The principal legal issue with internships is whether the organization must pay the intern. For private-sector employers in the United States, the answer is almost always yes. Generally, the intern should be paid at least minimum wage as well as overtime.

Should intern be paid for their work?

Not only do paid internship programs lead to higher quality internship candidates, but they also lead to more motivated, loyal, and hard-working interns. If the employer and the organization benefit from the interns' work, then the employer should pay the interns.

Why should all interns be paid?

With some internships paying $4,000-8,000 a month, interns are more motivated to treat a paid opportunity like the real job that it is. A paid internship also gives employers more flexibility in assigning projects, and provides interns with ownership over their work and motivation to take risks.