Breaking into tech isn’t just about learning to code; it’s also about applying tech skills to real-world settings, and internships can help you do just that! Technology internships give you the chance to work on live projects, collaborate with engineers and product teams, and build fluency in tools like Python, GitHub, data visualization platforms, and cloud environments. Depending on the role, you might test software, analyze datasets, prototype apps, strengthen cybersecurity systems, or contribute to machine learning workflows. Beyond technical depth, you will also develop documentation habits, version control discipline, and professional communication skills that classrooms don’t always emphasize.
Why should you spend time in Washington State?
Washington has quietly become one of the most dynamic tech ecosystems in the country. Cities like Seattle and Redmond host major innovation hubs, while companies such as Microsoft and Amazon anchor a broader network of startups, AI labs, cloud computing teams, and game development studios. Interning here exposes you to large-scale software infrastructure, cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence and cloud systems, and a professional culture shaped by both global tech giants and early-stage ventures. Add to that proximity to research institutions like the University of Washington, and you’re in a place where industry and academia actively intersect, making the state an especially strategic option to test your interest in technology careers.
To help you sort through the variety of options, here we have listed 15 technology internships for high school students in Washington State.
If you are also looking for opportunities outside Washington, check out our curated list of tech internships here and structured tech-focused programs here.
1. Microsoft High School Discovery Program
Location: Microsoft Campus, Redmond, WA
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited to local graduating seniors
Dates: July 7 – August 1
Application deadline: Typically opens in the spring
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors living within 50 miles of Redmond and planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree; applicants should be members/participants of Microsoft-sponsored organizations listed on the program website
As a Microsoft Discovery intern, you will spend four weeks in Microsoft’s Redmond office and see how real product teams operate. The program introduces you to the full product development cycle—from early ideation and design discussions to testing and refinement—while you contribute to hands-on project work. You will be paired with Microsoft mentors who will guide you through technical tasks, team workflows, and professional expectations in a large-scale tech company. Beyond coding, you will gain insight into roles across engineering, program management, UX, and operations. The internship can offer you a structured preview of what working at a global tech company actually looks like, day to day.
2. Port of Seattle High School Internship Program
Location: Port of Seattle facilities, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Pier 69, Seattle, WA
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; placements vary by department
Dates: Various opportunities throughout the year
Application deadline: Varies by opportunity; summer applications open in May and winter applications open in November
Eligibility: High school students and recent graduates who are at least 16 years old by the start of the internship and are legally authorized to work in the U.S.
This internship is an opportunity to explore how large-scale infrastructure actually works. The Port of Seattle manages aviation and maritime operations that power regional trade and travel. It places interns across departments that may involve working with IT systems, offering engineering support, contributing to environmental services, tracking data, coordinating logistics, or planning projects. You will work under a professional mentor and contribute to real departmental projects. In the process, you will gain exposure to how public-sector technology, operations, and infrastructure intersect. This can be a practical way to understand how tech supports transportation networks, airports, and maritime systems at scale.
3. Changemakers in Computing (CiC) @ University of Washington
Location: University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Cost/Stipend: Free + $1,200 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – 30
Application deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors (grades 11 and 12) enrolled in Washington State high schools
Hosted by the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, CiC is built around the idea that computing isn’t just about code, it’s about impact. Over four weeks, you will attend hands-on coding sessions and projects to explore how computer science intersects with ethics, public policy, and community issues. The projects will encourage you to think critically about how technology shapes society and how it can be designed more responsibly. The program places strong emphasis on mentorship and peer collaboration, particularly supporting students from economically disadvantaged or first-generation backgrounds. Throughout the program, you will work closely with mentors, i.e., current UW undergraduate students, who will help you work on projects and develop a clearer sense of how computing can be used as a tool for social change.
4. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Location: In-person at Department of the Navy laboratories across the United States (Including WA)
Stipend: $4,000 for first-time participants | $4,500 for returning participants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 300 students/year across 38+ laboratories (Washington-specific numbers not available)
Dates: Eight weeks in the summer (option to extend up to 10 weeks)
Application deadline: November 1
Eligibility: High school students who have completed at least the 9th grade and are 16+ by program start; U.S. citizens only (some labs allow limited exceptions); graduating seniors eligible
SEAP gives you the opportunity to work inside a Department of the Navy research laboratory on real, ongoing science and engineering projects under the guidance of professional researchers. Over eight weeks, you will contribute to lab-based research while gaining exposure to how large government research teams operate, from problem formulation to technical implementation. If you are interested in computer science, your work may involve data analysis, modeling, simulation, software tools, or computational problem-solving used in naval research and engineering settings. The program places an emphasis on mentorship, applied learning, and professional research practices, offering you access to seminars, professional development, and shadowing. You will gain exposure to lab culture and technical communication, experiences that mirror STEM workplaces.
5. NASA OSTEM Internships
Location: NASA centers across the U.S.
Stipend: Paid (amount varies by session and location)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; placements vary by center
Dates: Summer: 10 weeks (late May/early June – August) | Fall: 15 weeks (late August/early September – mid-December) | Spring: 15 weeks (mid-January – early May)
Application Deadline: Summer: Typically, end of February | Fall: May 22 | Spring: TBA
Eligibility: U.S. high school students enrolled full-time with a minimum 3.0 GPA
NASA’s OSTEM internship places you inside a working research center, where you will contribute full-time (up to 40 hours per week) to active aerospace and engineering projects. Depending on your team, you might support initiatives like student launch programs or rover challenges, assist with software development, manage technical databases, run data analyses, or help prepare materials for engineering design reviews. The work environment is structured and professional—you’re expected to document progress, collaborate across teams, and understand how large technical programs are coordinated. This can be an opportunity to see how federal research agencies manage complex, mission-driven projects at scale.
6. SPARK Summer Mentorship Program (SMP)
Location: Remote or various sites in the Greater Seattle area, WA
Cost/Stipend: Small registration fee applicable; paid (with up to $500 stipend) and unpaid opportunities available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; exact details not available
Dates: 8 – 10 weeks between June and August
Application deadline: Typically, April/May
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
SPARK SMP connects high schoolers to small project teams led by mentors who are professionals from industry, academia, or research organizations. You will spend the summer working on projects, which may focus on data visualization, machine learning, robotics, or other tech areas, depending on your mentor’s expertise. You will work toward project goals while learning how collaborative environments function. Mentors will outline the project scope, mentorship expectations, and deliverables at the start of the internship. You will learn about technical workflows, including documentation, iterative testing, and problem-solving, and potentially attend professional development sessions. SPARK SMP ends with a formal presentation of project outcomes to peers and mentors.
7. PacTrans Infrastructure Internship
Location: Sites in WA; placements depend on host agency availability
Stipend: Up to $6,000 available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Varying dates; internships can run for up to three months and will be completed before June 30. Commitment of 8–16 hours/week during school and up to 40 hours/week during breaks is required.
Application deadline: Rolling recruitment
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors, as well as undergraduate freshmen through juniors
The Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans) offers paid internships to high school juniors and seniors interested in infrastructure-related fields such as computer science, transportation, engineering, and planning. You will be assigned a host agency, such as the Washington State Department of Transportation, based on your location, skills, and availability. As an intern, you will gain real-world work experience, build your resume, and receive the mentorship of professionals in the field. This can also be an opportunity to explore tech-focused roles within public service agencies.
8. Fred Hutch Cancer Center’s Coding For Cancer
Location: Virtual
Stipend: $1,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 27 – August 21
Application deadline: March 29
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th-grade students; preference given to Washington State residents.
Fred Hutch Cancer Center’s Coding For Cancer is a paid virtual program that introduces you to the role of computation in cancer research. During the first phase of the program, you will learn about the application of computational tools in cancer research, engage in group activities, study and practice using the R coding language, and work closely with computational biologists. In the second phase, you will work on individual research projects under the guidance of computational biologists. At the end of the program, you will earn a Cradley Badge along with a stipend.
9. PNNL High School Internships
Location: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA
Stipend: Not specified; academic credit may also be available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: School-year opportunities: August – May | Summer full-time opportunities: June – August; typical commitment of four hours/day and five days/week
Application deadline: Academic-year application window: February – June | Summer application window: February – March
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are 16 or older; students must be 18 or older for laboratory-based positions.
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory offers high school students opportunities to work closely with scientists on active research projects. You will join a research or business division, where you will contribute to projects in computational science, national security, or clean energy, among other areas. The program offers mentorship to help you learn about laboratory safety, gain experience in research methodologies, and develop professional communication skills. In addition to lab work, you will attend educational workshops and career development sessions to prepare for STEM careers.
10. Institute for Systems Biology Systems Education Experiences (SEE) Summer Internship
Location: Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) labs, Seattle, WA
Stipend: Paid (stipend-based) and volunteer (free) positions available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 4–10 interns/year from 300+ applicants
Dates: Eight weeks (late June–August)
Application deadline: Mid-March; applications open mid-January.
Eligibility: Current 11th graders
The SEE program at ISB offers multiple learning pathways for high school students, including an eight-week summer internship focused on systems biology research. As an intern, you will join one of the ISB research labs, where you will work up to 40 hours each week on interdisciplinary projects in computational biology, technology development, microbial interactions, complex systems, cancer, and predictive or personalized medicine. You will collaborate directly with ISB mentors, build a website documenting their work, and interview professionals to explore career pathways. Depending on the project, you will build skills in data analysis, coding, and scientific communication.
11. SoundBio Lab’s National Youth Laboratory (NYL) Internship
Location: Virtual or SoundBio Lab, Seattle, WA
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Eight weeks in the summer
Application deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Students, ages 16 – 20
SoundBio Lab’s NYL Internship offers high schoolers the opportunity to explore synthetic biology and bioengineering through hands-on lab work. You will contribute to DIY and low-cost tech design and gain exposure to fields like electronics, coding, microbiology, biochemistry, and additive manufacturing. The program focuses on the intersection of biology and engineering, helping you learn how to research and develop design solutions for biological problems. In addition to technical skill-building, this program offers mentorship from experts across STEM fields.
12. Goodwill Youth Maritime Program
Location: Job Training & Education Center, King County, Seattle, WA
Stipend: Up to $5,000 across two years
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Application deadline: Typically in December
Dates: Two-year internship: Summer commitment: July – August (Monday through Friday); School year commitment: January – June + September – December (two Saturdays a month)
Eligibility: High school students
This two-year paid internship is designed for high school students in Washington interested in exploring careers in the maritime industry. Through hands-on learning, you will develop both technical and professional aspects of maritime jobs, such as small-boat sailing, boat maintenance, repair, and tech solutions. The program also focuses on college and career readiness, offering support with applications, sessions on financial literacy, and an opportunity to earn industry certifications like OSHA, CPR, and Food Handlers. During your first year, you will attend weekend sessions during the school year and full-day summer programming, while also engaging in field trips, connecting with maritime professionals, and gaining real-world exposure to the industry. In the second year, you will continue to receive one-on-one support to ease the transition to college or employment.
13. KEXP Internships
Location: KEXP, Seattle, WA
Stipend: $22/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: May 12 – November 6
Application deadline: February 18
Eligibility: Anyone who is 18 or older, lives in the Greater Seattle Area, and has legal work authorization in the U.S.
This internship offers you hands-on experience working with a community-supported radio station and arts organization. You will spend about 18 hours each week working on tasks in areas like communications, event planning, content creation, or library and archives. You will join a cohort of interns and work with them throughout the internship term, accessing opportunities to meet industry professionals and go on field trips. You will learn practical skills like communication, project management, audio editing, and database work that can help you in future tech and media-focused jobs.
14. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,400 program fee + $45 application fee; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~50 students/session
Dates: Session A: June 15 – 26 | Session B: July 6 – 17
Application deadline: February 20
Eligibility: U.S. high school students entering grades 9 – 12 who are 14+ by start date; preference for students with math, programming, or healthcare experience
If you are interested in how AI is actually used inside hospitals and research labs, this two-week program focuses on that intersection. You will attend technical lectures on machine learning in medical imaging and clinical data science, then work in small teams on guided research projects under Stanford-affiliated mentors. The curriculum leans into practical applications—how models are trained, validated, and utilized in healthcare settings—while also addressing ethics, bias, and responsible AI. Sessions are structured to help you build AI solutions and engage in discussions, including with professionals from diverse sectors. Upon completing the program, you will receive a certificate from Stanford AIMI.
15. George Mason University Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Virtual opportunities available for Washington students
Cost: $25 application fee + $1,299 tuition for three course credits; fee waivers available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 18 – August 12
Application deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school and undergraduate students who are at least 15 years old
Every summer, ASSIP offers on-campus and online research internships in various tech-focused fields, including game design, cybersecurity, computational and data sciences, and computer science. You can choose a mentor offering a technology-focused research placement to engage in research, build scientific writing skills, and practice professional communication. During the program, you will also learn about various career paths through discussions with researchers and STEM professionals.The summer experience ends with a symposium, where you will learn about the research conducted at ASSIP over the summer.
One more option—Horizon Academic Research Program
If you are looking for a competitive mentored research program in an area of your choice, you can consider applying toHorizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! It is a selective virtual research program that allows you to engage in advanced research and come up with a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1,000+ high school students so far, offering 600+ research specializations to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image source – George Mason University