5 Best Paying Side Jobs For College Students

Working a part-time job while at a university has been the practice of many college students since time immemorial. Some do it to pay for the tuition fees, whereas others need the money to cover the hefty rent and other expenses. Finding time for academics and a job may be a long daily grind for a student. It can even get harder with a part-time job that pays well. Here are some of the good paying side jobs for college students who want to hustle and make ends meet. We considered each opportunity’s flexibility to offer something that would help ease our young hard workers’ lives.

Working as a Virtual Assistant for Various Projects

Taking a shift as a VA for an executive or small business owner not only gives you the chance to earn enough to foot the bills and indulge yourself with a weekly Starbucks coffee. It also prepares you with the knowledge and experience necessary to become a successful entrepreneur someday.

You may find these jobs in career marketplaces such as Fiverr and Upwork. LinkedIn is also a good place to search for virtual assistant jobs. It is essential to fully grasp the difference between the two types of VAs before applying for job tickets.

General VAs have a loose job descriptions and less defined KPIs, so it may be an easier role to take. However, specialist VAs have bigger paychecks, and this could be a huge factor to consider.

Becoming An Affiliate

Building a website, writing about a niche of interest, reviewing online items, and subtly promoting products from different marketplaces may get you farther than getting hired for a job. Apart from having complete control of your time, you also invest in an asset that could easily become a money-making machine in the future.

It may take months of learning and patience before you can see your first hundred dollars. However, once you gain loyal enough followers, publish great content, and establish social proof, your site will continuously grow on its own. Remember to update your blog regularly with genuine and engaging content.

Find niche and affiliate programs that easily align with your interests, such as tech, anime, or geek. You can also opt for reliable marketplaces with a wide array of products to promote, such as Amazon.

Working as a Data Entry Specialist

Data entry jobs suit every college student due to the decent hourly rates and unrestrained setups. With just a working laptop and internet connection, you can work anywhere at any time in data entry sites like Clickworker.

Other sites where you can find legitimate data entry jobs are Indeed, SmartCrowd, 2Captcha, and OneSpace.

Starbucks Barista

Starbucks has always been in the top 100 list of best employers globally, and that’s coming from the most reputable business publications such as Forbes and Fortune magazine. The company sees its employees as partners, and the excellent treatment translates to quality customer service, which may be the secret to the company’s success.

As a Starbucks Barista, you get an hourly rate between $10-$17. Moreover, the role entitles a part-time student to tons of perks on top called Your Special Blend. Moreover, the Starbucks College Achievement program, which covers full tuition fees, is open to all eligible staff of different employment statuses.

Freelance Graphic Designer

For creative part-timers, graphic design gigs create lucrative side jobs. Depending on the client, burning the midnight oil to create head-turning graphics will be worth it. All you need is a decent laptop or desktop computer that can handle Adobe Creative programs, and you’re all set.

To give job seekers an idea of how much money graphic designers earn, it’s a satisfying rate of $25-$40 per hour. Sometimes, the project is arranged as a fixed contract, but it is absolutely one of the best options if you have a knack for Photoshop and sketching apps.

Author Bio:

Angelo Chongco is a content writer for business and marketing niches. Having worked in various trades, he learned about SEO, content management, and business administration.