what salary can I ask for a 18-month long internship?

Question

Hello,

I'm from Europe and I plan to go to the USA to do an 18-month internship. My visa doesn't allow me to work besides the internship and I have a rent to pay (and food and everything else to survive...).
I'm looking for an internship in a hospital lab as a medical technologist in Arizona.
I am certified as a "medical laboratory technician (MLT)" by AMT, and I have a bachelor degree in biology.

How much do you think I can ask by hour?
Do you think that $10/hour would be OK?

Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

It would really depend on what the market for medical technologists is in Arizona. I would think that you could ask for $15-20/hour in most places and still stand a decent chance of getting a job. If the field is unionized where you are going, you may not have any say in what you will be payed (you will be payed whatever a new worker is paid). I would do some research. See if you can find other jobs in the area through newspapers or job search websites. See what these similar jobs pay and what benefits you receive. Use this as a guide to what you should be paid.