Firmware Internships
Firmware internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience, mentorship from working engineers, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Roles across Manufacturing and Medical Devices are actively posted, with Tesla, FluxErgy, and Landis+Gyr among the employers posting roles now.
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Showing 5 of 9+ Firmware 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 later, if available). 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 provide an experience that allows the intern to experience life at Tesla by including them in projects that are critical to their team’s success.
Tesla Energy is looking for a driven Firmware Engineer intern to bring the next generation of energy storage and vehicle charging products to the market. The candidate should display enthusiasm for delivering top quality firmware.The responsibilities range from firmware implementation/validation, production support, and fleet improvements. This role involves working closely with the Hardware, Controls and Software teams to deliver production grade safety critical firmware for AC/DC and DC/DC power converters. This is an opportunity to work with world class engineering teams that continually push the envelope on power conversion technology. Our power converters get deployed in Tesla products all over the world to serve our mission of accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
Location: Palo Alto, CA
What You'll Do
- Write high-quality C code for realtime embedded systems
- Firmware development and debugging, code/performance optimization, create and execute board level test plans to expose weakness or faults in hardware and firmware
- Translate controls algorithms into software implementation and integrate them into firmware and validation frameworks
- Hands-on hardware bring-up and qualification of power converters, and lab work as needed to support development/debug activities through the entire product lifecycle
- Work with product deployment teams to track fleet performance, assess behavioral issues and help drive firmware improvements to resolve anomalies and deliver new product features
What You'll Bring
- Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Electrical, Engineering, or related field
Capable of delivering top quality C code in a real time embedded environment
- Strong electrical fundamentals
- Experience with typical microcontroller peripherals such as ADC, DAC, PWM, Timers etc. and communication protocols such as SPI, I2C, CAN, UART etc
- Can read hardware schematics and work with the hardware team to deliver production worthy hardware/software co-designed architecture
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to work well in a team environment
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 later, if available). 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 provide an experience that allows the intern to experience life at Tesla by including them in projects that are critical to their team’s success.
Tesla Energy is looking for a driven Firmware Engineer intern to bring the next generation of energy storage and vehicle charging products to the market. The candidate should display enthusiasm for delivering top quality firmware.The responsibilities range from firmware implementation/validation, production support, and fleet improvements. This role involves working closely with the Hardware, Controls and Software teams to deliver production grade safety critical firmware for AC/DC and DC/DC power converters. This is an opportunity to work with world class engineering teams that continually push the envelope on power conversion technology. Our power converters get deployed in Tesla products all over the world to serve our mission of accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
Location: Palo Alto, CA
What You'll Do
- Write high-quality C code for realtime embedded systems
- Firmware development and debugging, code/performance optimization, create and execute board level test plans to expose weakness or faults in hardware and firmware
- Translate controls algorithms into software implementation and integrate them into firmware and validation frameworks
- Hands-on hardware bring-up and qualification of power converters, and lab work as needed to support development/debug activities through the entire product lifecycle
- Work with product deployment teams to track fleet performance, assess behavioral issues and help drive firmware improvements to resolve anomalies and deliver new product features
What You'll Bring
- Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Electrical, Engineering, or related field
Capable of delivering top quality C code in a real time embedded environment
- Strong electrical fundamentals
- Experience with typical microcontroller peripherals such as ADC, DAC, PWM, Timers etc. and communication protocols such as SPI, I2C, CAN, UART etc
- Can read hardware schematics and work with the hardware team to deliver production worthy hardware/software co-designed architecture
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to work well in a team environment
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.
Firmware Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Manufacturing
- Medical Devices
Tips for Your Firmware Internship Search
Apply earlier than your classmates do
Large employers, semiconductor manufacturers, defense primes, and major consumer electronics firms, recruit summer firmware interns the preceding fall and close cohorts before the new year. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to start dates. Check for new openings regularly so you don't miss an early window.
Build a GitHub portfolio before you send a single application
Firmware hiring teams want to see working code, not a list of coursework. Push two or three complete embedded projects, each with a clear README naming the microcontroller, peripherals, and communication protocols used, before you apply. A recruiter who can read your code skips straight past the GPA question.
Work your campus network and apply directly at the same time
Campus career fairs surface structured internship programs tied to your university, and professors or career center staff often know which employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Applying directly to companies running smaller cohorts alongside campus activity reaches employers who never show up at a fair.
Practice your technical screen out loud before your first interview
Firmware intern screens typically combine a coding component, data structures, bit manipulation, and algorithm problems, with questions about hardware concepts like memory-mapped I/O, interrupt handling, or communication protocols. Practice explaining your reasoning as you work through problems, since interviewers weight how you think as much as the final answer.
Target structured internship programs at larger employers first
Many semiconductor companies, defense contractors, and embedded-systems firms run dedicated university or rotational intern cohorts built to train people new to the field. These programs offer structured mentorship and stronger conversion pipelines, but they recruit early and fill fast, identify the ones that match your background and apply in the first wave.
Set your work-type filter before you start
On-site roles are 100% of the firmware internships listed here. Decide what you can actually commit to before you search, relocation for a summer on-site role is a real constraint, and remote cohorts fill quickly because they draw applicants from everywhere. Filter by location and work type first so you're only reviewing roles you can take.
Firmware Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a firmware internship?
Lead with coursework and personal projects rather than work history, hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. For firmware candidates, a GitHub repository of embedded or hardware projects gives recruiters something concrete to assess. Combine direct applications with campus career fairs, where recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person than for cold applicants.
Can a firmware internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. For firmware interns, what drives it most is the quality of your work on real deliverables, whether the team has open headcount at the end of the summer, and how early in the internship you signal interest. Position for it by performing well, don't count on it before you start.
When should I apply for firmware internships?
Earlier than most candidates expect. Large employers with structured summer cohorts, semiconductor companies, defense contractors, and major consumer electronics firms, often open applications the preceding fall and fill seats before the new year. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to start dates, so openings appear year-round. Checking regularly and applying as soon as a role opens gives you the best chance.
Are firmware internships paid?
Most professional firmware internships in the U.S. are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry, and location, a large semiconductor company typically pays more than a small hardware startup, and roles in high-cost cities often reflect that. Where an employer discloses a range, it appears directly in the listing.
What should a firmware internship resume include?
Lead with projects, not work history. Include two or three complete, documented projects that name the microcontrollers, RTOSes, protocols, or hardware platforms you used and link directly to the code on GitHub or a portfolio site. Add relevant coursework, embedded systems, digital logic, computer architecture, and keep the whole document to one page.
Are there remote firmware internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 0% of the firmware internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill quickly because they attract applicants from anywhere, so apply early once you find a role that fits. Use the work-type filter to see only remote or hybrid listings and avoid sorting through on-site roles you cannot take.
Can international students get firmware 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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