10 Part-Time Jobs That Are Great for College Students and Young Professionals

If you need extra money when you are in school, but the idea of a steady job does not appeal to you, you may want to consider some of these options. These ideas allow you to earn more than minimum wage while you work, and may have more flexibility when it comes to scheduling than other college jobs.

Also, these suggestions may make it easier to work in college. However, the hours may not be as consistent. The jobs below adapt to the lifestyle of young professionals who need to work a second job to make ends meet, pay off their debts more quickly, or build an emergency fund. If you take on a job, make sure you still stick to your budget so that all of the extra work pays off. 

01 of 10

Babysitter

college student working a part-time babysitting job with two young children

Eric Audras / Getty Images

It helps to have certification or references in order to land this job, but if you are willing to babysit overnight or over a week while the parents are away on trips, you can make a decent amount of money.

Many platforms now enable on-demand care around your location, such as Care.com. Check them out and list your profile for opportunities.

02 of 10

Tutor

Tutors can make more than $20 an hour, and it can be a fairly steady paycheck, without a lot of preparation time. You can go through a tutoring service, which may take a part of what you make or advertise on your own.

Tutoring allows you to work as much or as little as you want and manage a more flexible schedule, which can be perfect for college students. It makes sense to tutor in your major, but any subject you are good at is available. You can tutor other college students as well as local high school and middle school students. 

In recent years, a number of platforms have emerged that offer online marketplaces or jobs for tutors, such as Tutor.com, VIPKid, Chegg, Brainfuse, TutorMe, and Skooli.

03 of 10

Wait Staff

Waiting tables and delivering pizzas are great jobs for college students, because of the tips that you will make on the job. It is important to find a job at a restaurant that stays busy. You will need to identify the shifts that make the most money and be willing to work those during the week. This is a great second job or job to help you cover your living expenses while in school. 

04 of 10

Personal Assistant

There are many college students and busy professionals that need someone to act as a personal assistant for them. This can include basic tasks like grocery shopping, running errands, walking the dog, or doing the laundry for them.

If you can juggle several clients at once, you can bring in a lot of quick cash by taking care of these mundane tasks for them. Although these may be a bit time-consuming, often you can multitask and squeeze studying in while you are completing the more mundane tasks like the laundry.

05 of 10

Children's Party Entertainer

One way that you can make extra money is to work as an entertainer at children’s birthday parties. You can design your act around your talents. Some ideas: go as a clown or magician, or dress up as a Disney princess and offer a show. This is a word-of-mouth business, and you may need to start with a few gigs where you do not charge as much.

Working as a children's party entertainer makes sense if you enjoy working with kids and if you know how to handle a crowd of demanding children. If this sounds miserable to you, do not do it. However, if you are good with kids, you can make a decent amount of money on the weekends.

It is better to freelance because you likely will not make as much as you would if you worked with an agency that will book you out to parties. However, it may be a good idea to work for an agency for a bit to see if the investment in props and costumes is worth it. 

06 of 10

Driver

With Uber, Lyft, and other car services, it is not too difficult to become a driver to make a bit of extra money over the weekend or at night. These services are popular in college towns where not everyone has a car or on a night when students may be using the service to avoid driving home after a night of partying.  

07 of 10

Delivery Person

Services are popping up in many towns that will do basic shopping and delivery for customers. These services are looking for people t do either the shopping or the delivery or both. the hours are more flexible and the delivery drivers are often tipped.

Alternatively, working for a major delivery service may be a great job to put yourself through school with the benefits and tuition reimbursement program through UPS can make the early hours and set schedule worth it. 

08 of 10

Dog Walker/Pet Sitter

If you love animals, you may want to consider becoming a dog walker or pet sitter. You can advertise on your own and build up a clientele or start working for a company that will set up your clients for you. The pay is better than minimum wage, and you will be outside getting exercise while you work. There are two active startups providing on-demand dog-walking jobs: Rover and Wag.

09 of 10

Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer

Although you should get your certification before working as a personal trainer, the extra work to do so is worth it. You can work to teach classes at a gym or community center or as a personal trainer that offers private sessions.

Another option is to become a swim instructor (you can be certified through the Red Cross) and give private lessons for up to $40 an hour. If you work through a pool, you may make a bit less, but you can still earn quite a bit. 

10 of 10

Call Center Worker

Although this job may have a set schedule, you may be able to earn more by working overnight and or late shifts. If you are great at selling to people, you may be able to earn a significant amount through your commission. The different hours make it possible for you to go to school and earn money to support yourself. 

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