What you need to know: Earning money in an internship

On your way into the professional world, you will most likely do one or more internships. Whether it's mandatory or voluntary, an internship salary is a great support and, in some financial situations, a necessity. We've summarized when there's pay for an internship and when there isn't.

First off: There's no general entitlement to a salary during an internship, especially for a mandatory internship as part of your studies. The reason is that an internship serves for career orientation and allows you to gain valuable practical experience. However, some companies still pay you for the mandatory internship. Especially larger companies and corporations invest in interns as attractive young talents.

If you're doing a voluntary internship, you're entitled to compensation after 3 months of internship time, according to minimum wage regulations. The compensation starts from the 1st day and must also be paid retroactively. If the internship lasts less than 3 months, there's no entitlement to compensation – but again, some companies still pay you an internship salary in such cases.

You can find top companies with attractive internship positions at our Absolventenkongressen, nationwide career events for students, graduates, and young professionals. Or take a look at our job board.

Conclusion: Weigh your individual situation and the advantages of each internship. If you're financially secure, an unpaid internship might be worth considering if it offers you valuable work experience or is in your absolute dream company. Especially after graduation, you usually have less financial flexibility and should look for a paid internship.