College students are the poster children for being broke. Often living apart from their parents for the first time, students have to learn to support themselves financially while balancing academics and clubs/activities outside of class.
It can be hard to keep a regular job when you have to work around a class schedule and course work. Some students work a bare minimum of hours so their jobs won’t interfere with their studies. Sometimes that’s not enough money, though.
If you’re a college student and you’re looking for ways to make some extra cash without committing yourself to a set schedule, there are plenty of ways you can make some money on your own terms.
Side jobs can be found both offline and online. Depending on your skills and the time you’re able to devote to working, different options may better suit you or offer better pay.
Here are six great side jobs for any college student trying to make that extra buck.
- Watch Dogs
Are you a dog person? Rover may be just the thing for you. When you become a sitter with Rover, you can offer services to take dogs for walks, stop in and spend some time with them while the owner is gone, or host a dog in your own home if an owner is traveling.
You set your own price and create your own schedule, which means you only have to work when you are free and need the cash. You can choose which services you offer and also choose the size, age, and other traits you are comfortable with in the dogs that under your care.
Rover is great for college students because the time commitment is pretty low. Also, if you choose to board dogs (which pays the highest) you can do your studying during the downtime!
- Freelance Your Skills
If you’re studying a skill you can perform online, earn some cash, gain some experience, and start building your resume by freelancing that skill. This is great for writers, web designers, and graphic designers.
Although finding clients can at first be a bit of a struggle, when work starts coming in, you can create a great side hustle. You can choose which clients to take, what to charge, and when to take new work.
According to the 2018 Payoneer Freelance Income Survey, graphic designers earn an average of $17 per hour, writers earn about $15 per hour, and web designers earn an average of $21 per hour.
- Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a great option for those who already have some sort of following in blogging, social media, or other influencer positions. Affiliate marketing is when content creators partner with other businesses to help spread the word about a product or service.
A great example of affiliate marketing is OnlineCasinoGems.com. They offer readers the inside scoop on the latest online casino technology, gaming tips, and other casino news. They use their audience reach to help online casinos gain brand recognition. They’re also a great tool for readers who are interested in online casino gaming.
Businesses pay affiliates by different metrics. These metrics can include per sale, per click, or per lead. This can be a great way to earn a passive income. Once you create the content with the affiliate link, you continue to earn for days and weeks to come.
- Tutor
Many colleges will employ their students as tutors. If you are not able to get hired by your college, consider being a private tutor students pay by the hour.
This is a good option for students pursuing more advanced degrees such as a master’s or doctoral degree. Use your expertise to tutor undergraduate students in classes that you have already taken.
Private tutors cost between $30 and $40 per hour on average. But, depending on the difficulty of the course level, you can charge more or less. It’s a great way to earn some money while still earning your degree.
- Transcribe
Transcription is a bit of a boring job, but it is easy and can be quickly done. Rev is a great site to get started as a transcriptionist. You are typically paid based on the length and difficulty of material in the audio clip.
Each recording may only earn you a couple bucks, but if you’re just looking for a way to pay for lunch or a night out, it will be enough.
This is an extremely low-impact option. The time you invest completely depends on you. You can work at any time of day. And, you can listen to a clip of the recording before deciding if you want to transcribe it. You are completely in control of this one.
- Delivery Driving
If you have a car and a free moment, you can make money by delivering food from restaurants to customers. Door Dash is probably the most popular business offering this service right now.
With Door Dash, you can take any deliveries you want in your area, no matter where you are. If you’re on campus during the school year, make some deliveries between classes. If you’re home visiting family for winter break, take some deliveries there, too.
You set your hours and your availability. There’s no commitment for how much you have to deliver, so you can pick up work whenever you need cash and skip it during busy times, like finals week.
There are many different ways you can quickly and easily earn cash with minimal time commitment. You can pick a job that requires no mental energy or you can try to find work that uses the skills you are building with your degree. No matter what commitment level you’re seek, there is something out there for you.
If you’re strapped for cash, try some of the options listed in this article and see which works best for you.
