Data Engineer Internships
Data engineer internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience building real data pipelines, mentorship from working engineers, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Openings are concentrated in Food & Beverage, Technology & Software, and Insurance, with TikTok, ByteDance, and Tesla among the employers posting roles now.
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Showing 5 of 41+ Data Engineer Internships
Data Engineer Intern (E-commerce) - 2027 Summer
Location
:
San Jose
Employment Type
:
Intern
Job Code
:
A194870A
Responsibilities
As a data engineer in the Data Platform E-Commerce team, you will have the opportunity to build, optimize and grow one of the largest data platforms in the world. You'll have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience on all kinds of systems in the data platform ecosystem. Your work will have a direct and huge impact on the company's core products as well as hundreds of millions of users.
We are actively exploring how to deeply integrate traditional search engine technologies with Large Language Models (LLMs) to enhance the TikTok Search experience and pioneer new search paradigms. You will have the opportunity to work on challenging problems at the intersection of information retrieval, machine learning, natural language understanding, recommendation systems, and large-scale distributed systems.
We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship. Our internship program offers students hands-on experience, industry exposure, and opportunities to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges while building a strong foundation for personal and professional growth.
Interns will gain practical experience, explore potential career paths, and participate in social events, learning programs, and development workshops alongside industry professionals.
Candidates may apply to a maximum of two positions across Our Company and its affiliates globally. Applications will be considered in the order they are submitted.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. Please clearly state your availability in your resume, including your start and end dates.
Candidates who pass resume screening will be invited to participate in Our Company's technical online assessment.
Responsibilities - What You'll Do
- Design and build data transformations efficiently and reliably for different purposes (e.g. reporting, growth analysis, multi-dimensional analysis);
- Design and implement reliable, scalable, robust and extensible big data systems that support core products and business;
- Establish solid design and best engineering practice for engineers as well as non-technical people.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related technical discipline.
- Able to commit to working for 12 weeks during Summer 2026
- Experience in the Big Data technologies(Hadoop, M/R, Hive, Spark, Metastore, Presto, Flume, Kafka, ClickHouse, Flink etc.);
- Experience with performing data analysis, data ingestion and data integration;
- Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Computer Science or a related technical discipline.
- Experience with ETL(Extraction, Transformation & Loading) and architecting data systems;
- Experience with schema design, data modeling and SQL queries;
- Passionate and self-motivated about technologies in the Big Data area.
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern
The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $45- $60.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Interns have day one access to health insurance, life insurance, wellbeing benefits and more. Interns also receive 10 paid holidays per year and paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half of year). Interns who are not working 100% remote may also be eligible for housing allowance.
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.
About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
TikTok Accommodation
TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at
https://tinyurl.com/RA-request
Data Engineer Intern (E-commerce) - 2027 Summer
Location
:
San Jose
Employment Type
:
Intern
Job Code
:
A194870A
Responsibilities
As a data engineer in the Data Platform E-Commerce team, you will have the opportunity to build, optimize and grow one of the largest data platforms in the world. You'll have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience on all kinds of systems in the data platform ecosystem. Your work will have a direct and huge impact on the company's core products as well as hundreds of millions of users.
We are actively exploring how to deeply integrate traditional search engine technologies with Large Language Models (LLMs) to enhance the TikTok Search experience and pioneer new search paradigms. You will have the opportunity to work on challenging problems at the intersection of information retrieval, machine learning, natural language understanding, recommendation systems, and large-scale distributed systems.
We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship. Our internship program offers students hands-on experience, industry exposure, and opportunities to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges while building a strong foundation for personal and professional growth.
Interns will gain practical experience, explore potential career paths, and participate in social events, learning programs, and development workshops alongside industry professionals.
Candidates may apply to a maximum of two positions across Our Company and its affiliates globally. Applications will be considered in the order they are submitted.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. Please clearly state your availability in your resume, including your start and end dates.
Candidates who pass resume screening will be invited to participate in Our Company's technical online assessment.
Responsibilities - What You'll Do
- Design and build data transformations efficiently and reliably for different purposes (e.g. reporting, growth analysis, multi-dimensional analysis);
- Design and implement reliable, scalable, robust and extensible big data systems that support core products and business;
- Establish solid design and best engineering practice for engineers as well as non-technical people.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related technical discipline.
- Able to commit to working for 12 weeks during Summer 2026
- Experience in the Big Data technologies(Hadoop, M/R, Hive, Spark, Metastore, Presto, Flume, Kafka, ClickHouse, Flink etc.);
- Experience with performing data analysis, data ingestion and data integration;
- Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Computer Science or a related technical discipline.
- Experience with ETL(Extraction, Transformation & Loading) and architecting data systems;
- Experience with schema design, data modeling and SQL queries;
- Passionate and self-motivated about technologies in the Big Data area.
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern
The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $45- $60.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Interns have day one access to health insurance, life insurance, wellbeing benefits and more. Interns also receive 10 paid holidays per year and paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half of year). Interns who are not working 100% remote may also be eligible for housing allowance.
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.
About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
TikTok Accommodation
TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at
https://tinyurl.com/RA-request
Data Engineer Internship Market
Who's Hiring
- TikTok13
- ByteDance8
- Tesla5
- New York Life4
- Campbell's3
Top Industries Hiring
- Food & Beverage
- Technology & Software
- Insurance
- Manufacturing
- Banking & Financial Services
Tips for Your Data Engineer Internship Search
Apply earlier than the academic calendar suggests
Large employers in tech, finance, and consulting recruit summer data engineer interns the preceding fall, sometimes before October. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to start dates. Check for openings continuously rather than waiting until spring, or you will miss the first and often largest recruiting wave.
Build a portfolio that replaces work history
Hiring teams reviewing data engineer interns expect limited professional experience and look for proof in other forms. Two or three complete GitHub projects, each showing a full pipeline, the tools used, and clean documentation, give recruiters something concrete to evaluate. Coursework in SQL, Python, distributed systems, or cloud platforms strengthens the same signal.
Work your campus network and apply directly at the same time
Campus career fairs surface structured internship programs tied to your university, and career center staff often know which employers recruit from your school before roles go public. Applying directly to companies running smaller cohorts alongside campus activity reaches employers who don't recruit on campus at all, widening the pool you can realistically land in.
Practice the data engineer technical screen before you apply
Most data engineer intern screens include a coding round focused on data structures, algorithms, and SQL, expect to write and optimize queries, design basic schemas, and explain your reasoning out loud. Practice talking through your approach as you solve problems, not just arriving at the answer, because interviewers weigh how you think as much as the final result.
Target structured rotational and university programs early
Many larger employers run dedicated data engineering cohort or university programs designed to train people new to the field. These programs recruit early, fill fast, and offer more structured mentorship than ad-hoc intern placements. Identify the ones that fit your school year and apply in the first recruiting wave rather than after the cohort closes.
Set your work-type filter before you start
On-site roles are 78% of the data engineer internships listed here. Decide what you can realistically commit to, on-site, hybrid, or remote, before you start applying. Filter by location and work type on Migrate Mate so you're reviewing only roles you can actually take, rather than sorting through listings that won't work for your situation.
Data Engineer Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a data engineer internship?
Lead with coursework and personal projects rather than work history, hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. A GitHub portfolio with complete, documented pipelines using tools like Python, SQL, or Spark gives recruiters something concrete to assess. Alongside direct applications, attend campus career fairs, where data team recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can a data engineer internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. What drives it is consistent performance on real project work, available headcount on the team, and understanding the return-offer timeline before your internship ends. Position yourself by treating every deliverable as a work sample, without counting on the outcome.
When should I apply for data engineer internships?
Earlier than most candidates expect. Large employers, especially in tech and finance, recruit summer interns the preceding fall, sometimes as early as August or September. Smaller companies and co-op programs post much closer to start dates, so openings appear year-round. Checking regularly means you won't miss the early recruiting windows at structured programs.
Are data engineer internships paid?
Most professional data engineer internships in the U.S. are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry, and location. Where an employer discloses pay, the listing will show it. Unpaid arrangements are uncommon outside academic credit arrangements, and those are typically disclosed upfront in the posting.
What should a data engineer internship resume include?
Lead with two or three complete, documented projects rather than work history. For each project, name the tools used, Python, SQL, Spark, dbt, Airflow, cloud platforms, and link to the code on GitHub so reviewers can assess the work directly. Add relevant coursework below projects, keep everything to one page, and leave off anything unrelated to data engineering.
Are there remote data engineer internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 22% of the data engineer internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill fast because they attract candidates from across the country, so apply early once you decide what you can commit to. Use the work-type filter to see only remote or hybrid roles.
Can international students get data engineer internships?
Yes. F-1 students can intern through CPT while enrolled or through OPT work authorization after finishing a degree, and the employer does not have to file anything for either, so many companies are open to international interns. Confirm your eligibility and timing with your university's international student office before accepting an offer.
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