Challenging projects. Real-world impact of one's work. Access to company leaders. Free food.
These are some of the hallmarks of a great internship, according to reviews on the jobs site Glassdoor, which recently published its annual list of the highest-rated companies for interns.
Four of the firms in the top 10 are big tech companies; two are in the oil and gas sector; and there's one each in media, finance, health and business consulting.
The interns who offered anonymous reviews of the companies where they worked also reported their pay. Average amounts for each company ranged from $1,722 to $7,214 a month.
CNNMoney contacted the 10 companies: three confirmed the pay numbers were in the ballpark, four wouldn't confirm but said they pay competitively, and three didn't respond. The survey didn't distinguish between undergrad and grad student interns. Companies may pay graduate students more, so the average pay reported may be higher than what undergrad interns could earn in some cases.
Each company on the list is actively hiring for interns. And geographically, Glassdoor data show that New York currently has the most open internships (2,500), followed by San Francisco (1,500) and Los Angeles (1,400).
Company
Avg. monthly pay interns reported
What interns say
