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How much do paleontology intern jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 15, 2026, the average hourly pay for paleontology intern in the United States is $17.04, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $14.42 and $19.23 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a paleontology intern do?

A Paleontology Intern assists professional paleontologists in researching, collecting, and analyzing fossils to learn about prehistoric life. Typical duties include cataloging specimens, helping with fieldwork and excavations, preparing fossils in laboratories, and maintaining databases. Interns also participate in educational outreach and may help with museum exhibits. This position provides hands-on experience and helps interns develop important skills for a career in paleontology.

What are some typical responsibilities and learning opportunities for a paleontology intern during a field season?

As a Paleontology Intern, you'll often assist with excavating fossils, cataloging specimens, and maintaining field equipment while working closely with experienced paleontologists. You may also participate in preparing fossils for study, recording field data, and helping with public outreach or educational programs. This role provides hands-on experience in both field and laboratory settings, allowing you to develop practical skills and gain insight into current research methods. Interns frequently collaborate with team members from a range of scientific backgrounds, offering a valuable opportunity to build professional connections and learn about different career paths within paleontology.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a paleontology intern, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Paleontology Intern, you need a background in geology or biology, basic laboratory and fieldwork skills, and enrollment in or completion of relevant coursework. Familiarity with tools such as GIS software, fossil preparation equipment, and database management systems is often expected. Attention to detail, teamwork, and strong communication skills help interns collaborate effectively and accurately document findings. These abilities are crucial for supporting research, ensuring data integrity, and contributing to successful field and lab projects.
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Infographic showing various Paleontology Intern job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 7% As Needed, 60% Full Time, 13% Part Time, and 20% Temporary. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $35,436 per year, or $17 per hour.

Paleontology Intern | San Diego Natural History Museum

San Diego, CA • On-site

e-Active B.V.
See more jobs at e-Active B.V.external

$20/hr

Other

Posted 13 days ago

Job description

Paleontology Intern | San Diego Natural History Museum

Love nature?Then you're going to love The Nat.

The San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) was founded by local naturalists in 1874 and has played a major role over the years in regional conversation efforts. The Museum recently celebrated its 150th anniversary and completed a strategicplan focused on encouraging a love for nature, leveraging science and collections for conservation, and using our own voice to behere for nature.

Jacobs Center for Science and Conservation Internship Program:

The Nat's Jacobs Center for Science and Conservation offers several externally funded internships that provide training and mentoring in curation, imaging, databasing protocols, and collections- based research to students, to prepare them for continued advancement in the natural sciences, which can translate to career pathways in academia and research, as well as environmental consulting. Within the Center, the Paleontology Department has an opening for a part-time, temporaryPaleontology Intern.

About the Department of Paleontology:

The Department of Paleontology specializes in the growth, management, and research use of the Museum's fossil collection and its supporting documentation. The department also provides information about the paleontology and geology of the southern California and Baja California region to all interested parties, including Museum members, citizen scientists, members of the media, and the general public. For more information about the Department of Paleontology, please visitwww.sdnhm.org/science/paleontology .

Paleontology Internship Opportunity:

Applications are invited for several paid undergraduate student internship positions in the Department of Paleontology. This is the sixth year of this immersive internship program aimed at providing undergraduate students with Museum-based experience in fossil identification, curation, and collection management.

Examples of curation tasks to be taught as part of the internship include: microscopic "picking" of wet-screened sediment concentrate for micro-invertebrate and micro-vertebrate fossils; general sorting and taxonomic identification of invertebrate and vertebrate fossils; organizing sorted fossils into individual species lots and placing in archival specimen unit trays, plastic vials, glass vials, and/or gel capsules; entering or updating collection locality and specimen identification information into the SDNHM Paleontology Collection Database; writing locality and specimen tracking numbers on catalogued fossils; placing organized, trayed, catalogued, and numbered fossils into steel drawers and storage cabinets; photographing specimens for curation and research purposes; and participating in a general inventory and reorganization of the SDNHM Paleontology Collection.

Examples of fossil specimen projects to be worked on as part of the internship include: late Pleistocene terrestrial and marine microvertebrate fossils from coastal southern California; early Pleistocene terrestrial macrovertebrate fossils from inland southern California; late Pliocene and late Miocene marine invertebrate and vertebrate fossils from coastal and inland southern California; middle Eocene terrestrial vertebrate fossils from coastal southern California; late Cretaceous marine invertebrate fossils from coastal and inland southern California.

Qualifications:

  • Interest in natural history, paleontology, and/or geology
  • Technology skills

Eligibility:Applicants must…

  • Be a student in the final 2 (two) years of an earth science and/or evolutionary biology undergraduate degree program or a very recent graduate of such a program.
  • Live in San Diego County or be willing to commute.
  • A special emphasis is placed on recruiting students in San Diego County who are members of groups underrepresented in STEM careers.

Time Commitment:

  • The internship program will involve up to 14 hours of work per weekover a period of approximately 24 (twenty-four) weeks

Pay: $20/hour.

Employees enjoy free admission into all of Balboa Park's museums as well as free admission to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Learn more about the Museum's benefitshere .

Deadline to apply is September 30, 2026.

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