on real projects to gain actual insight into the professional life of a manager. Working alongside committed professionals, interns will gain both formal and informal training to hone their managerial skills.

Companies offering the highest pay for Manager internships