High School Internships: What to Expect
High school internships work differently from summer programs, and the difference matters when you're deciding where to spend your time. A program is designed around teaching you something; an internship is a real role on someone's team, where you're expected to produce work that gets used.
That's also why paid internships for high schoolers are uncommon — many organizations can host a student but not pay one. Pathfind marks each listing as free or paid so you can see the cost before you invest an evening in an application.
Ages matter here more than in most categories. Some internships require you to be 16 or 18, and a few run during the school year rather than the summer. Read the eligibility on each posting rather than assuming you're old enough.
We found 28 verified matches below. Want the full list instead? See all Internships.
GTRI High School Summer Internship
Five-week paid summer internship for Georgia high schoolers (Georgia residents only, 16+ by April 2027) working on real STEM research projects — robotics, drones, radar physics, piezoelectric systems — with GTRI engineers and scientists. Runs June 14–July 23, up to 24 hrs/week; no housing provided.
Lockheed Martin High School Internship Program
Nine-plus week paid internship working alongside aerospace and defense engineers on real projects at a Lockheed Martin site (Denver, Sunnyvale, Cape Canaveral, King of Prussia, Huntsville, or Herndon), with mentoring, workshops, and networking events. Must be 16+, live within commuting distance of a site, and not a graduating senior.
Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research
Paid summer research internship in an NIH laboratory for students who are at least 17 years old, working alongside scientists on biomedical research in Bethesda or another NIH campus.
SEP High School Intern Program
Paid eight-week summer research internship at UCSF with a scientist mentor in neuroscience, immunology, or molecular biology, paying $4,500 on completion. Roughly 25 spots, open only to juniors at SFUSD or San Francisco public charter high schools.
SEES Summer High School Internship
NASA-funded research internship using real mission data in astronomy, planetary science, and remote sensing, with a two-week on-site stay in Austin plus virtual projects. For U.S. citizens in 10th or 11th grade who are 16 by the start. Selected students attend on scholarship or as fee-based participants, and travel scholarships may be available. The 2026 deadline was February 22 and the next cycle is not announced; the program says its future depends on funding.
Genomics Research Internship (GRIPS)
Eight-week wet-lab genomics research internship with a Stanford mentor, free apart from a waivable $55 application fee. You must be 16+ with a 3.0 GPA and live in one of six Bay Area counties.
Careers in Science Internship
Multi-year paid internship in Golden Gate Park for SFUSD 9th and 10th graders underrepresented in STEM, doing fieldwork and visitor programs through graduation. Requires a 2.5 GPA and a 2-3 year commitment.
Experiences in Research
Paid six-week internship ($500/week) working about 30-35 hours a week with Berkeley Lab scientists on real projects in data science, coding, or experimentation. Northern California students who turn 16 by mid-June, with priority near the Berkeley site.
AI4ALL Summer Internship
Ten-week internship at UCSF Mission Bay working with faculty on biomedical research using data science and AI. Restricted to SFUSD juniors taking AP Statistics or AP Computer Science; unpaid and you commute daily.
Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program
Eight-week summer research internship placing students in a Mason faculty lab. Remote, hybrid and in-person wet-lab placements are offered; wet-lab placements require you to be 16 by the start date, the others 15.
Breakthrough Teaching Fellowship
Paid summer teaching internship where high school and college students teach middle school classes through a Breakthrough affiliate site, receiving training and classroom coaching.
Genesys Works Bay Area
Free eight-week summer technical and professional training followed by a paid, year-long corporate internship during senior year. Open to students from partner high schools; interns earn roughly $10,000-$13,000 over the year.
High School Explainer Program
Paid part-time museum job in San Francisco (about $19.61/hour, ~7.5 hours a week) where teens lead demonstrations and staff exhibits after 60+ hours of training. Ages 15-18, no science background required; postings open in July and March.
KP LAUNCH High School Internship
Paid seven-week summer internship across Northern California Kaiser facilities in non-clinical roles like operations, IT, communications, and finance. Ages 16-19 living in a Northern California KP service area; 2027 applications open in November.
Met Museum Summer High School Internship
Paid summer internship placing NY/NJ/CT high schoolers (grades 10-11) with Met museum professionals in curatorial, education, design, imaging, or social media teams. Interns receive a $1,100 completion stipend. 2027 application deadline not yet published — check the Met's internship page.
NASA Internships (STEM Gateway)
NASA's official internship portal lists paid and unpaid opportunities at NASA centers and in virtual projects, with high school eligibility varying by session. Students apply through the portal and must be U.S. citizens.
Next Generation STEM Internship Program
Seven to ten weeks on site at Oak Ridge working alongside research and professional staff on a STEM project. Open to rising juniors and seniors and to recent graduates who have not yet enrolled in a degree programme.
One Summer Chicago
Chicago's summer jobs, internships, and training for youth ages 14 to 24, with city agencies, companies, and community groups.
Project Pull
Paid eight-week internship placing San Francisco juniors and seniors in city departments like the SF Public Utilities Commission, with weekly STEAM enrichment alongside the paid work.
PYNtern Program
Paid work-based learning in Philadelphia. Rising 9th and 10th graders start with career exploration, and older teens move into internships.
Smithsonian Internships
Internship listings across Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo, spanning collections, science, education, and communications. Each posting states its own grade and age requirements.
Student Conservation Association Programs
Paid conservation crews and internships where students work on trail building, habitat restoration, and park service projects in national parks and public lands. Positions list their own age and session requirements.
Student Leaders Program
Paid eight-week summer internship with a local nonprofit plus a week-long national leadership summit, for students with a record of community involvement.
Summer Student Research Program
Seven-week full-time program pairing you one-on-one with UCSF researchers and clinicians, ending in a research symposium; high schoolers received a $3,000 stipend. Requires being 16+ and demonstrating economic, educational, or medical disadvantage.
Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)
Paid summer work and career exploration for New York City youth ages 14 to 24.
TAG-Ed High School Summer Internship
Eight-week summer STEM internship in Georgia where interns are matched with host companies and work in pairs on a defined project. Paid and unpaid placements exist, and students must be 17 by June 1 and able to work in the U.S.
USC Unruh Institute High School Summer Internship
Online summer internship researching and writing a legislative policy memo on a climate or sustainability bill, with mentorship and guest-speaker sessions from USC's Center for the Political Future. Open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a 3.5+ unweighted GPA; graduating seniors not eligible. 2027 dates not yet announced — sign up for the program newsletter.
Youth Conservation Corps (YCC)
Paid summer job on a crew in a national park, doing needed work on public lands. Open to U.S. permanent residents ages 15 to 18.