Written and Edited by Alexander Lumala, Former Amazon SWE Intern

Inspired by r/personalfinance and Investopedia, optimized for tech interns.

Introduction: Why This Guide Exists

SWE interns, especially ones in big tech, are in a very unique position where they are usually paid well above an average intern in most fields. You can be making up to a six figure salary for about 3 months. So the reality is that the financial advice you see online just does not apply to your situation. As DJ Khaled said, you're "Suffering From Success.”

The problem is most financial advice ignores:

• Intern income is seasonal, and yours is unusually high for an intern
• Sometimes employer matching accounts (401K etc.) are not always available/optimal as an intern
• You need to factor in school-year cash needs
• Tax implications for interns is poorly documented

These factors among others is why I felt it was necessary to write a financial guide specifically for SWE interns. It’s not realistic to read between the lines of online financial guides and see what applies to you and what doesn’t, so I compiled the relevant parts together for you into two sections.

My goal is to help you enjoy the money AND make smart decisions.

Part I — Control Your Cash Flow

Overview

The first section of this guide will teach you how to maximize your income, whether that be through not letting yourself get over taxed, having healthy spending habits, and bringing down your cost of rent (which is going to be your single biggest expense).

1. Understand Your Internship Earnings