Internships are great ways to kick-start your career, providing you with real-life exposure to the world of work. They can also be beneficial for those looking to change their field.
Interning in a major city can be even more valuable for your personal and professional development. But when the world is your oyster, it can be difficult to choose which international city to intern abroad in.
To help you decide, our team at Business Name Generator analyzed 50 global cities to determine the best place to build your career from the ground up. Looking at the number of intern opportunities, average salaries, working hours, and the cost of living, we can reveal the best cities to start your career.
In addition, we delved into search volume data to reveal the most sought-after companies to undertake an internship with.
The Best Intern City Results
Los Angeles is the Best City for Interns
To give a well-balanced ranking, we look at additional metrics that interns might consider important, including the number of networking events, as well as the number of free attractions to visit during downtime.
Los Angeles, California, is the best global city for interns, with over 4,000 opportunities at the internship level and an average monthly salary of $3,618 USD. For those looking for flexibility, remote positions make up nearly a quarter of the vacancies (24%). The city has 671 free skills and networking events to aid development and boost industry connections.
Austin, Texas, follows in second with 1,580 open vacancies and an average salary of $3,169 per month. Renting a one-bedroom apartment here is significantly more affordable than in L.A. at $1,090 pcm.
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Manchester, UK, has the best outside-of-work opportunities
The fourth best city for interns (ahead of London in sixth) is Manchester, the second-largest city in Great Britain. Despite having significantly less open positions (811), the city boasts 2,480 skill workshops and networking events and a healthy yearly salary of $26,088 before tax.
MORE: Best cities for a 5-day office week
The Best Companies to Intern For
Analyzing the top 50 companies listed on Forbes World’s Best Employers and the percentage of interns employed, satisfactory ratings on Glassdoor, as well search volume in the UK and USA, we can reveal the most sought-after brands to work for:
Apple and Amazon come out on top, with prospective interns in the US and UK searching for both companies 129,360 times a year. In total, tech giant Apple has 448,153 employees on LinkedIn, with 6% of those being interns. Amazon has 857,751 employees, with 13% of them working as interns.
Overall, Meta (which includes platforms Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) has over 100,000 employees registered on LinkedIn with interns making up nearly one-third (29%) of the workforce.
Puma, based in Germany, has the highest satisfaction rating on Glassdoor at 4.7 out of 5, followed by Intuit at 4.6 and Meta at 4.4 overall.
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Key Takeaways
Our analysis highlights Los Angeles as the top city for interns, offering many opportunities, competitive salaries, and a vibrant networking scene. Close contenders such as Austin (Texas) and Manchester (UK) also present unique benefits, from affordability to rich cultural experiences.
Additionally, companies such as Apple, Amazon, and Meta are highly sought-after places for internships, combining innovation with a supportive environment for interns.
Where will you start your internship? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Methodology
We analyzed 50 global cities to determine the best place to build your career from the ground up. Looking at:
– the number of intern opportunities,
– average salaries,
– working hours,
– cost of living.
Best employers: Forbes best employers data 2021 and Glassdoor satisfaction scores.