Competition and Wages are Increasing for Interns
Kathryn Klopfer
Media Contact: Kathryn Klopfer, Marketing Communications & PR Specialist
[email protected] | 262.696.3426
Competition and Wages are Increasing for Interns
MILWAUKEE, WI (February 26, 2020) – With 94 percent of respondents indicating Very Satisfied or Somewhat Satisfied with the quality/performance of their interns, MRA’s 2020 Hiring Interns Hot Topic Survey indicates that companies are realizing the potential of interns as a valuable pool of talent.
MRA’s Hiring Interns Hot Topic Survey reports on member company’s 2019 experiences and compares results from its last survey from 2017. Survey data also helps companies plan for hiring interns in 2020.
“As companies continue to be challenged to find quality candidates, employers are looking for new ways to attract and retain top talent. Organizations that once overlooked offering an internship program may want to reconsider,” said Mike Kopczynski, Custom Surveys and Business Research Lead. “Our latest survey shows 68 percent of organizations intend to hire interns during the next 12 months.”
Highlights of the 2020 Hiring Interns Hot Topic Survey include:
- A 9% increase in the number of interns assigned to Manufacturing/Operations/Quality positions compared to 2017
- Across all intern positions, all wages have increased from 2017 to 2019. Top three positions where intern wages have risen more:
- Manufacturing/Operations/Quality +16%
- Business Administration +14%
- Finance: +13%
- Intern wages are projected to increase across the board for 2020 with an increase of $0.50 or more in Manufacturing/Operations/Quality, Engineering, and IT positions.
Looking forward to 2020 and beyond, organizations signal a change in the structure of internships. While summer internships, around 3 months in length, remain the most common (68%); more organizations offer semester length, about 2-3 months (41%); and year-round or school year internships (38%).
For questions about MRA's surveys, please contact [email protected] or call 800.488.4845, Ext. 3508.
About MRA—The Management Association: Founded in 1901, MRA is a nonprofit employer association that serves 4,000 employers, covering more than one million employees worldwide. As one of the largest employer associations in the nation, MRA helps its members thrive by offering comprehensive HR services, talent management, learning and organization development opportunities, and total rewards planning. MRA works to help organizations build a successful workplace and powerful workforce. Headquartered in Waukesha, WI, MRA has regional offices in Palatine, IL; Moline, IL; and Plymouth, MN. To learn more about MRA, visit www.mranet.org.
