Amazon SDE internship 2027: the online assessment, interviews, and pay

Amazon's summer 2027 SDE internship is a 12 week, in person, paid role open to bachelor's and graduate students in computer science and related fields who expect to graduate between October 2027 and September 2029. You apply once to the general posting, applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, and the first step is a roughly 90 minute online assessment with a coding section and a work style section. As of October 18, 2026, the US posting was open.

Everything here comes from Amazon's own posting and its online assessment prep page, both checked on October 18, 2026. Amazon is unusually specific about its process, which means you can prepare for it properly.

What the internship is

Amazon's posting says SDE interns own the full lifecycle of their code, from design through deployment and operations, and are matched with a manager and a mentor. The listed responsibilities include breaking down ambiguous problems, contributing to scalable services, participating in code reviews, writing documentation, and taking part in operational work including on call duties.

One line stands out for 2027: the posting expects interns to use AI powered development tools and to critically validate AI generated code, exercising judgment about when to trust it and when not to. Experience with AI assisted development tools is listed as a basic qualification. If you use these tools in your projects, say so on your resume, and be ready to talk about a time one gave you a wrong answer and how you caught it.

During the application you can highlight interest in specialized areas, including machine learning, distributed systems, databases, embedded systems, mobile, and game development. Amazon says placement is based on business need, but your stated interests help with matching.

Eligibility

The basic qualifications on the summer 2027 US posting:

• 18 years of age or older.
• Enrolled in a bachelor's degree or above in computer science, computer engineering, data science, information systems, or a related STEM field.
• Experience with at least one general purpose language, such as Java, Python, C++, C#, Go, Rust, or TypeScript.
• Experience with data structure implementation, basic algorithm development, or object oriented design.
• Experience using AI assisted development tools.
• Able to work at least 40 hours a week for the 12 week internship.
• Expected degree conferral between October 2027 and September 2029.
• At least one quarter, semester, or trimester remaining after the internship.

The graduation window is the line most students miss. If you started a four year degree in fall 2026, you likely graduate in 2030, which is outside it. In that case, look at programs built for early students instead, listed in can you get an internship as a first year student.

Preferred qualifications include previous technical internships or demonstrated project experience, cloud and database experience, open source contributions, and strong communication. The “or demonstrated project experience” part is the opening for students without a past internship.

The online assessment, step by step

Amazon calls the SDE online assessment the first step in the hiring process for both full time and internship SDE roles. For internships, it takes about 90 minutes:

1. 1

   Coding assessment (about 70 minutes)

   Coding problems testing technical problem solving. If you get stuck, Amazon advises moving on and coming back.
2. 2

   Workstyles assessment (about 15 minutes)

   Questions about how you approach work, connected to Amazon's Leadership Principles.
3. 3

   Feedback survey (about 5 minutes)

   Required. Amazon says skipping it delays your results and next steps.

The rules Amazon publishes for the coding section are worth reading twice:

• You may use publicly accessible online resources, such as language documentation, but not sites that require a login or private repositories. Browser usage is logged.
• Using print screen ends your session and locks you out.
• Avoid copying and pasting. Amazon expects the code to be your own.
• Use a laptop or desktop, not a phone or tablet, with a webcam. Find a quiet place and set aside uninterrupted time.
• Amazon offers an unscored practice test with two sample questions. Take it before the real one.

After the OA: interviews

If you move forward, Amazon says it will reach out directly. Amazon does not publish a fixed interview count for interns on the posting, and candidates commonly report one or two technical interviews that mix coding with behavioral questions. Two things are consistent across Amazon's own materials:

• Coding fundamentals. Amazon publishes a software development topics page listing what to expect. Practice explaining your approach before you code and testing your solution out loud.
• Leadership Principles. Amazon evaluates the OA and interviews against its Leadership Principles. Prepare short stories about ownership, learning quickly, disagreeing and committing, and delivering under a deadline, each with a clear result.

Pay and locations

The summer 2027 US posting lists starting pay of $109,395 USD annually for most listed locations, including Seattle, Austin, Boston, Arlington, Denver, Detroit, Madison, and Minneapolis, and $103,955 for Nashville. On a 40 hour week that is roughly $52 to $53 an hour, or around $25,000 for 12 weeks before tax. For context, NACE's 2026 benchmarks put the average intern hourly rate across employers at $23.35, and a side by side of posted intern pay is in how much do interns make.

Applicants are considered at all US locations that host interns, a list spanning roughly 20 states. You can state location preferences, but Amazon says placement depends on business availability.

A four week preparation plan

And keep applying elsewhere while you wait. The Google and Microsoft guides cover two other big tech processes, and how many internships to apply to will help you set a realistic weekly number.