Internship compensation in Poland has changed significantly in recent years, with the majority of internship offers now being paid. According to a recent analysis by job portal No Fluff Jobs, internship rates on B2B contracts start at PLN 4,000 net (+ VAT) and can even exceed PLN 12,000 gross in rare cases under task-specific contracts (umowa o dzieło). Despite this, the most common form of employment for interns remains the contract of mandate (umowa zlecenia), which appears in half of all internship postings. Permanent employment contracts are also becoming more common, appearing in over 25% of offers. Most internship opportunities are found in marketing, sales, and HR.
Paid Internships Are the Norm
It is becoming increasingly common to find paid internships. Over the past 18 months, the share of paid internship offers on No Fluff Jobs ranged between 89% and 94%, depending on the quarter. During the same period, internships accounted for between 0.5% and 2% of all job postings on the platform. These offers attract significant interest—on average, twice as many candidates apply for internship roles compared to other job types.
Contract of Mandate Remains the Most Popular Form
Interns are most often employed under contract of mandate agreements. Over the last six quarters, such contracts accounted for 50% of all internship postings. Employment contracts followed with 26%, B2B contracts with 18.5%, and task-specific contracts (umowa o dzieło) with just 6%.
The popularity of contract of mandate is likely due to its benefits for both interns—often still students under the age of 26—and employers. “In this arrangement, the employer’s cost is equal to the intern’s net salary,” explains Paulina Król, Chief People and Operations Officer at No Fluff Jobs. “In contrast, the cost of an employment contract is around 38% higher than the net salary paid to the intern. Additionally, contract of mandate agreements are easier to terminate if the internship proves unsatisfactory for either party.”
Salary Ranges Vary Widely by Contract Type
Salaries for internships vary considerably depending on the type of contract. Median salary ranges over the last six quarters were as follows:
- Contract of mandate: PLN 4,500–5,500 gross
- Employment contract: PLN 4,300–6,500 gross
- B2B contract: PLN 4,000–8,400 net (+ VAT)
- Task-specific contract: PLN 4,300–5,500 gross
Interestingly, the median of the lower pay range is relatively consistent across all contract types—reflecting Poland’s minimum wage level. It’s also worth noting that less common contract types (like B2B or umowa o dzieło) may be skewed by a few offers from specific employers.
From Unpaid to Paid: Changing Perceptions
These figures reflect a broader shift in how internships are perceived. “In the 1990s and early 2000s, many people began their careers with unpaid internships—that was the norm,” Król points out. “Back then, companies saw internships as a way of giving back, offering young people a chance to learn at the company’s expense. That mindset is fading. Today, we see employment more as a mutual exchange of value, and interns can contribute meaningfully regardless of experience level.”
Most Internships in Marketing, Sales, and HR
The highest number of internship postings target those interested in Marketing, Sales, and Human Resources. Other popular categories include Customer Support and Finance. In the IT sector, internships are most often found in Backend Development, Support, Testing, and Game Development.
At the opposite end, some fields offer very limited internship opportunities. In Telecommunications, just one internship was posted over the past 18 months. In IT, Architecture saw similarly low availability. Other scarce areas include Law, Consulting, IT System Administration, Embedded Systems, and Artificial Intelligence. This scarcity is largely due to high entry barriers and demanding skill sets, which limit junior and internship positions in these fields.
Source: Manager+
