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Simular

PhD Research Intern

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

PhD Intern Where multiple locations are listed for this role, the position may be based in any of those locations, with priority determined according to the order of listing. What you'll do As a PhD ...

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How much do phd intern jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 18, 2026, the average hourly pay for phd intern in the United States is $17.31, 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 is a PhD intern?

A PhD intern is a doctoral student who temporarily works at an organization, usually in industry, government, or academia, to gain practical experience related to their field of study. These internships allow PhD students to apply their research skills, learn new techniques, and collaborate with professionals outside their university. PhD internships often last a few months and can lead to networking opportunities, potential job offers, or ideas for future research. They are valuable for developing both technical expertise and transferable skills.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a PhD intern?

To thrive as a PhD Intern, you typically need advanced research skills, subject matter expertise, and enrollment in a relevant doctoral program. Familiarity with data analysis software, laboratory techniques, or specialized programming languages (such as Python or R) is often expected, depending on the field. Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities help you contribute effectively to team projects and present your findings clearly. These skills and qualities are vital for making meaningful contributions to research objectives and maximizing the learning experience during the internship.

What types of projects can a PhD intern expect to work on during their internship?

As a PhD Intern, you can typically expect to be assigned to research-driven projects that align with your academic background and the organization's goals. These projects often involve designing experiments, analyzing complex datasets, or contributing to the development of new technologies or publications. You will usually collaborate closely with senior researchers, other interns, and cross-functional teams, which provides valuable exposure to real-world applications of your research. The work environment is often dynamic and intellectually stimulating, encouraging you to apply your expertise while developing professional skills.

What is the difference between Phd Intern vs Research Assistant?

AspectPhd InternResearch Assistant
Required CredentialsEnrolled in PhD program or recent PhD graduateBachelor's or Master's degree, sometimes pursuing higher degrees
Work EnvironmentAcademic labs, research institutions, industry R&DUniversities, research labs, industry settings
Employer & Industry UsageUniversities, research institutes, corporate R&DUniversities, government agencies, private companies

Phd Interns are typically enrolled in or recently completed a PhD program and work on advanced research projects, often in academic or industry R&D settings. Research Assistants usually hold a Bachelor's or Master's degree and support research activities. While both roles involve research tasks, Phd Interns focus on specialized, high-level projects aligned with their doctoral studies, whereas Research Assistants assist with broader research support across various levels of academia or industry.

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Phd Intern jobs near you
Infographic showing various Phd Intern job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 77% Full Time, 21% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 73% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 23% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $35,995 per year, or $17.3 per hour.

PhD Research Intern

Simular

Palo Alto, CA • On-site

Other

Re-posted 17 days ago

Job description

PhD Intern

Where multiple locations are listed for this role, the position may be based in any of those locations, with priority determined according to the order of listing.

What you'll do

As a PhD intern, you will:

  • Collaborate with research scientists to advance methods in:
    • Planning and RL for computer use (e.g. behavioral cloning, RL on model weights, RAG-based domain knowledge)
    • Multimodal grounding (e.g. vision-only models, tree search, hybrid methods with large models)
    • Reward/judge modeling (e.g. error analysis, human evaluation, training judge models)
    • User intent understanding (e.g. modeling vague queries, preference learning)
  • Contribute to building datasets, running experiments, and benchmarking results
  • Explore novel approaches and help derisk Simular's long-term technical roadmap
  • Document and communicate findings through internal reports or academic-style writing

You might be a fit if

  • Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related field
  • Research background in at least one of: Reinforcement learning, Large language/vision-language models, Computer vision and multimodal perception, Representation learning
  • Experience conducting experiments and publishing or preparing papers in top-tier conferences (NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML, CVPR, ACL, etc.)
  • Strong coding and prototyping skills in Python and ML frameworks (PyTorch/JAX)
  • Curiosity, initiative, and interest in bridging fundamental research with applied AI

Apply