Top 10 Tech Apprenticeships, Internships and Entry-Level Jobs in Richmond, VA in 2026

Table of Contents

• Starting Your Tech Journey in Richmond
• Capital One Developer Academy
• Year Up United
• CarMax Technology Internship
• Per Scholas Richmond
• Dominion Energy IT Internship & Trainee Program
• CoStar Group Technology Internship
• Altria Computer Science/Engineering Internship
• Maximus DevSecOps & Software Internships
• VCU Shift Retail Lab
• GO TEC Virginia Talent Pathways
• Navigating Your Trail
• Frequently Asked Questions

Capital One Developer Academy

When it comes to structured, high-impact pathways into tech, Capital One's CODA program is the region's gold-standard trail. This six-month, full-time residency is specifically engineered for individuals without computer science degrees to pivot into software engineering, offering a substantial salary from day one - compensation ranges from ~$100,000 to $128,000 annually.

Participants, known as "associates," receive immersive training in full-stack development and high-quality mentorship from senior engineers called "Gosus." The program serves as a direct feeder into Capital One's full-time Technology Development Program, with most graduates receiving return offers. Applications for new cohorts typically open in August/September the prior year, making early preparation critical for this highly competitive opportunity.

For a career changer in Richmond, CODA represents the most direct and well-supported path to a six-figure tech career, exemplifying how the city's top employers are building talent in-house and prioritizing aptitude over formal credentials. This apprenticeship model is a cornerstone of the region's strategy to develop specialized, homegrown tech talent.

Year Up United

For young adults in Richmond facing barriers to traditional education, Year Up United represents the most accessible "earn-while-you-learn" apprenticeship model. This national program provides a one-year pathway combining professional and technical training with a six-month corporate internship at partners like Capital One or Dominion Energy, all while removing financial barriers through weekly stipends.

The program focuses on in-demand tracks like IT Support, Cybersecurity, and Software Development, with rolling admissions for Spring and Fall cohorts. Its strength lies in comprehensive wraparound support, including dedicated mentors and a sharp focus on professional skills development alongside technical training.

Outcomes validate the model: 72% of Year Up United graduates are employed or enrolled in further education within four months of completion, with an average starting salary of $53,000. For young adults seeking a proven, debt-free on-ramp to tech, Year Up is an unbeatable community resource and a key driver of equitable talent development in the Richmond region.

CarMax Technology Internship

For traditional students at VCU, UR, and other regional schools, the CarMax Technology Internship is the premier summer program to target. With compensation around $35 per hour (roughly $6,067 monthly) plus a notable $5,000 sign-on/housing bonus, it stands as one of the highest-paid internships in the Richmond metro.

The 10-week summer experience places interns in software engineering, data science, or product management teams, working with modern cloud stacks on projects that impact the Fortune 500 company's national operations. Recruiting for summer cohorts peaks in the Fall, and the program is renowned for its dedicated mentorship, with each intern paired with a senior engineer.

This structure leads to traditionally high return-offer rates for graduating seniors. For a student, it’s not just a summer job - it’s a potential gateway to a full-time role at one of Richmond’s most prominent tech-driven employers, all while enjoying the city's affordable summer living and gaining experience at the intersection of technology and national retail.

Per Scholas Richmond

For career changers in Richmond who need to build foundational skills before stepping into a paid role, Per Scholas offers a critical launchpad. This national nonprofit provides intensive, tuition-free technical training in high-growth areas like Cybersecurity, IT Support, and AI-ready skills through 12-15 week courses designed specifically for those transitioning careers.

While the training itself is unpaid, the outcomes justify the investment. Graduates report earning an average of four times their pre-training wage in their first tech job, with the organization maintaining a 70-80% job placement rate. The model includes two years of alumni follow-up support and multiple cohorts throughout the year for flexibility.

Per Scholas succeeds through deep partnerships with local employers who help tailor the curriculum to real-world needs, making it a vital component of Richmond's equitable talent pipeline. It's particularly impactful for those transitioning from low-wage work, providing a structured on-ramp into the tech ecosystem without the barrier of tuition debt.

Dominion Energy IT Internship & Trainee Program

As a cornerstone of Richmond's economy, Dominion Energy offers robust pathways into the critical field of energy tech. Its summer IT internships provide competitive hourly pay and hands-on experience in areas like cybersecurity, grid technology, and enterprise systems, often serving as a direct pipeline to the company's year-round trainee programs for recent graduates.

Application cycles begin early in the Fall via the company's student portal, and the program boasts strong conversion rates, with approximately 75% of senior-year interns receiving full-time job offers. This creates a clear trajectory from student to professional within one of the region's most stable and essential employers.

For those interested in the intersection of technology, critical infrastructure, and sustainability, Dominion provides a unique, mission-driven career path with deep roots in Virginia. The opportunity to work on modernizing the electric grid offers experience that is both highly specialized and immensely valuable within Richmond's diverse tech landscape.

CoStar Group Technology Internship

The expansion of CoStar Group's new downtown campus is actively reshaping both Richmond's skyline and its tech job market. By 2026, this facility will be a major hub for tech talent, making the company's summer technology internships particularly strategic for students wanting to get in on the ground floor of a rapidly expanding operation.

These typically 10-week internships offer competitive market-rate compensation and focus on real estate data analytics and enterprise software engineering. The program emphasizes strong corporate training and professional development, creating a clear pipeline to associate-level engineering and research roles within the company.

Applications for summer cohorts usually open in late the preceding year. For students in Richmond, an internship at CoStar represents a unique chance to work on massive datasets powering the commercial real estate industry while building a career in an affordable city with a front-row seat to its downtown tech transformation.

Altria Computer Science/Engineering Internship

As another Fortune 500 heavyweight headquartered in Richmond, Altria runs a structured and well-compensated summer internship program that provides deep insight into corporate tech. Interns in computer science or engineering roles can expect hourly pay in the range of $27-$35, translating to a significant monthly salary while gaining experience in areas like supply chain technology, data analytics, and automation.

The 10-12 week program is consistently rated highly for both compensation and mentorship quality within a complex, regulated consumer goods environment. Applications for summer cohorts typically close in early spring, making timely preparation essential for this competitive opportunity.

Interning at Altria offers a unique perspective on how technology drives operations at a massive scale, providing brand-name experience and a potential return offer in a corporate setting that values technological innovation. It represents a classic, high-stability path within Richmond's diverse ecosystem of tech employers, perfect for students targeting established corporate tech careers.

Maximus DevSecOps & Software Internships

With a significant presence in nearby Glen Allen, Maximus specializes in government services technology, offering unique and technically demanding internship opportunities in DevSecOps, software engineering, and legacy system management. These roles often require or facilitate security clearances, placing them in a highly specialized niche within the regional market.

Compensation for these technical intern roles is notably high, reported between $52 and $71 per hour. Hiring can occur on a rolling basis, especially for positions tied to specific government contracts, requiring proactive monitoring of job listings.

An internship here is less about consumer-facing tech and more about deep, impactful work on large-scale government systems. It provides a rare and valuable entry point into the stable federal contracting sector, offering a long-term career path with a strong focus on continuous upskilling in cybersecurity and secure software development - a critical growth area in the national landscape.

VCU Shift Retail Lab

For a non-traditional, sandbox-style entry into tech, VCU's Shift Retail Lab is a unique Richmond asset. This experiential learning program allows VCU students to act as founders, building and testing tech products in a real-world retail lab environment. While not a salaried internship, it provides micro-credentials, potential revenue from tested ideas, and unparalleled hands-on experience.

The ongoing, semester-based program connects students with mentorship from the da Vinci Center for Innovation, emphasizing rapid prototyping, human-centered design, and digital literacy over corporate structure. Its award-winning approach has been recognized nationally for fostering creativity and entrepreneurial thinking directly within Richmond's urban ecosystem.

For students who learn by doing and want to shape their own tech journey, the Shift Retail Lab offers a "hidden trail" that serves as a dynamic launchpad for startup careers or tech product management. It represents the innovative, grassroots side of Richmond's tech surge, where ideas are tested and refined in real time.

GO TEC Virginia Talent Pathways

Looking further down the talent pipeline, the GO TEC (Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers) initiative is a regional program strategically building Richmond's future tech base. It connects high school and community college students in Central Virginia to careers through paid dual-enrollment training, apprenticeships, and coursework in IT, robotics, and advanced manufacturing.

This 1-2 year pathway is backed by a 21-member advisory board of local businesses, ensuring the skills taught are directly job-ready for area employers. The program represents a foundational investment, strengthening the entire regional tech ecosystem from the ground up by creating early, debt-free on-ramps.

For younger individuals in the Richmond area, GO TEC provides a crucial head start, often leading directly to roles at local manufacturers and tech firms. It exemplifies Virginia's #1-ranked commitment to customized workforce training and is a key reason the region can boast a "fast-evolving talent pipeline," ensuring a steady flow of prepared talent for years to come.

Navigating Your Trail

The landscape of Richmond tech is rich with options, but the most successful newcomers learn to navigate the entire terrain. As Michael Pfaff, Director of Operations at NDSE notes, Richmond's tech surge is driven by "deep specialization." Your competitive edge lies in strategically combining pathways - perhaps starting with skills-building through an affordable local AI bootcamp program like Nucamp's 25-week AI Tech Entrepreneur course, then targeting an apprenticeship like Year Up for experience, ultimately aiming for a full-time role at a Capital One or CarMax.

For 2026, be proactive with timing and preparation. Applications for top summer internships open as early as August the prior year. Move beyond GPA by building a tangible portfolio: GitHub projects for developers, a Kaggle profile for data enthusiasts, or a prototype app that solves a local Richmond challenge. Tackling a project using a local employer's public data, like Dominion Energy's datasets, demonstrates authentic engagement.

Remember, acceptance rates for premier programs are highly competitive. Differentiate yourself with proof of proactive learning and problem-solving. The market rewards adaptability and genuine curiosity. Your career is a hike through Richmond's unique blend of corporate stability and startup agility. Use this map to plan your journey, but don't be afraid to connect the waypoints and blaze your own trail between them.

Frequently Asked Questions