10 Paid Business Internships for High School Students
Internships offer a great opportunity for high school students to explore different career fields, develop a range of valuable skills, and gain hands-on experience in a professional environment. These programs allow you to get an early start on potential career paths, helping you make an informed decision.
Early exposure through internships can be valuable for students interested in pursuing a career in business. Doing a business internship not only helps you stand out in college admissions but also offers practical experience that will be useful in your future career. By getting professional experience in fields such as finance, marketing, management, or entrepreneurship, you can gain a competitive edge when applying to undergraduate business programs or future job opportunities.
Here are 10 paid business internship programs for high school students that you can consider.
Location: Various locations across the U.S. and Washington, D.C.
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors in high school who are legally authorized to work in the U.S., are in good academic standing, and permanently reside in an eligible location
Stipend: $11/hour
Application Deadline: January 15, 2025
Dates/Duration: 8 weeks, including a 1-week conference in Washington, D.C.
The Bank of America Student Leaders Program offers a paid internship with a local nonprofit organization, where you contribute to meaningful community initiatives and develop essential skills that prepare you for future business success. Each year, over 300 high school juniors and seniors from more than 100 communities nationwide are selected for this program, which offers unique opportunities for professional growth, employment, and service.
In addition to your internship, you will have the opportunity to attend a national leadership summit, where you will engage with like-minded peers and industry professionals, gaining exposure to critical civic, social, and business leadership strategies. The program is designed to broaden your understanding of how different sectors—government, business, and nonprofits—work together to address pressing community needs.
Location: Various NASA centers
Eligibility: High school and college-level students
Stipend: Majority of interns will receive a stipend
Application Deadline:
Summer 2025: February 28, 2025
Fall 2025: May 16, 2025
Dates/Duration: 10 weeks
NASA’s internship programs offer an opportunity for 2,000 students annually, split into two cohorts, to gain hands-on experience in fields such as science, engineering, finance, information technology, and business. You will work closely with leading professionals, including research scientists, engineers, and business experts, who serve as mentors throughout the program.
These internships give you real-world experience, allowing you to contribute to project management, financial planning, and operational tasks in a space-related business environment. Additionally, you will participate in field visits to NASA centers and present a final project showcasing the work you’ve completed during the program.
Location: Meta headquarters, Menlo Park, CA
Eligibility: High school sophomores who are full-year residents of East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, or Redwood City with a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA
Stipend: Paid
Application Deadline: March 1, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Dates/Duration: June 17 – July 26, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
As a participant in the Meta Summer Academy, you will have the chance to explore the world of technology and learn coding skills while exploring a variety of career paths. The program focuses on fostering economic success, stability, and mobility by providing skills development and early career exploration in the tech industry. You will be mentored by Meta professionals who will introduce you to fields such as technology, machine learning and AI, finance, environmental science, sustainability, business, marketing, and more. In addition to building technical knowledge, you’ll also develop critical soft skills, which will be helpful in various sectors.
Location: Warner Bros. Discovery Studios, Burbank, CA
Eligibility: High-school seniors from Burbank or Los Angeles County with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 who plan to attend an accredited college or university
Stipend: $5,000 scholarship towards college
Application Deadline: TBA for 2025, typically in February
Dates/Duration: TBA for 2025
The Warner Bros. Discovery Reach Honorship Program is an internship designed for graduating high school seniors who are passionate about the business side of media and entertainment. If you’re interested in exploring the corporate and studio aspects of the entertainment industry, this program is a good fit. You will have the chance to dive into a range of business functions, from traditional roles such as finance, human resources, operations, marketing, and communications, to more specialized, technical, or creative areas like content development, post-production, sound editing, and game design. This program is suitable for those who want to gain a deeper understanding of how both the business and creative sides of the industry work together to produce entertainment.
Location: Various locations in Kansas City, MO
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
Stipend: $12/hr; $2,500 upon program completion
Application Deadline: February 1, 2025
Dates/Duration: TBA for 2025
As a participant in the Young Entrepreneurs Program, you will have the opportunity to explore the world of entrepreneurship while learning from professionals across a wide range of fields, including engineering, marketing, product management, sales, finance, and analytics. This internship is designed to sharpen your entrepreneurial mindset through hands-on experience, allowing you to develop the skills necessary to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape. By working on real projects and receiving mentorship from industry experts, you'll gain valuable insights into how different business functions come together to create and sustain successful ventures.
Location: Varies, usually at the KP office closest to your home address
Eligibility: High school students between the ages 16-19 who have a permanent residence in a Northern California Kaiser Permanente designated service area
Stipend: $23/hour
Application Deadline: Applications open on November 18, 2024
Dates/Duration: June 16 – August 1, 2025
The Kaiser Permanente (KP) Launch Program is designed for high school students who want to explore administrative and supporting careers in the healthcare industry. While this is a healthcare internship, you do not participate in medical treatment or procedures and instead get an insider look into healthcare through professional skills development training. We have included this program in this list because the internship allows you to gain exposure to disciplines such as accounting, finance, administration, compliance, program management, sales and marketing, and more which are valuable for you as a business intern. This program is known for its comprehensive offering and elaborate resources.
Location: Various locations in New York City, NY
Eligibility: Students aged 16 – 24 enrolled in high school or college who have prior paid or volunteer work experience and are a resident of one of the five boroughs of New York City
Stipend: Paid internship (wage not specified)
Application Deadline: January 21, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Dates/Duration: Varies according to internship
Ladders for Leaders is a component of NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program which offers you the opportunity to participate in paid professional summer internships with leading corporations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies in New York City. The program is designed to prepare you for employer hiring processes with pre-employment training. The internship trains you in workplace readiness skills and business etiquette as well as job application processes like building a résumé and cover letter, interview skills, etc. As an alumni of the internship program, you will also get invited to networking events to boost your career.
Location: Various locations across the U.S.
Eligibility: High school seniors who:
Are students of color
Are at least 18 years old
Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0
Plan to attend a 4-year accredited college or university
Are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
Stipend: Stipend determined by EBF partners with whom you will intern
Application Deadline: Typical in early January
Dates/Duration: May – June 2025
The Emma Bowen Foundation Summer Internship is an 8-week internship program for high school or undergraduate college students of color who want to pursue a career in media or tech. This is a comprehensive program for students interested in being a business executive, producer, journalist, web developer, engineer, PR agent, or sales representative in the media, entertainment, and technology industries. The program hosts a class of 150 new and returning EBF Fellows who intern at EBF partners. As part of the program, you will have access to professional development workshops and annual conferences, one-to-one career coaching and mentorship, and exposure to industry professionals and executives.
Location: Various locations across the U.S.
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 – 18
Stipend: Paid internship, amount unspecified
Application Deadline: Information not available
Dates/Duration: TBA for 2025, June onwards
CLA’s high school internship program is a paid program designed to train business, accounting, and professional services aspirants. The internship is a hands-on learning experience working with clients on real projects as you develop new skills. You will have the chance to learn about different career paths within professional services. Internships are offered at various locations across the country.
Location: Various locations across the U.S.
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens, at least 16 years old, and have a minimum 2.0 GPA
Stipend: Stipend determined by the department you will join
Application Deadline: Varies according to internship
Dates/Duration: Varies according to the internship
The U.S. Department of State’s Pathways Internship Program includes the Internship Experience Program and the Internship Temporary Program where you will get the opportunity to work with federal departments such as Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Management and Budget, Department of Commerce, Department of Transportation, etc. As an aspiring business professional, working in Federal departments can provide an insider view of how the government functions across various business areas, such as finance, management, and human resources. Internship vacancy announcements are posted on USAJobs and will be paid a stipend according to the government’s pay scales along with benefits.
You can also check out Young Founders Lab
The Young Founder’s Lab is a real-world start-up boot camp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating start-up that addresses a real-world problem. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X.
Apart from building the start-up itself, you will participate in interactive classes on business fundamentals and business ideations, workshops and skill-building sessions, case studies, panel discussions, and more.
The program is an excellent opportunity to delve into the world of business in high school and have a space to explore multiple theoretical as well as practical frameworks that lead to a successful business. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
Cost: The total cost to attend the 3-week program is $2,900. There is need-based financial aid
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
Program Dates: December 21, 2024 – January 5, 2025 for the upcoming winter cohort
Application Deadline: November 24, 2024 for the upcoming winter cohort. You can access the application link here!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.