What is an easy part time job

These good jobs for college students can fit into your busy schedule.

Part-time jobs for college students are almost as coveted as college acceptance letters. Besides searching for classes, college students are just as eager to look for jobs. That's because many students need to find jobs to support themselves or pay for their studies.

But cash money isn’t the only thing jobs for college students are good for. Research from the Journal of College Student Retention, the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, and the National Center for Education Statistics all found that students who hold part-time jobs have better grades. And as research from Mount Holyoke College found, students who have better grades—coupled with a handful of internships—are more likely to find a job within six months of graduation.

What’s the Best Job for a College Student?

Trying to fit a job into your schedule can be a lot like playing a game of Tetris. Between classes and clubs, maybe even Greek life obligations, you need a job that works for you, rather than the other way around.

A good college job will offer flexible hours (like nights and weekends when you’re not in class) and maybe even allow for you to get some studying done when the job isn’t too busy.

Oh yeah—perks are always welcome, too. Having a job, you’ll not only be able to make rent, buy books, or have some cash for the bars when Thirsty Thursday rolls around, but the best jobs for college students are often the ones that also score you free meals or sweet employee discounts.

Using salary data from the Monster Salary Tool and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we rounded up the best part-time jobs for students (listed in alphabetical order) that’ll fit your hectic schedule. Click through the list below to see if you’d want to give one of these jobs the old college try.

Jobs for College Students

1. Animal Caretaker

What you’d do: Animals are natural stress relievers, which makes caring for them a great job for college students. Be a dog walker, or get a job feeding, grooming, and taking care of animals.

What you’d make: Pet care workers earn a median of $13 per hour.

Find animal care jobs on Monster.

2. Babysitter or Nanny

What you’d do: Miss your younger siblings at home? Work with kids! Babysitters work almost exclusively on nights and weekends, taking care of kids while the parents are out; nannies watch children while their parents are at work. You could also get a job in a daycare center, too. You can find jobs at Care.com on Monster.

What you’d make: Babysitters earn a median of $14 per hour.

Find babysitter jobs on Monster.

3. Bank Teller

What you’d do: Banks like Citi and Bank of America rely on tellers for accuracy when counting money and handling other financial transactions for customers.

What you’d make: Bank tellers earn a median of $29,000 per year.

Find bank teller jobs on Monster.

4. Barista

What you’d do: As a college student, you pretty much owe any sanity you possess to the godly gift that is coffee, which is probably why college towns are filled with so many Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and other cozy little coffee shops. Perfect for squeezing a shift in before class, a job as a barista would involve taking orders, and brewing and serving coffee drinks.

What you’d make: Baristas earn a median of $11.50 per hour, plus tips.

Find barista jobs on Monster.

5. Bartender

What you’d do: Bartenders work in a very fast-paced environment, taking orders, pouring drinks, and mixing cocktails, sometimes in fishbowl-sized glasses. Just watch how popular you suddenly become once you land this job. Age requirements for serving alcohol vary by state, but you typically have to be 21 or older to be a bartender.

What you’d make: Bartenders earn a median of $11.50 per hour, plus tips.

Find bartender jobs on Monster.

6. Bookkeeper

What you’d do: Small and large businesses alike need help keeping all their facts and figures in order. Using spreadsheets and bookkeeping software, bookkeepers record financial transactions, update statements, and check financial records for accuracy.

What you’d make: Bookkeepers earn a median of $41,700 per year.

Find bookkeeper jobs on Monster.

7. Brand Ambassador

What you’d do: This is one of the more visible jobs for college students. Ever see people handing out free stuff around campus, or even selling products at parties, or handing out free energy drinks around town? Brand ambassadors get paid to promote brands and products, and sometimes, you can even earn commission or other prizes for meeting a sales goal.

What you’d make: Brand ambassadors earn a median of $35,770 per year.

Find brand ambassador job on Monster.

8. Cashier

What you’d do: Scan and bag and collect a steady paycheck. Cashiers handle money transactions at stores (think grocery stores or the campus bookstore).

What you’d make: Cashiers earn a median of $11 per hour.

Find cashier jobs on Monster.

9. Driver

What you’d do: You probably rely on drivers to get a safe ride home after a night of partying, but you could always try your hand DD-ing and get a job as a driver for companies like Uber and Lyft. You'll need a state-issued driver’s license, but some states require a special license if you want to provide professional transportation.

What you’d make: Drivers earn a median of $14 per hour, plus tips.

Find driver jobs on Monster.

10. Fitness Trainer

What you’d do: Help yourself and others avoid gaining the dreaded “freshman 15” by providing coaching and motivation in the gym with your custom workout routines. In addition to a strong foundation in fitness, you typically need to get certified as a fitness trainer.

What you’d make: Fitness trainers earn a median of $19 per hour.

Find trainer jobs on Monster.

11. House Sitter

What you’d do: Take care of the place while the owners are out of town. (That means no parties. None.) You'll have to come with recommendations that boast your responsibility and maturity before the owners fork over the keys.

What you’d make: Your pay will largely depend on where the home is located, the level of upkeep required, and the length of time you'll be caring for the home.

Find house sitting jobs on Monster.

12. IT Support Specialist

What you’d do: Ever start writing a paper just to have your computer crash halfway through? It happens to the best of us, and if computers are your thing, a job as an IT support specialist should be right up your alley.

What you’d make: Computer support specialists earn a median of $21.50 per hour.

Find IT support jobs on Monster.

13. Line Cook

What you’d do: Working in a fast-paced restaurant kitchen or at a fast food restaurant, line cooks prepare meals, juggling multiple orders at a time. You also might be able to get a free meal or discounted food when you work a shift. 

What you’d make: Cooks earn a median of $13 per hour.

Find line cook jobs on Monster.

14. Nursing Assistant

What you’d do: If you’re hoping to land a job in health care after graduation, working in a hospital or senior living center as an undergrad should give you an edge. Nursing assistants typically report to registered nurses, and aide in tasks like cleaning, feeding, and transporting patients.

What you’d make: Nursing assistants earn a median of $15.50 per hour.

Find nursing assistant jobs on Monster.

15. Restaurant Server

What you’d do: A common job for the college crowd, waiters and waitresses do more than take orders and deliver meals—they also learn valuable people skills. You might be able to get a free meal or discounted food when you work a shift.

What you’d make: Servers and bussers earn a median of $11 per hour, plus tips.

Find server jobs on Monster.

16. Retail Sales Associate

What you’d do: Working in retail, you assist customers with their shopping needs and set up store merchandise. You also might even be able to get employee discounts or earn a commission.

What you’d make: Retail sales associates earn a median of $28,000 per year.

Find retail sales associate jobs on Monster.

17. Security Guard

What you’d do: You could be a bouncer at a bar, checking IDs, or you could keep watch at a bank, museum, sporting event, or after-hours at a business.

What you’d make: Security guards earn a median of $14 per hour.

Find security guard jobs on Monster.

18. Social Media Assistant

What you’d do: In this role, you would schedule social media posts on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for brands and companies, using tools like Hootsuite and TweetDeck.

What you’d make: Social media specialists earn a median of $44,100 per year.

Find social media assistant jobs on Monster.

19. Telemarketer

What you’d do: Plenty of companies and nonprofit organizations—even your school’s alumni association—need people to make phone calls to sell products, conduct surveys, or ask for donations, usually in the evenings when you’re out of class.

What you’d make: Telemarketers earn a median of $14.70 per hour.

Find telemarketer jobs on Monster.

20. Tutor

What you’d do: Did you score high on the SAT? Or are you a math whiz, or excel in another subject? You’ll find plenty of opportunities to tutor students in grade school, high school, and even your college classmates.

What you’d make: Tutors earn a median of $19 per hour.

Find tutor jobs on Monster.

21. Writer

What you’d do: Writing jobs can be pay-per-post gigs, so you can write as much as your schedule allows. You could get assignments writing articles about subjects like fashion, sports, health, and fitness for local newspapers, magazines, websites, and other publications.

What you’d make: Writers earn a median of $24.50 per hour.

Find writer jobs on Monster.

See all part-time jobs on Monster.

Find Jobs for College Students Right Here

Landing a part-time job while completing your degree is no easy feat. Want some help? Make a free profile on Monster. We can send you customized job alerts, help you with your resume, and much more. Sadly, we can't help you with finals—that's all you.

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