12 Online Paid Internships for High School Students
If you’re a high school student looking to gain work experience, enhance your skills and earn while you’re at it, there’s a wide range of online paid internships that you can explore. Whether you’re interested in STEM fields, marketing, journalism, communication, finance, or any other field, online internships provide a flexible and accessible way to kickstart your professional journey while also focusing on school.
It can be challenging to find an internship during high school, particularly if you want to avoid the inconvenience or the added expense of commuting every day. A compelling choice is a virtual internship that will let you work from home, balance school work with your internship projects, and help you with your finances! An internship can also expose you to new possibilities in your field of interest and allow you to gain hands-on experience and build your skill set.
When it comes to online paid internships across various fields, there’s plenty of options to choose from. Here’s our list of 12 best online paid internships for high school students that you can get started with!
1. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) - Virtual Experience
Subject Areas: Neuroscience
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors in the U.S. with a strong academic record in STEM subjects
Application Deadline: Applications annually close on March 1.
Dates: July-August (5 weeks)
Stipend: $500
The John Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) provides hands-on research experiences and mentorship to high school students. JHIBS particularly seeks to reduce gaps in the field by seeking students from underrepresented backgrounds. The program offers an in-person internship as well as a completely virtual one. The virtual program involves a range of activities such as professional development training, networking activities, educational workshops, mentorship training, learning basic lab experiments and techniques, and more. Collaborative projects, discussions, and final presentations are some crucial aspects of the program. You can check out the past projects here.
2. NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships
Subject Areas: Astrophysics, aeronautics, engineering, technology, space biology, climate science, geological science, artificial intelligence, and more.
Eligibility: High school students (at least 16 years old) with a minimum 3.0 GPA and U.S. citizenship.
Application Deadline: Varies from internship to internship. Applications for summer usually close in February. Spring and fall internships are also available.
Dates: Spring: January-May (up to 16 weeks) | Summer: May/June-August (10 weeks) | Fall: August/September-December (up to 16 weeks)
Stipend: Paid (amount unspecified) based on academic level and session length
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) provides several online paid internships for high school students, accessible here. These internships will allow you to actively contribute to ongoing projects at NASA while gaining practical experience under professional mentors.
As an intern, you will engage in a range of activities, the exact nature of which will depend on the position and project. Current offerings include conservation, using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to analyze air traffic management (ATM) data, atmospheric science, social media marketing, deep learning, and polarimetry, among others.
3. American Psychological Association (APA) Internships
Subject Areas: Psychology, education, and training
Eligibility: High school students with U.S. work eligibility and residence in one of the states where APA is a registered employer (click to see which states are excluded). For students under the age of 18, an official District of Columbia Work Permit must be submitted with the application.
Application Deadline: Depends on positions and offerings
Dates: Year-round offerings (spring, summer, fall, winter)
Stipend: Paid for some internships (amount not specified)
The American Psychological Association (APA) currently offers entirely remote internships in certain states. Selected interns will get to learn about psychology and its applications and explore non-traditional career options in the field in departments like research, policy, communications, financial services, and operations.
Throughout their internship, you will apply theoretical concepts to projects, understand how a workplace functions, carry out daily tasks, attend meetings with mentors and supervisors, and participate in workshops, discussions, group projects, and more. Interns will also receive support for research, networking, university applications, federal advocacy, and resume and cover letter writing.
4. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) High School Summer Internship
Subject Areas: Plasma physics, fusion energy, and related fields
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors who are at least 16 years old and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in early March every year.
Dates: 8-10 weeks (Monday-Friday, 40 hours/week) in the summer, with the exact dates and duration depending on the student’s school schedule
Stipend: Paid (the exact amount is not specified)
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) offers internship opportunities to high school seniors to undertake during the summer after they graduate. This prestigious internship allows select students to work on projects in plasma physics and fusion energy with experienced researchers and engineers in the lab.
Applicants should have prior experience in a computational or experimental project in plasma physics, academic coursework in engineering, physics, advanced math, and chemistry, and some experience in computer and coding languages and computer-aided design (CAD).
Note: The High School Summer Internship is a commuter program but remote projects are available. Students should indicate their preference for remote projects in their application.
5. Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) Internship Program
Subject Areas: Communications, digital media, and curriculum
Eligibility: High school students at least 16 years old
Application Deadline: March 31, 2024
Dates: May-August (8-10 weeks)
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) accepts high school student interns for its Communications, Digital Media, and Curriculum Division. Selected interns will work with professional curriculum developers to create Smithsonian Science for Global Goals guides and activities related to sustainability. As an intern, you may also be required to support the department’s communications and marketing activities.
Some tasks that you may undertake include conducting interviews, recording and transcribing them, conducting research, writing, editing, participating in discussions and meetings, attending social events, and more. Make sure to keep checking the website for new opportunities.
6. U.S. Department of State’s Pathways Internship Programs
Subject Areas: Multidisciplinary - law, finance, communications, international affairs, public policy, health, engineering, environment, IT, medicine, and more
Eligibility: Students at least 16 years old with U.S. citizenship and a minimum 2.0 GPA
Application Deadline: Varies based on position
Dates: Varies based on position, but the Internship Experience Program (IEP) runs for the entire length of the student’s academic program while the Internship Temporary Program (ITEP) may take place during seasonal and holiday breaks or at any point during the year.
Stipend: Varies based on position
For high school students interested in exploring federal careers, the U.S. Department of State’s Pathways Internship Program is a great way to get started. Students can opt for the Internship Experience Program (IEP) or the Internship Temporary Program (ITEP) depending on availability.
The types of internships available will depend on when you are applying, although students can expect positions in law, space operations, cyber operations, engineering, environment protection, administration, trade, energy, health and medicine, veterinary science, and agriculture. Make sure to confirm which internships offer remote options before you apply.
7. PHC Group’s Mary Miller Summer Program
Subject Areas: Social media marketing and communications
Eligibility: Rising or current high school seniors with work authorization
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: Summer (exact dates not specified)
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
The Mary Miller Summer Program offers high school students the chance to develop leadership, teamwork and collaboration, communication, and independence. Interns will get to participate in team projects and activities with senior leadership while also developing independent projects.
Interns will work under the Public Health Director and assist the team in social media projects, online community interactions, and technical support. Some key tasks here include attending planning meetings, conducting social media research through trending, analysis, and reporting, developing regular and creative posts, and implementing feedback from team members and clients.
8. Internships at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)
Subject Areas: Foreign policy, international relations, research, communications, and more
Eligibility: High school students with U.S. work authorization
Application Deadline: The applications typically close in July (Fall Session), November (Spring Session), and March (Summer Session). (Deadlines have passed for 2023-24 and will reopen for 2024-25 after the Summer Session of 2024).
Dates: February-May (spring) | June-August (summer) | September-December (fall)
Stipend: Paid for 10 positions based on financial need (amount not specified)
The Foreign Policy Research Institute is a prestigious think tank offering students the chance to work with members of the foreign relations department. Each intern is matched with a scholar or professional who will act as their mentor and provide support for skill-building in the industry as well as in areas like communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and time management.
You will also attend events and weekly foreign policy and career-focused seminars. Internships are available in research, special events/development, communications, and operations, although opportunities are updated frequently to include editorial opportunities as well.
9. Girl Rising’s Future Rising Fellowship
Subject Areas: Climate and gender justice, media
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 17 years old. Note that individuals up to age 25 will be present in the cohort.
Application Deadline: The deadline for 2024-25 has not been announced. The deadline for 2023-24 was June 29, 2024, so students should expect a similar deadline.
Dates: August 2024 - August 2025 (one year)
Stipend: $5,000
This unique year-long opportunity provides support to young leaders interested in working at the intersection of climate and gender justice. The program provides interns with access to global artists, journalists, filmmakers, authors, advocates, climate scientists, and academics.
You will work individually on their projects using any medium of their choice (film, animation, graphic novels, essays, journalism, photography, and more) while also attending virtual group workshops and professional development sessions. Information regarding 2024’s topics is yet to be announced, but topics in 2023 included ‘Girls and Women in Conservation’ and ‘Local Solutions’. View past projects here.
10. City Limits Accountability Reporting Initiative for Youth (CLARIFY) by City Limits
Subject Areas: Investigative and public service journalism
Eligibility: NYC junior, senior, and graduating high school students
Application Deadline: Applications for spring 2024 will open soon, followed by the summer 2024 applications. Keep checking the this page to stay updated or email the team to learn more.
Dates: TBA. The Summer 2023 program took place for 10 days in July.
Stipend: $500
CLARIFY is an internship initiative of City Limits—the oldest nonprofit investigative news agency in NYC. The program seeks to involve students in public service journalism and help them improve their civic engagement, news and media literacy, and research, writing, and interviewing skills.
10-15 selected interns will be involved in multiple aspects of reporting and news writing, including research, media ethics, interviewing, photojournalism, and more. The cohort will work together and individually on reporting local issues. Although most work and sessions are conducted online, interns may occasionally have to travel locally to interview sources.
Subject Areas: Cancer biology and blood development
Eligibility: High school students or rising college freshmen at least 16 years of age and residing in Massachusetts
Application Deadline: April 14, 2024
Dates: July 15, 2024 - July 26, 2024 (2 weeks)
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
Zon Lab, located in Boston’s Children’s Hospital, runs a two-week virtual research experience that teaches students about research using zebrafish. You will work in teams to design a research project to study anemia using zebrafish as an experimental organism. Teams will generate a hypothesis, design experiments, and perform analysis, following which the lab’s scientists will perform the experiments live in the lab while students watch online. At the end, teams will present their findings.
You will also attend lectures, read scientific literature, and learn coding to graph data. In-person tours of the lab may also take place at the end. You can check the sample schedule here.
12. SPARK Summer Internship Program (SPARK SIP)
Subject Areas: Multidisciplinary - engineering, marketing, biology, technology, computer science, and more
Eligibility: High school students in the Greater Seattle area who can work for 40 hours/week for 8-12 weeks
Application deadline: Applications typically close in May (based on last year's dates). The applications will open in March/April 2024.
Dates: June-August, 2024 (6-8 weeks)
Stipend: Up to $500 offered
SPARK SIP is a selective program that connects qualified high school students with mentors, educators, and industry experts. Interns will work with their mentors in professional settings (many remote options are available) to develop a real-world project while attaining skills and knowledge.
You will need to indicate your project preferences in you application. For reference, some projects conducted in 2023 included interfacing and visualizing data, engineering sales and marketing, competitive analysis, market research, developing a detection tool for infections and cancer, conducting DNA sequence classification using electrical signatures, and more. To get updates regarding the 2024 program, you can sign up for the SPARK SIP newsletter here.
Looking for an immersive internship experience?
Check out Ladder Internships!
Ladder Internships is a selective, virtual internship program where students work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship. Apply now!
Stephen is one of the founders of Ladder Internships and a Harvard College graduate.