Embedded Systems Engineer Internships
Embedded systems engineer internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience building real firmware and hardware systems, mentorship from working engineers, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Roles are concentrated across Manufacturing, Technology & Software, and Transportation & Logistics, with Tesla, GE Aerospace, and Blissway among the employers posting roles now.
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Showing 5 of 6+ Embedded Systems Engineer Internships
Consider before submitting an application:
This position is expected to start August or September 2026 and continue through fall term (ending approximately December 2026) or continuing into Winter/Spring 2027 if available and there is an opportunity to do so. We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time (40 hours/week) and on-site, for most internships. Our internship program is for students who are actively enrolled in an academic program. Recent graduates seeking employment after graduation and not returning to school should apply for full-time positions, not internships.
International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school on your ability to work 40 hours per week before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week on-site. Many students will be limited to part-time during the academic year.
Internship Program at Tesla
The Internship Recruiting Team is driven by the passion to recognize and develop emerging talent. Our year-round program places the best students in positions where they will grow technically, professionally, and personally through their experience working closely with their Manager, Mentor, and team. We are dedicated to providing an experience that allows the intern to experience life at Tesla by including them in projects that are critical to their team’s success.
About the team:
The Chassis Systems Software team is a combination of software engineers, mechatronics engineers, and vehicle dynamics engineers. As a member of the Tesla steering firmware team, you will be responsible for delivering high-quality embedded code that controls the steering rack and feedback actuator on steer-by-wire systems. Come join a team of highly knowledgeable engineers that strive to build the safest and most performant vehicle control systems in production. You will solve some of the most challenging problems that span vehicle dynamics, motor controls, safety systems, and embedded software engineering.What You'll Do
- Deliver high-quality C code in a real-time embedded environment
- Specify, design, and implement functionality and behaviors of embedded subsystems
- Design the software architecture and firmware implementation on hardware through integration, test and high-volume manufacturing
- Hands-on hardware bring-up, system debugging and code optimization
- Make performance and optimization trade-offs to meet product requirements
What You'll Bring
- Pursuing a Bachelor or master's degree in Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field of study with a graduation date between December 2026 - December 2027
- Strong, hands-on, C coding experience
- Embedded development experience, preferred
- Low-level development on microcontrollers, for embedded development, preferred
- Experience working on complex PCBAs, for embedded development, preferred
- Experience writing software on controllers, preferred
- Experience bringing up multi-disciplinary systems driven by software, preferred Knowledge of physics, mechanical, and electrical systems, preferred
Compensation and Benefits
As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:
- Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
- Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
- Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contribution
- Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSA
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
- Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays
- Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
- Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
- Commuter benefits
- Employee discounts and perks program
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.
Consider before submitting an application:
This position is expected to start August or September 2026 and continue through fall term (ending approximately December 2026) or continuing into Winter/Spring 2027 if available and there is an opportunity to do so. We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time (40 hours/week) and on-site, for most internships. Our internship program is for students who are actively enrolled in an academic program. Recent graduates seeking employment after graduation and not returning to school should apply for full-time positions, not internships.
International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school on your ability to work 40 hours per week before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week on-site. Many students will be limited to part-time during the academic year.
Internship Program at Tesla
The Internship Recruiting Team is driven by the passion to recognize and develop emerging talent. Our year-round program places the best students in positions where they will grow technically, professionally, and personally through their experience working closely with their Manager, Mentor, and team. We are dedicated to providing an experience that allows the intern to experience life at Tesla by including them in projects that are critical to their team’s success.
About the team:
The Chassis Systems Software team is a combination of software engineers, mechatronics engineers, and vehicle dynamics engineers. As a member of the Tesla steering firmware team, you will be responsible for delivering high-quality embedded code that controls the steering rack and feedback actuator on steer-by-wire systems. Come join a team of highly knowledgeable engineers that strive to build the safest and most performant vehicle control systems in production. You will solve some of the most challenging problems that span vehicle dynamics, motor controls, safety systems, and embedded software engineering.What You'll Do
- Deliver high-quality C code in a real-time embedded environment
- Specify, design, and implement functionality and behaviors of embedded subsystems
- Design the software architecture and firmware implementation on hardware through integration, test and high-volume manufacturing
- Hands-on hardware bring-up, system debugging and code optimization
- Make performance and optimization trade-offs to meet product requirements
What You'll Bring
- Pursuing a Bachelor or master's degree in Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field of study with a graduation date between December 2026 - December 2027
- Strong, hands-on, C coding experience
- Embedded development experience, preferred
- Low-level development on microcontrollers, for embedded development, preferred
- Experience working on complex PCBAs, for embedded development, preferred
- Experience writing software on controllers, preferred
- Experience bringing up multi-disciplinary systems driven by software, preferred Knowledge of physics, mechanical, and electrical systems, preferred
Compensation and Benefits
As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:
- Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
- Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
- Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contribution
- Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSA
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
- Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays
- Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
- Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
- Commuter benefits
- Employee discounts and perks program
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.
Embedded Systems Engineer Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Manufacturing
- Technology & Software
- Transportation & Logistics
Tips for Your Embedded Systems Engineer Internship Search
Apply to summer roles in the fall
Large employers in defense, aerospace, and semiconductors open their embedded systems engineer summer internship applications as early as August and close them by November. Waiting until spring puts you behind most of the competitive cohort. Set reminders to check postings as soon as a new academic year begins.
Build a hardware or firmware portfolio before you apply
Hiring teams for embedded systems engineer internships want evidence of hands-on work, a GitHub repository with microcontroller projects, PCB schematics, RTOS implementations, or a documented personal hardware build. Two or three complete projects with clear documentation and linked code give recruiters something concrete to evaluate when your work history is limited.
Work your campus network and apply directly at the same time
Campus career fairs surface structured internship programs tied to your university, and your professors and career center staff often know which embedded systems employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Applying directly to companies running smaller cohorts alongside campus activity widens the pool you reach and catches openings that never appear at fairs.
Practice your technical screen out loud before interviews
Embedded systems engineer intern screens typically include coding questions on data structures, bitwise operations, and memory management, plus hardware or debugging scenarios. Practice solving problems aloud and narrating your reasoning, interviewers weigh how you think through a problem as much as whether you reach the correct answer. Timed mock sessions under realistic conditions build both speed and composure.
Target co-op and rotational programs built for new engineers
Many larger aerospace, defense, and semiconductor companies run structured embedded systems co-op or rotational programs designed to train students with limited industry experience. These programs recruit on fixed academic calendars and fill their cohorts early. Identify the programs that align with your school schedule and apply in the first recruitment wave.
Set your work-type filter before you start
On-site roles are 100% of the embedded systems engineer internships listed here, reflecting how much of the work involves lab access, hardware prototypes, and test equipment. Decide what location and work arrangement you can commit to before you start applying on Migrate Mate, then filter by work type so you're not sorting through roles you can't actually take.
Embedded Systems Engineer Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an embedded systems engineer internship?
Lead with coursework and personal projects rather than work history, hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. A GitHub repository showing firmware projects, microcontroller code, or hardware schematics gives recruiters something concrete to evaluate for embedded systems engineer candidates. Apply directly to companies running smaller cohorts, and attend campus career fairs, where embedded systems recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can an embedded systems engineer internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. For embedded systems engineer interns, what actually drives it is performance on real engineering work, the team's available headcount at the end of the term, and return-offer timing relative to your graduation date. Position for a return offer by delivering on your project scope and building relationships, but treat full-time hiring as a separate process running in parallel.
When should I apply for embedded systems engineer internships?
Earlier than most candidates expect. Large employers in aerospace, defense, and semiconductor companies recruit summer embedded systems engineer interns the preceding fall, often closing applications by October or November. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to start dates, so openings appear year-round. Check listings regularly and prioritize early applications for structured cohort programs.
Are embedded systems engineer internships paid?
Most professional embedded systems engineer internships in the United States are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry, and location. Listings show pay ranges where the employer chooses to disclose them, so check individual postings for details. Unpaid arrangements are rare at private employers in this field and more common only in certain research or nonprofit settings.
What should an embedded systems engineer internship resume include?
Lead with projects, not work history. Include two or three complete, documented projects, each listing the microcontrollers, protocols, or tools used and linking to a GitHub repository or project write-up so reviewers can see the actual code or schematics. Add relevant coursework in embedded systems, digital design, or real-time operating systems. Keep the resume to one page.
Are there remote embedded systems engineer internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 0% of the embedded systems engineer internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Because embedded systems work often involves physical hardware, lab equipment, and prototype testing, remote cohorts are more selective and fill quickly. Apply early and filter by work type to see them before they close.
What is a firmware or hardware co-op for embedded systems engineers?
A co-op is a structured, multi-term work placement, typically four to eight months, where you alternate semesters between coursework and full-time work at the same employer. Many aerospace, defense, and semiconductor companies run embedded systems co-op programs specifically designed to train students on real product development. These programs recruit early and are competitive, so identify the ones that fit your school calendar and apply in the first wave.
Can international students get embedded systems 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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