A report from Glassdoor got picked up by the NYT and is getting some attention. Turns out some interns are highly paid, with the top interns getting $7K per month base. That’s pretty good alright.
The report itself is pretty thin – the requirements were that the companies analysed had to have at least 20 interns work there (yep, just 20 to qualify) over the 2 year period of the study. And they (obviously) had to have submitted to the glassdoor survey. So, I’m a little wary that the results are pretty skewed.
But that said, it’s probably not much of a surprise – in technology companies that are racing to the top (and garnering $19B acquisitions) it’s a supply and demand world that is particularly focussed at the moment. For the best interns – and let’s understand that being an intern doesn’t necessarily mean you are beginner – the value you can contribute can be huge. Getting stuff done is key. And burning the midnight hours continually is something that only the younger folk (see how I generalised there) can reliably do.
And of course, it’s only some interns making this kind of dosh, meaning that most aren’t. Plus, these are just cycles – in a few years from now when the ridiculous valuations have cooled and people are actally looking at profit again, these crazy salaries will even out. We’ve seen it before with SAP consultants, SharePoint developers and any other type of do-er that is in demand.
Make hay while the sun shines.
