Lockheed Martin Intern Salary in 2026: Pay, Benefits, and How to Get Hired
Lockheed Martin hires over 4,000 interns and co-op students every year, making it one of the largest internship programs in the aerospace and defense industry. A Lockheed Martin internship offers meaningful engineering work on programs that matter — from the F-35 fighter to the Orion deep-space crew vehicle — along with compensation that consistently ranks among the best for defense industry internships.
This guide covers everything prospective interns need to know: hourly pay rates by degree level, housing and relocation benefits, the application timeline, interview process, and your chances of converting to a full-time offer.
Hourly Pay by Degree Level
Lockheed Martin's intern compensation is primarily determined by your current education level. The company uses a standardized pay structure, though rates are adjusted slightly by location to reflect cost-of-living differences.
| Degree Level | Hourly Rate | Weekly (40 hrs) | 12-Week Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's (Sophomore) | $22 - $25/hr | $880 - $1,000 | $10,560 - $12,000 |
| Bachelor's (Junior/Senior) | $25 - $28/hr | $1,000 - $1,120 | $12,000 - $13,440 |
| Master's | $28 - $34/hr | $1,120 - $1,360 | $13,440 - $16,320 |
| PhD | $34 - $40/hr | $1,360 - $1,600 | $16,320 - $19,200 |
These figures represent base pay only. When you factor in the housing stipend and other benefits, total intern compensation for a 12-week summer term ranges from approximately $13,500 to $24,000 depending on degree level and location.
Lockheed Martin intern pay is competitive within the defense sector but sits below top-tier tech companies. SpaceX interns earn $28-$38/hr for BS-level, while Google and Meta offer $45-$55/hr. Among defense contractors, LM is roughly on par with Northrop Grumman and slightly above RTX (Raytheon) and L3Harris.
Housing and Relocation Benefits
One of the strongest parts of Lockheed Martin's intern package is the financial support for relocation:
Housing stipend: $3,000 - $5,000 for the 12-week summer term, paid as a lump sum at the start of the internship. The exact amount varies by location, with higher stipends for expensive areas like Sunnyvale, CA and Washington, DC.
Relocation assistance: Lockheed Martin covers reasonable travel expenses to and from your internship location, including one round-trip flight or mileage reimbursement for driving.
Corporate housing referrals: While LM does not provide housing directly, the intern program coordinator provides a list of pre-vetted apartment complexes and shared housing options near each facility. Many interns coordinate roommate situations through the intern cohort Slack channel before their start date.
Additional intern benefits include:
- Paid holidays: Any company holidays that fall within the internship period are paid at the regular hourly rate
- Employee discounts: Access to the corporate discount program for electronics, car rentals, and entertainment
- Gym access: On-site fitness centers at major facilities are available to all interns
- Mentorship: Each intern is assigned both a technical mentor and a peer buddy from the full-time workforce
Internship Programs
Lockheed Martin offers several structured intern and early-career programs, each with different durations and commitments:
Summer Internship (Most Common)
The standard 12-week summer internship runs from late May through mid-August. This is the highest-volume program, accounting for roughly 70% of all intern hires. Interns are placed on active programs and work alongside full-time engineers on real deliverables — this is not a make-work program. Past intern projects have included thermal analysis for satellite subsystems, test automation for avionics hardware, and data analytics for manufacturing quality control.
College Work Experience Program (CWEP)
CWEP is a part-time, year-round co-op arrangement for students attending colleges near Lockheed Martin facilities. CWEP students typically work 15-25 hours per week during the academic year and full-time during summers. The pay rate matches the standard intern scale, and CWEP participants are among the most likely to receive full-time offers upon graduation because they accumulate more total work experience and build deeper relationships with their teams.
Engineering Leadership Development Program (ELDP)
ELDP is Lockheed Martin's premier rotational program for top-performing interns who convert to full-time. While not technically an internship, the program selects candidates during the internship phase. ELDP participants complete three eight-month rotations across different business areas and programs, earning an accelerated salary progression that typically puts them one level ahead of standard hires by the end of the program.
ELDP candidates are identified during the internship based on performance reviews and manager recommendations. If you want to be considered, explicitly tell your manager and mentor that you are interested in ELDP during your first week. Visibility matters — the selection process begins before the midpoint review.
Intern Locations
Lockheed Martin places interns across all of its major facilities. The largest intern cohorts are at:
| Location | Business Area | Common Engineering Roles | Housing Stipend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth, TX | Aeronautics | F-35 avionics, structures, flight test | $3,000 |
| Bethesda, MD | Corporate HQ | Cybersecurity, IT, program management | $5,000 |
| Orlando, FL | Missiles and Fire Control | Guidance systems, simulation, EO/IR | $3,000 |
| Denver / Littleton, CO | Space | Spacecraft power, satellite comms, GNC | $4,000 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | Space | Satellite systems, RF, signal processing | $5,000 |
| Huntsville, AL | Missiles and Fire Control | Missile defense, propulsion, systems eng | $3,000 |
Location preferences are collected during the application process, and Lockheed Martin makes a genuine effort to match candidates with their preferred sites. However, placement ultimately depends on where the open intern positions exist, so flexibility significantly improves your chances of landing an offer.
Application Timeline
Lockheed Martin's internship hiring process follows a predictable annual cycle. Planning ahead is critical because the most competitive positions fill early:
August - September: Applications open on the Lockheed Martin careers portal for the following summer. Apply as early as possible — rolling admissions mean positions fill continuously throughout the cycle.
September - November: Peak interview period. First-round interviews are typically 30-minute phone screens with a recruiter, followed by a 45-60 minute technical interview with a hiring manager.
October - January: Offers are extended on a rolling basis. Early applicants from target schools may receive offers as early as October. The bulk of offers go out in November and December.
January - March: Remaining positions are filled. This is the last chance for summer placements. Some specialized or classified positions remain open later due to clearance processing requirements.
May - August: Internship execution. Start dates are flexible within a 2-3 week window to accommodate different academic calendars.
The single most common mistake is applying too late. Submitting your application in August or September gives you the best selection of positions and locations. By January, the most popular programs (F-35 at Fort Worth, Space in Denver) are often fully staffed.
Interview Process
The Lockheed Martin intern interview process is structured but not excessively difficult compared to tech company standards. Here is what to expect at each stage:
Phone Screen (30 minutes)
A recruiter reviews your resume, confirms your eligibility (US citizenship is required for most positions due to ITAR), discusses your location preferences, and assesses basic fit. This is largely a screening conversation rather than a technical evaluation. Be prepared to discuss why you are interested in defense and aerospace work specifically.
Technical Interview (45-60 minutes)
The technical interview is conducted by the hiring manager or a senior engineer from the target program. For electrical engineering interns, expect questions covering:
- Circuit fundamentals: Kirchhoff's laws, op-amp configurations, filter design basics
- Signal processing: Fourier transforms, sampling theorem, basic DSP concepts
- Digital systems: Boolean algebra, flip-flops, state machines, basic FPGA concepts
- Programming: MATLAB, Python, or C depending on the role
- Behavioral questions: Teamwork examples, problem-solving approach, interest in defense/space
The difficulty level is calibrated to your degree level. Sophomore candidates face more fundamental questions, while MS and PhD candidates may discuss their research and receive deeper technical probes.
Tips for Success
- Research the specific program you are interviewing for — hiring managers notice when candidates understand the mission and its technical challenges
- Prepare 2-3 STAR-format behavioral stories involving team projects, technical challenges, and tight deadlines
- Be honest about what you do not know — interviewers value intellectual honesty and learning agility over pretending to have expertise you lack
- Ask thoughtful questions about the program, the team structure, and the technical problems they are working to solve
Conversion to Full-Time
The most important long-term consideration for any Lockheed Martin internship is the path to a full-time offer. Lockheed Martin's intern-to-full-time conversion rate is approximately 60%, which is strong for the defense sector.
Factors that influence your conversion likelihood:
- Performance rating: Interns receive a formal mid-term and end-of-term review. A rating that significantly exceeds expectations almost guarantees an offer.
- Headcount availability: Even excellent interns may not receive offers if the hiring manager's team has no full-time openings. This is the most common reason capable interns do not convert.
- Clearance eligibility: If your background check reveals potential clearance issues, the offer may be withdrawn regardless of technical performance.
- Multiple internships: Students who complete two or more internship terms at LM convert at rates exceeding 80%, making co-op and return internships a highly effective strategy.
Full-time offers extended to converting interns typically include:
- Base salary at the L1 (Associate Engineer) level: $65,000 - $85,000 depending on degree and location
- Signing bonus: $5,000 - $10,000, with some ELDP candidates receiving up to $15,000
- Relocation package: $5,000 - $8,000 for moves exceeding 50 miles
- Start date flexibility: Most offers allow a start date within 6 months of graduation
If you receive an offer to return for a second internship, take it. Return interns have the highest conversion rates, often receive slightly higher hourly pay ($1-$2/hr more), and are typically first in line for full-time positions on their team. The second summer also lets you build deeper technical skills and a stronger internal network.
For details on what full-time compensation looks like, see our comprehensive average salary at Lockheed Martin guide. If you are specifically interested in EE roles, our Lockheed Martin electrical engineer salary guide covers the full career trajectory from associate through principal.
Start Your Lockheed Martin Career
A Lockheed Martin internship is one of the most effective entry points into the aerospace and defense industry. The pay is competitive, the work is substantive, and the conversion pipeline to full-time employment is well-established. The key is applying early, targeting the right programs, and performing well enough during your term to earn that return offer.
Browse current Lockheed Martin openings on Zero G Talent, including internship and early-career positions. You can also explore the Lockheed Martin company profile or look at opportunities across the broader space industry, from SpaceX to Northrop Grumman, to find the best fit for your career goals.
