18-20k seems high. I suppose in the case of someone with great experience relevant to a particular team that might be possible, though. At MSFT the specific int

18-20k seems high. I suppose in the case of someone with great experience relevant to a particular team that might be possible, though. At MSFT the specific interns were usually chosen by HR, or at most a team of people that HR wrangled into volunteering. They were then sent around to teams where it seemed they would fit best. In that situation there's probably fairly little room for negotiation. If you're dealing directly with the hiring manager, or at a smaller company where the wall of HR is not so impenetrable, probably there's more room. I wouldn't think of it as equivalent to starting full-time salary, though, because a full third to a half of your internship may be largely coming-up-to-speed time.