In countries, such as the USA, students have to pay for education, and only a small percentage of them can say bye to their student years debt-free. Luckily, there are plenty of opportunities for college students to earn money while studying—regardless of the cities they’re enrolled in universities and colleges in. While jobs vary in terms of employment status, location, hours, payment, sector and industries, all can help students to make some money and even build a résumé while still having enough time to study and enjoy their student years to the fullest. Read about the best part-time jobs for college students and start the new semester with one you like and/or can do with ease.

What are the best part-time jobs for college students?

best part-time jobs for college students
Stop dreaming about finding the best part-time jobs for college students. Check out our list and pick one or two!
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash.

Best part-time jobs college students can do

1. Library Assistant

Every college must have a library, and someone must work there to assist students in finding relevant literature for their essays, research, and other types of assignments. You may hear about library assistant jobs in your school’s career center, the web page of the library, or may stumble upon job ads on a board in a corridor. Even if no current vacancies are advertised, you can pass by the library and ask the librarians working there. They might need extra help. Libraries have their own systems, and indexing is an essential part of it. Still, even if you don’t have any previous experience, you will learn the basics soon enough. By taking up a part-time job providing answers for your peers on campus, you don’t have to commute to your workplace. Payment varies.

2. Research Assistant & Research Study Participant

You ended up studying at a university or college, so you should be familiar with researching. Every semester, there are several research studies carried out by your professors and other scientists. You can either join a study as a research assistant if the subject has relevance to your studies or as a participant being examined. Keep in mind that assistants have more responsibilities and work more than plain participants who usually sign up to earn some easy money or get some free tickets. Salary and/or payment varies from school to school. The research budget has a huge impact on it.

best part-time jobs for college students
Whether you work on campus or on location, it depends on the type of research you’re assisting or participating in.
Photo by Sasha Sashina on Unsplash.

3. Dorm Receptionist & Resident Advisor

Students must live somewhere. Many of them probably want to stay in the dorm to pay less for accommodation, to make new friends more easily, and not to miss any party on campus. You can certainly name tons of reasons why it’s better to live in a dorm than somewhere else in the city. However, dorms are not only the heart of the student life but also offer a variety of jobs to students in need of a part-time job. Every dorm needs a receptionist and a resident advisor. While the former is usually a paid position, the latter is not. It depends on where you study. Yet resident advisors don’t pay for their rooms and the job itself does not require so much experience. Be organized and communicative, and know a bit about numbers.

4. Cafeteria Worker

You may look at the cafeteria as a place for hanging out with your friends, but you can also work there. Sure, it doesn’t belong to the most glamorous jobs and the pay is quite low, but it could help you earn money in the long term—throughout the year. And it’s on campus, so you don’t have to travel hours to work. Also, consider it as a springboard for another job in the hospitality industry. Or, for example, if you study to become a psychologist, working in the cafeteria will allow you to meet and learn about people while serving them food.

best part-time jobs for college students
Don’t forget that every job can offer you something that can contribute to your professional development—even one in your university’s cafeteria.
Photo by Anton Murygin on Unsplash.

5. Campus Tour Guide

Had you visited campuses before you received your acceptance letter(s)? If so, you probably followed students around to learn about the schools. Are you perhaps a freshman or a sophomore? Well, it doesn’t matter. You can express your interest in getting a campus tour guide job. The annual budget of your school will probably determine how much money you can make per hour. And if you still have some free time besides your job on campus and your studies, why not start offering tours outside of school? You can list your tours on platforms such as Pick Your Day, U2GUIDE, Vayable, and ToursByLocals, and tell stories about your city and its landmarks and cool places.


Earn money as a local guide in New York City, Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Seattle, Boston, Milwaukee, Cleveland, and many other cities in the US.

6. Tutor

The next stop on our list of the best part-time jobs for college students is tutoring. We assume your school has a peer-to-peer tutoring program, but if not, you may find plenty of opportunities online. Aside from your classmates, you may establish yourself as an online tutor offering lessons in music, math, biology, history, languages, statistics, marketing, etc. You name it. You may start tutoring without any professional experience and certification, but you must be knowledgeable of the subject you’re planning to teach. Tutors usually make $15-$35 per hour. Your level of experience and the type of subject will influence your hourly rates. Sometimes you will determine them, sometimes the platform.


We’ve listed quite a few online teaching platforms at AppJobs.com as well. Check out Qkids, College Nannies and Tutors, Preply, Lingoda, Udemy, Savvy, Verbling, Thumbtack, Dabble, and some other platforms.

7. Brand Ambassador

Another exciting job for college students is being an ambassador for a brand. Any kind of brand. You would attend events and talk to potential customers about the company, and also promote the brand online. Plenty of companies reach out to influencers and average (loyal) customers. Among them, you can find Nike, Oakley, Apple, Aspen, Skiing Company, DoorDash, Postmates, TaskRabbit, Airbnb and Shipt. Think about your interests and the brands you love, and then surf the Internet to see whether they’re currently looking for brand ambassadors. You would make $10-$27 per hour.

8. Gym Receptionist & Fitness Instructor

Exercising has become a huge part of many people’s lives. Every now and then there is a new trend popping up and people are flocking to the gym to try out. If you’re a trained yoga, pilates, CrossFit etc. instructor or personal trainer, send your résumés to the gym near your home. Maybe your college’s fitness center is hiring. It’s important that you have the right qualifications to do jobs like these. If you are into sports but haven’t done any training yet, try to get a receptionist job first. In both cases, you must excel in communication as you’ll be talking to a large number of people on a daily basis.

As a receptionist, you would receive $12.40 per hour. The salary of fitness instructors is higher; on average, they make $19.15 per hour. Having said that, the type of sports you’re involved in and your location can influence the level of income made. To boost your income, you may join an online platform like Udemy where you can also offer yoga lessons among others to a large number of people worldwide.


Read also: Beginner’s guide to making money with Udemy

Teach with Udemy from your home in Miami, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Atlanta, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, and other cities.

best part-time jobs for college students
Espresso, latte, cappuccino, frappuccino, flat white, cortado, etc. Why not become an expert to be capable of making them all?
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash.

9. Bartender & Barista

If you’re interested in cocktails and coffee, you may check job ads to find bartender or barista jobs. It’s true that some companies don’t hire beginners but you may get lucky. Huge chains (Dunkin’ Donuts, illy, 7-Eleven, etc.) are more likely to invest in your development as a barista or as a bartender. Since you have to be over 21 to drink alcohol legally in the USA, you should apply for bartender jobs after your 21st birthday, and if you’re a night owl. Early birds would enjoy pouring coffee in the early hours more than mixing cocktails late at night. Baristas and bartenders usually earn the minimum wage plus tips.

10. Restaurant Worker

Fancy restaurants may look for experienced and skilled personnel, but not small local diners, fast food restaurants and other low-key places. Owners need help in both the kitchen (dishwasher or cook) and the dining area (host or waiter). Do some self-assessment and apply for a position that interests you. Or the one that can challenge you and push you to develop new skills. On average, servers make $10.45 per hour plus tips. They tend to get free meals but not always, sometimes the cost of those is deducted from their salaries.

11. Security Guard

In some restaurants and bars, you may have seen some security guards who make $13.72 per hour on average. You may need some training but it’s quite a simple job to do, although you must be prepared for everything—especially in bars. You never know who walks in the door. If your classes are scheduled for the mornings and afternoons, working in a pub or bar from 5-7 p.m. could work for you. However, always try to get enough sleep.

12. Shop Assistant

Students with erratic and hectic schedules often end up working in retail. Bookstores, boutiques, and even supermarkets employ a lot of them. It’s one of the best part-time jobs for college students because it offers a variety of shifts, thus students don’t have to skip an important seminar or lecture. Cashiers usually make $10.78 per hour and retail sales associates around $11.70 per hour. Look for ads online or visit the largest stores in town. On AppJobs, you can find companies like Instacart or Shipt you could sign up for and earn money doing grocery shopping.


Get a job as a grocery shopper in Denver, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Oxnard, Augusta, and many other cities.

best part-time jobs for college students
Your school must have a bookstore on campus. What about working part-time there?
Photo by Kenny Luo on Unsplash.

13. Warehouse Associate

With the growth of online shopping, the demand for warehouse workers, making $10-$18 per hour, has increased. Think about the popularity of Amazon, for example. Warehouse jobs require a lot of stamina as workers need to work at a fast pace. You may pick this type of job if you don’t mind doing shifts, sometimes a bit outside of the city. Check whether there is any warehouse in your city.

14. Delivery Driver

Aside from working in a warehouse, you may decide to become a delivery driver. Delivery is considered one of the most popular jobs in the gig economy, for example. These jobs are characterised by great flexibility. Many people deliver by bike, but you may use another type of vehicle—whenever you’ve got the time. You turn on an app that notifies you of new order requests. Just to name a few companies you could work with: goPuff, DoorDash, Stuart, Peach, Uber Eats, Jolt, and Favor, or grocery shopping and delivery with Instacart, Shipt, Postmates, AxleHire, Senpex, or Roadie. Delivery drivers earn $7-$15 per hour; customers usually leave generous tips. If you’ve got an adventurous spirit, enjoy exploring new spots in the city while doing some exercise, this is the right call for you.


Read also:

Work as a delivery driver in Fresno, New Orleans, Mesa, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Boston, and many other cities.

15. Driver

Does Uber or Lyft ring a bell? Besides these two on-demand, ride-hailing apps (check also Fetii and Curb), you may join other platforms in your city. In case you don’t live in the dorm but commute to school every day, try carpooling with Waze. Driver jobs promise fast pay, right after the ride is completed. In the case of carpooling, you set your rates. When it comes to ride-hailing, the platform determines those. Sometimes, when only a handful of drivers are on the road, they increase the prices to encourage drivers to get behind the wheel. Veteran drivers, who actually combine driving and delivery jobs, say surge pricing usually takes place during holidays. You can expect to make $14.66 per hour plus tips on average. Would you stay driver and delivery jobs are two of the best part-time jobs for college students then?


Read also: 10 ways to turn your car into a money-making machine

Work as a driver in Worcester, Little Rock, Chattanooga, Ann Arbor, Fetii, Curb, and a lot of other cities.

16. Babysitter

Did you look after kids while in high school and you said no more? Still, we’d like you to reconsider it. While it’s super simple nowadays to get in touch with parents, you can also ask college professors and administrators whether they need some help. Otherwise, we suggest that you read about the companies presented on AppJobs: Care.com, College Nannies + Sitters + Tutors, UrbanSitter, Sitter, Zūm, and Sittercity. The average pay rate is $11.17 per hour. And if you don’t want to pay rent, look for a live-in sitter job!


Find a job as a sitter in Tucson, Salinas, Tallahassee, Detroit, Elk Grove, Beaumont, Visalia, and in many other cities.

17. Pet Sitter

Not fond of people but animals? Even if the competition is getting more intense, beginner pet sitters still have plenty of opportunities to find a job. Pet sitting is probably the most fun gig job for students who want to work but also relax (responsibly) at the same time. Depending on your location and duties performed, you may earn $15-$40 per hour. The old-school way of connecting with pet parents to open a newspaper, the trendy way is to surf the web and sign up for online platforms such as Rover, Wag!, PetBacker, PetSitter.com, Care.com, or Sittercity.


Read also: Practical Reasons to Get Insured and Bonded as a Pet Sitter

Find a job as a pet sitter in Austin, Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, Chicago, and in other cities.

18. Senior Care Provider

Do you study to become a nurse or social worker by any chance? Due to the aging of society in the US, a boom predicted in the health sector. And, apart from certified and registered nurses, many senior care providers have participated ‘only’ in some training, for example CPR. Working with the elderly can be fun. Sometimes they only need a companion—to chat, play cards, go shopping, etc. That being said, you should know that, without enough devotion, patience and responsibility, you won’t make it as a senior care provider. Nursing assistants usually earn $13.72 per hour. Start your job search on AppJobs and check out Care.com, CareLinx and ElderCare.com. If you think you can handle living with your clients, you may forget about paying rent.


Look for a care job in Phoenix, Charlotte, Detroit, Tacoma, Baton Rouge, and in other cities.

19. Home Sitter

In case you want to reduce your expenses, we recommend finding a house-sitting job. Of course, you may still have to rent a place for a few months or crash on your friend’s couch for a while during the semester. The main tasks of house sitters include simple household chores, feeding pets (even horses), collecting mails, gardening, etc. Check out the notice boards on campus to see whether someone from the staff is looking for a house sitter. In some cases, house sitters also earn some money, not much but something.


Work as a house sitter in Port St. Lucie, Shreveport, Wichita, McAllen, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, and in other cities.

best part-time jobs for college students
We know pet sitters who stay with the family and pay no rent. If you’re lucky, you may find clients like them in your city as well.
Photo by ipet photo on Unsplash.

20. Cleaner

Speaking of household chores, many students work part-time as a cleaner or housekeeper. If you happen to live in a city with lots of hotels, hostels, and offices, you can certainly send your résumés to several agencies. If you think you would skip the middleman, check out the following platforms on AppJobs: Housekeeper.com, Care.com or Thumbtack, and Jop. On average, you may earn $10.49 per hour, but there are some external factors that can influence that.


Find a part-time job as a cleaner in Denver, El Paso, Fresno, Fort Worth, Phoenix, Tallahassee, Portland, and many other cities in the US.

21. Home Chef

Are you a passionate cook and/or learning to become a chef? Then home chef jobs are the best part-time jobs for you. You could cook and spend some time with tourists and lazy locals, thus making new friends. You buy the ingredients and prepare whatever dish is on your mind, and sell a plate for about $10. Sometimes you have to organize a dinner party, sometimes you only hand over the lunch box to your customers. A few platforms, listed on AppJobs, that are worth checking out are BonAppetour, EatWith, and Meal Sharing. To be noted: you perhaps can’t find enough customers to work part-time as your city is too small.


Sell your food in Washington D.C., Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and in several other cities.

22. Telemarketer

Do you have great communication skills and can talk to anyone? Organizations hire telemarketers to boost their sales. Get ready for a cubicle! You’ll spend most of your time in a room with other telemarketers also wearing a headset for hours. It’s a monotonous job, yet if you do it for a great cause or something you believe in, you’ll enjoy spreading the word. It’s an ideal job for communications students who want to specialize in PR or sales. You will have to manage all types of situations in a professional way. The average hourly pay is $12.14 per hour.

23. Virtual Assistant

Similar to telemarketers, virtual assistants have to be communicative as well. A couple of years ago it wasn’t such a common thing to do, but today many companies hire virtual assistants who work remotely. So it’s not the best job for you if you dislike being alone. Virtual assistants arrange a lot of phone calls, book tickets, venues, update their team’s calendar, do some easy data entry or admin job. It varies from team to team. Because you’ll be a member of a team. You can make around $15.64 per hour, on average. If you like ad-hoc gigs, browse projects on Upwork, or join Fancy Hands.


Read also: 4 Legitimate Companies That Will Pay You to Take Surveys

Work as a virtual assistant from your home in Tucson, Washington D.C., Indianapolis, Phoenix, San Antonio, Philadelphia, Denver, Kansas City, and other cities.

24. IT Support Specialist

Has your grandma ever asked you to fix her computer? Are you studying computer science or similar? If you don’t mind dealing with IT issues even in your free time, consider working as an IT support specialist. You would make ca. $25.70 per hour, which is among the highest rates for a student job. We’ve added HelloTech and TheONE to our repertoire, check them out!


Read also: Work as a Freelance Programmer, We Tell You How!

Find a part-time jobs as a IT support specialist in Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Denver, Houston, Cleveland, and other cities in the USA.

25. Marketing, Sales & Social Media Assistant

If you’re one of those digital natives who enjoy creating content, marketing, sales and social media assistant jobs should be on your radar. Why? Because you could gain relevant professional experience, thus strengthening your résumé while studying. In recent years, marketing (especially affiliate marketing and influencer marketing) have generated lots of jobs. Also, search for growth hacker jobs! On average, your hourly rate would be around $16. Yet a non-profit organization will pay you less than a large corporation, for obvious reasons. Here we would grab the opportunity to mention that AppJobs also has an affiliate program you can join to earn extra income in a passive way.


Read also: 22+ Websites for Professionals and Beginners to Find Remote Marketing Jobs

26. Artisan | Creative

We’d stick with content creation for a while. Because some of the best part-time jobs for college students belong to the realm of the arts or the creative industry. If you’re currently enrolled in a design, art, or liberal arts program, you should monetize your skills. Does your college have a student newspaper or magazine? Join it as a writer, copywriter, graphic designer, illustrator, lettering artist, etc. Or launch your freelance career while still in school, and register on Fiverr, Freelancer.com, Verblio, Upwork, PeoplePerHour, Hubstaff Talent, Fotolia, Byrd, and even with Jop, Jobble, and Thumbtack, which are all listed on AppJobs. If you work with metal, textile or another kind of material to produce jewelry, clothes, bags, etc., why not earn money by selling them on Etsy. You price your products in all cases, although sometimes you may need to spend money on bidding.


Read also: What does freelance mean | Embarking on a Freelance Journey

27. Tasker

Tasker jobs have already made it to the television. Why are we saying this? Because the writers of some TV shows have incorporated them into their storylines. But get back to business! There are gig/app jobs for anything these days. This means you can earn money in super unusual and fun ways while still having time to study. Tasks range from simple furniture assembly jobs to rather difficult handyman jobs. If your hobby is to fix things, or you’re doing a course in carpentry, painting, plumbing or similar, TaskRabbit, Thumbtack and Networx are great platforms to explore. When it comes to rates, it’s about $10-$16 per hour, usually.


Read also: 7 Platforms to Find Handyman Work Fast in Your City

Become a tasker in Atlanta, Austin, Denver, AskForTask, Amarillo, El Paso, and in other places.

best part-time jobs for college students
Do you think someone would pay you to buy them clothes? Why not, right?
Photo by Charles on Unsplash.

28. Renter

In the the 21th century, one can barely name something they can’t rent it out: homes, storage units, parking spaces, vehicles, motorbikes, surfboards, instruments, electronic devices, etc. Walk around your room and see what you could list online. The sharing economy doesn’t seem to slow down, so new companies might be founded at this very moment. To earn passive income in a simple way while meeting new people, create an account on platforms such as Airbnb, HomeAway, Getaround, Surfy Nomads, Zilok, or Rentcharlie. Get informed about the rest at AppJobs.com.

Read also: Platforms Besides Airbnb to Rent Out Your Empty Space.

29. Seasonal Jobs

Lastly, we need to talk about seasonal jobs as the best part-time jobs for college students. Spending the summer working in a youth camp or as a lifeguard in California or Florida? Enjoying the winter breaks in Colorado as a ski instructor? It’s up to you. If you’ve acquired the right skills, you may earn about $9-$16 per hour, or even more. Seasonal jobs are perfect for bilingual students who could engage in conversations with tourists from the rest of the Americas, Europe, Africa, or Asia.

best part-time jobs for college students
What kind of winter or summer holiday jobs are you qualified for?
Photo by Dimitri Bong on Unsplash.

30. Browse job opportunities in your city

Whether you want to find something remote or on-site, look for your city here. You won’t be the only one working during college years, so don’t hesitate to connect with your classmates. Share tips, ideas, and best practices regarding the best part-time college students jobs and related issues.


Look for jobs in Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Atlanta, New Orleans, Miami, Chicago, Portland, Boston, Berkeley, San Diego, Washington D.C., Kansas City, Austin, Gainesville, Ann Arbor, and lots of other cities in the USA.


READ ON!