Hey future scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers! Want to step out of the classroom and into real research labs, coding suites, engineering spaces, and hospitals? Paid STEM internships for high school students aren’t just resume boosters; they’re your gateway into the world of science and technology. Whether you’re curious about molecular biology, obsessed with astrophysics, excited by robotics, or deep into data science, there’s a program out there ready for your curiosity.
Why Paid STEM Internships Matter in High School
And the best part? These opportunities actually pay you to learn. Instead of choosing between a summer job and a STEM experience, paid STEM internships for high school students let you earn a stipend while building the technical, analytical, and computational skills that set you apart in college applications, personal statements, and future research opportunities.
Many programs include hands-on lab work, mentorship from professionals, workshops on coding or lab techniques, and opportunities to collaborate with peers who think just as nerdy as you do. From processing genomic data to designing environmental experiments or writing your first functional software tool, you’ll get to apply classroom knowledge to actual scientific challenges.
Below is a curated list of 15 paid STEM internships for high school students, chosen for their credibility, accessibility, and the skills you can develop. You can also check out our blog on online STEM internships for high school students.
15 Paid STEM Internships for High School Students
1. Harvard–Smithsonian Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP)
Stipend: Provided by the City of Cambridge | Amount varies
Program Dates: September–May
Application Deadline: Typically in May
Cost: Free
Location: Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA
Eligibility: Exclusively for Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (CRLS) students in grades 9–12
This program gives you a full academic-year research experience in astrophysics where you work closely with a CfA scientist on a defined project. You engage with methods like astronomical data reduction, Python-based numerical analysis, and photometry or spectroscopy workflows, depending on your mentor’s specialty. Weekly meetings help you iterate on your research design, while monthly advisory sessions ensure your dataset processing and documentation follow professional standards. You’ll also learn how to prepare research posters and short scientific talks for the end-of-year symposium at Harvard.
2. Technical Trades Work and Learning Program (MassCEC)
Stipend: Paid hourly wage (rate varies by employer; MassCEC-funded placement)
Program Dates: October 28–August 21
Application Deadline: Open enrollment begins October 28
Cost: Free
Location: Massachusetts (statewide clean-energy employer sites)
Eligibility: Rising seniors in Massachusetts vocational/technical high schools, “After Dark” students, CTI (Career Technical Initiative) participants, and recent graduates (within one year) approved by MassCEC
This program places you in paid, hands-on clean-energy roles where you work directly with technicians, engineers, and field specialists across various sectors, including high-performance building, HVAC/R, EV charging systems, offshore wind, and solar grid infrastructure. You may be responsible for tasks involving electrical diagnostics, heat pump systems, energy efficiency testing, or mechanical maintenance, depending on your host employer. You gain exposure to technical workflows, including system installation procedures, safety protocols, equipment calibration, and field reporting standards that mirror industry practices. Because you choose and apply to employers directly, you develop real job-search skills while building a technical résumé grounded in actual field experience.
3. BioBuilder High School Apprenticeship Challenge
Stipend: $500
Program Dates:
- Fall: mid-October–mid-December (Thursdays online; Saturdays in lab)
- Spring: mid-March–mid-May (Thursdays online; Saturdays in lab)
Application Deadline: Varies by cycle
Cost: Free
Location: Boston, MA (BioBuilder Learning Lab, Allston Labworks)
Eligibility: Massachusetts public high school students | Must be at least age 16+ by June 1 | Must have an interest in life sciences | Underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students encouraged
During this internship, you’ll spend eight weeks learning core wet-lab techniques, including pipetting, culturing, measuring cell growth, performing assays, and documenting your results using standard lab notebooks. The curriculum also teaches research-based thinking, including experimental design, troubleshooting protocols, and interpreting quantitative data. You work in small lab teams where you practice real biotech workflows aligned with industry micro-credential standards. Online sessions help you build theory and conceptual foundations, while in-person Saturdays give you extended time in a functioning teaching laboratory. By the end of the program, you’re evaluated for biotech micro-credentials and prepared for placements in life-science internships across Massachusetts.
4. Mass General Youth Neurology Education and Research Program (High School Internship)
Stipend: Paid (exact amount not publicly specified)
Program Dates: June 30–August 8
Application Deadline: January 31
Cost: Free
Location: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Eligibility: High school students from Massachusetts with a strong interest in neuroscience
You spend six weeks embedded in a neurology or neuroscience research group at Mass General, working directly with clinicians and researchers on active investigations. You may help analyze neurological datasets, learn basic laboratory techniques used in neurobiology, or use software tools for imaging, biomechanics, or electrophysiology, depending on your placement. You also receive structured mentoring designed to help you turn your work into presentations, posters, or even publications. Weekly exposure to leading neurologists through the INSPIRE Speaker Series helps you understand the full landscape of neuroscience careers.
5. Simons Summer Research Program – Stony Brook University
Stipend: Paid
Program Dates: June 29–August 7
Application Deadline: Typically early February
Cost: Free
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Eligibility: Current high school juniors | Must be at least 16 by start | U.S. citizens or permanent residents
You spend six weeks embedded in a Stony Brook research group where you collaborate with faculty and graduate students on a defined STEM research project. Depending on your mentor, you may work with molecular biology assays, computational modeling tools, imaging systems, or advanced data analysis pipelines. Weekly seminars help you understand how different scientific methods are used across disciplines, while workshops and lab tours teach you practical skills for designing, troubleshooting, and documenting experiments. You finish the internship by writing a research abstract and presenting a scientific poster at the program symposium.
6. Broad Summer Scholars Program (BSSP)
Stipend: $3,600
Program Dates: June 29–August 7
Application Deadline: January 21
Cost: Free
Location: Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors attending a MA high school within commuting distance | Must have a B or better in math/science | U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or students with work authorization
In this program, you spend six weeks working with Broad Institute scientists on an original research project in fields like cancer biology, computational genomics, infectious disease, or chemical biology. You might analyze large genomic datasets using Python or R, perform wet-lab techniques such as PCR or cell culture, or contribute to workflows used in drug discovery pipelines, depending on your assigned lab. Weekly sessions help you understand how different research teams use experimental and computational methods to study disease. You also receive training on scientific posters and present your work to the Broad community at the end of the program.
7. Microsoft High School Discovery Program
Stipend: Paid (hourly compensation)
Program Dates: July 7–August 1
Application Deadline: Opens early February | Rolling review begins in March
Cost: Free
Location: Microsoft campuses in Redmond, WA and Atlanta, GA
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors living within 50 miles of Redmond, WA OR attending eligible districts in metro Atlanta | Must have completed pre-calculus | Must be eligible to work full-time onsite for all 4 weeks
During this 4-week experience, you’ll work on structured technical tasks designed to simulate how engineering teams at Microsoft approach early-stage product development. You’ll experiment with foundational tools such as Visual Studio Code, GitHub repositories, and basic scripting environments to understand how code, design, and problem-solving connect. Mentors guide you through breaking down project goals, analyzing user needs, testing small prototypes, and documenting your decisions as you iterate. You’ll also join workshops that cover communication, version control habits, and collaborative workflows used in real software teams. This program provides a practical, systems-level perspective on how technology projects are planned and executed within a major tech company.
8. Camp Zon – Harvard Stem Cell Institute & Boston Children’s Hospital
Stipend: Paid
Program Dates: July 14–25
Application Deadline: Applications typically close on April 27
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual (hosted by Zon Lab at Harvard and Boston Children’s Hospital)
Eligibility: High school students and rising college freshmen | At least 16 years old by start | Must be residing in Massachusetts
You join a two-week virtual research team working with scientists from the Zon Lab to design and analyze a real zebrafish-based experiment focused on anemia and blood development. You generate a hypothesis, plan experimental steps, and study data from live lab demonstrations as researchers perform your designs in real time. You also learn how to read scientific literature, interpret imaging outputs such as GFP-labeled blood cells, and use basic coding tools to graph your results. Your internship concludes with a team presentation of your findings to the lab, mirroring how research groups communicate data in academic settings. Daily lectures from experts across Harvard and Boston Children’s Hospital give you broad exposure to translational science and biomedical career paths.
9. Monell Science Apprenticeship Program (MSAP)
Stipend: Paid (full-time, 7+ weeks)
Program Dates: June 15–July 31
Application Deadline: January 9
Cost: Free
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Eligibility: High school or undergraduate students from the greater Philadelphia area (including Camden, NJ) | Must be eligible to work in the U.S.
As an MSAP apprentice, you spend seven weeks embedded in a sensory science or biomedical research lab, working full-time on a project with a Monell scientist. You’ll build skills in experimental design, data collection, microscopy workflows, chemical-sense assays, and basic computational analysis, depending on your assigned lab. You’ll also learn scientific writing and communication as you prepare for a public research symposium, where you present your findings to scientists and guests. You’ll gain exposure to research areas like olfaction, taste receptor biology, neurobiology, and molecular genetics, along with training in research ethics and responsible conduct. This internship provides hands-on lab experience while helping you understand how biomedical research questions are formulated, tested, and communicated.
10. STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) Internship – UT Austin & NASA
Stipend: Housing, meals, and local transportation provided | Limited travel scholarships available
Program Dates:
- June–July 5 (online work)
- July 6–19 (on-site)
- July 21–22 (virtual symposium)
Application Deadline: February 22
Cost: Free
Location: Austin, Texas + virtual components
Eligibility: High school sophomores or juniors with a strong interest in STEM | Must complete required distance-learning modules before arrival | Must be at least 16 years old by start | U.S. citizen
In SEES, you work directly with NASA scientists and engineers to analyze satellite datasets and explore questions in Earth systems, remote sensing, climate science, astronomy, or planetary science. You’ll use tools like Python for geospatial analysis, data visualization workflows, and mission-design concepts while completing project-specific research guided by subject-matter experts. The program prepares you to handle real NASA datasets, ranging from gravity field measurements to ice sheet observations, and helps you build skills in scientific modeling, coding, and collaborative problem-solving. You’ll conclude your experience by presenting your team’s findings at the SEES Virtual Science Symposium, providing you with practice in technical communication and research presentation.
11. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Stipend: $500
Program Dates: June 8–July 30
Application Deadline: February 21
Cost: Free
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors | Must be 16+ by program start | Must live and attend high school in the U.S. | Strong preference for Bay Area students
SIMR is an eight-week biomedical research internship where you work alongside Stanford faculty, postdocs, and graduate students on real projects in areas like stem cell engineering, cancer biology, bioinformatics, immunology, and neurobiology. You’ll spend full days performing experiments, analyzing data, attending lab meetings, and participating in seminars on scientific methods and careers in medicine. You will also complete a formal research presentation at the end of the program, summarizing your findings to Stanford researchers. The program is designed to expose high school students to the full spectrum of academic research, from literature reviews to experimentation to communication.
12. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program
Stipend: Paid (high school stipend typically benchmarked to GS-1 Step 1; ~$500/week)
Program Dates: June–August (exact dates vary by lab and site location)
Application Deadline: January 9
Cost: Free
Location: Multiple AFRL research sites across the U.S. (e.g., New Mexico, Ohio, Florida)
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents | High school juniors and seniors aged 16+ | Must be enrolled in or accepted into a school that offers at least half-time coursework leading to a degree or certificate for the semester right before the internship | A grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is highly encouraged
The AFRL Scholars Program places you inside real Air Force research labs to work on engineering and science projects alongside AFRL scientists and engineers. You may assist with aerospace systems testing, materials characterization, sensor development, space systems modeling, or other research, depending on the lab you’re assigned to. As interns, you’ll follow structured research goals, contribute to data collection and analysis, and learn the fundamentals of applied engineering in a federal research environment. You’ll also participate in technical seminars, facility tours, and lab-wide briefings that help you understand how research transitions into national-security applications.
13. NSA High School Student Programs
Stipend: Paid, salary varies by education level
Program Dates:
- Stokes Educational Scholarship Program: Summer internship each year of college (June–August)
- NSA High School Work Study Program: Part-time internship running through the senior school year (August/September–May/June)
Application Deadline: Applications open September 1 | Deadlines vary by internship
Cost: Free
Location: NSA Headquarters (Fort Meade, MD) + field sites across the U.S. (CO, GA, TX, HI, UT, AK)
Eligibility: U.S. citizens | High school juniors or seniors | Must pass NSA suitability clearance | Must live within commuting distance or plan to relocate
The National Security Agency offers two elite paid opportunities for high school students: the Stokes Educational Scholarship Program and the NSA High School Work Study Program. Stokes combines a full college scholarship, up to $30,000 per year, with paid summer internships at the NSA, where you work on real-world problems in cybersecurity, computer science, math, and intelligence analysis. The High School Work Study program places rising seniors in part-time technical or administrative roles at NSA sites, giving you hands-on experience with secure systems, data workflows, and operational teams. Both tracks allow you to develop applied skills in cybersecurity, computing, languages, and STEM while working alongside NSA professionals. Students are hired as federal employees for the duration of the programs, earning a salary and accumulating leave while contributing to mission-critical work.
14. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP): U.S. Department of Navy
Stipend: $4,000 (new) or $4,500 (returning)
Program Dates: ~8 weeks in June–August | Exact dates vary by lab
Application Deadline: November 1
Cost: Free
Location: 38+ Department of Navy laboratories across the U.S.
Eligibility: U.S. citizens in grades 10–12 (age 16+ by internship start) | Exceptions vary by lab for age, grade, or residency
SEAP places high-achieving high school students into Department of Navy research laboratories for eight weeks of hands-on STEM research. You will work directly with Navy scientists and engineers on defense and technology projects ranging from materials science and cybersecurity to ocean engineering and robotics. You’ll contribute to ongoing research, get first-class mentorship, and gain experience with laboratory techniques, scientific computing, or engineering workflows, depending on your assigned lab. Stipends are paid bi-weekly, and many students continue with SEAP for multiple summers or pursue DoN career pathways afterwards.
15. Memorial Sloan Kettering: Summer Student Program (SSP)
Stipend: $1,200
Program Dates: June 29–August 2
Application Deadline: February 6
Cost: Free
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NYC
Eligibility: High school juniors | Must be 14+ by June | New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut residents within 25 miles of MSK | Must have a 3.5+ GPA in science subjects | Must have U.S. work authorization
This eight-week, lab-based internship places you inside active biomedical research groups at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. You’ll work under the supervision of MSK scientists on a self-directed project aligned with ongoing cancer, immunology, computational biology, or drug development research. You’ll participate in lab meetings, develop technical wet-lab or computational skills, and gain exposure to translational research. Alongside its scientific work, MSK runs workshops and career sessions that cover the clinical research ecosystem, scientific communication, and careers in medicine and biomedical science. A $1,200 stipend is provided; however, housing is not included.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that allows you to engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choice. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image source – Memorial Sloan Kettering