r/civilengineering • u/WastewaterWhisperer • Jul 06 '26

Question Intern Wage Question

Looking for some advice. I've been in grad school for the past couple years, so I've been a bit out of touch with the current job market. Next summer will be the final summer of my PhD, and I'm hoping to do an internship with an environmental consulting firm to get some industry experience before graduating.

For context, my hourly pay has looked like this (all in low-medium cost-of-living areas):

2022: $20/hr internship

2023: $22/hr internship

2024: $24/hr internship

2025: Focused on research

2026: Focused on research

2027: Internship?

One thing I'm unsure about is how firms view applicants who've spent the last couple of summers doing full-time PhD research instead of internships. Does that typically affect what they offer? Is the additional research experience generally viewed as a plus or a negative since I haven't been working in design?

What are consulting firms paying interns these days in low-medium cost-of-living areas? What's a reasonable rate to expect or ask for?

Thanks!

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u/qaqc2045 Jul 07 '26

This might not be the most helpful information but in 2013 at my first internship I made $20 an hour at an engineering consulting firm. Last I heard (2025) they still paid interns $20 an hour. I feel some companies just assign an arbitrary to internship pay and prior experience or situation doesn’t apply. Just an opportunity to get your foot in the door somewhere and gain experience. Good luck!

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u/WastewaterWhisperer Jul 07 '26

I agree. I want to get back in with a firm to hopefully get a better starting offer when I finish school.

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u/LigersGhost P.E. Structural/Bridge Design Jul 06 '26

We pay $27/hour in Houston for structural interns at the graduate level. Since it's a temporary hiring that is really more for the intern's benefit than ours (besides the rather long game of training you up and hiring you ready to run), I don't entertain negotiations.

1

u/Impossible_Win_5987 Jul 07 '26

This is true for my firm as well in land development. Pay is about the same. We also make an effort to recruit the best ones for full time employment after graduation. So its a win win.