It can be a real challenge to find employment while enrolled in college.
With the high workload of being a full-time student and the varying schedule that courses keep, it is hard to provide a consistent schedule to employers or those running a federal work-study.
For that reason, there is a great demand for online jobs for college students – primarily with opportunities that allow them to create their own schedules and earn a considerable income.
To help that search process, we curated a list of over 20 opportunities for those looking for online jobs to consider.
What kinds did we come up with in our research?
Continue reading below to find out!
Contents
Can College Students Earn Money Online?
The short answer to this question is yes; college students can earn money online through a variety of different avenues.
This route to earning money has become increasingly popular in the past few years and, as a result, has made life much easier for college students.
How Can College Students Make Money Online?
There are various ways in which college students can earn income online.
Whereas jobs conducted over the internet used to be considered “too good to be true,” and students were encouraged to obtain campus jobs or take out more financial aid, that isn’t the case any longer.
Now you can find many different forms of employment that are conducted entirely online for extra money during school.
How Much Can a College Student Earn Online?
The amount of money that a college student can earn online will depend on which path they choose for their income and how much time they have available to devote to the work.
Due to a student’s complicated schedule and the time required for studying, it isn’t always feasible to dedicate a considerable amount of time to work.
Therefore, the amount of money they earn will be less.
Benefits of Online Jobs for College Students
Being a college student comes with a lot of responsibility.
Not only that, but the journey to obtain a college degree requires many hours of education, studying, and interning.
Online jobs for college students have many benefits that cater to these needs.
Flexibility
When you have a significant course load in college, many study hours, and a schedule that frequently changes to accommodate new classes and seminars, it can be challenging to provide a consistent schedule to an employer.
Because of that, college attendees having the flexibility that comes with online employment and remote work can allow students to earn money while still being able to devote appropriate time to their studies.
Exposure to New Industries
The nice thing about many online positions is that they serve many different industries.
While a person may not gain exposure to such fields with an in-person job, online opportunities provide the ability to peek into other areas.
For those looking for a future career field, these experiences may lead college students to consider different options.
Skill Development
Many college students obtain their first experiences in employment while getting their education.
While some work earlier, before graduating high school, there are just as many that don’t.
Therefore, learning employment skills happens for the first time in college.
As we all know, one learns many critical skills when employed.
However, these don’t have to be obtained in person.
Those just entering the workforce can also realize them in an online employment situation.
Earning Potential
It’s common to have the ability to earn more income through an online position than it is if you work in person.
Often, due to overhead, rent, utilities, etc., a brick and mortar business will be limited in what they can offer as an hourly wage.
However, online jobs don’t typically have those debts.
Therefore, online jobs for college students can routinely offer higher pay to their employees.
Work at Home
Having the ability to work from home (or dorm) has many advantages for a college student.
It’s easy to just hop over to work after finishing a study session and not worry about driving, clocking in at a specific time, and beating traffic.
Online Jobs For College Students: No Experience
It is best for those entering the workforce for the first time to look for a job that welcomes those with no experience.
While fewer opportunities are available for individuals in this situation, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.
1. Social Media Manager
It’s safe to say that many college students know their way around social media.
Being a Social Media Manager means that you help companies market themselves on these portals in ways that make them more approachable to prospective customers.
While this job can become quite lucrative, making well over minimum wage, you must know specific social media and search engine optimization details.
Scheduling posts for the future, creating content, and utilizing the correct keywords are all a part of this position.
2. Online Tutor
There are many companies these days that offer tutoring services online for all ages.
Whether it is helping elementary students learn to read, teaching adults how to use Microsoft Word, or tutoring first- and second-year students in your same program, there are endless opportunities for income earning.
When college students start in this role, their rates are lower while gaining clients.
Once you have several positive reviews, you can increase your cost accordingly.
Depending on the online tutoring subject, you can easily earn $25 or more per hour.
3. Survey Taker
While being a survey taker seems simple enough, it’s actually more work than you might think.
Some websites have a platform that shows you surveys that fit your demographic.
However, that is not a guarantee that you will be able to complete the job.
Many, like Survey Junkie and Online Survey, include verification questions to ensure that you are the audience they are looking for in a particular survey.
At times, you may be disqualified based on your responses.
The amount you earn from this gig will vary greatly depending on which platform the survey is on.
Be careful to weigh the amount of time needed to complete the study with the amount you are set to receive.
You will often see that you are earning pennies for all the work you put in, which isn’t worth your time.
4. Resume Writer
Teaching yourself the appropriate techniques for writing a killer resume can go a long way in helping you earn an income online as a college student.
Resumes are always needed as people look for new employment opportunities.
Additionally, many free or cheap resources online can teach you to write the perfect one for your clients.
Job searching is a stressful process that many people would rather pay others to take this task off their plates.
Therefore, you can easily earn a decent wage by writing them regularly.
However, make sure you stay up on the trends because they change often, and use excellent customer service in your interactions.
5. Niche Blogger
While blogging can take some time and money to get up and going, it can also be lucrative in the long run.
Picking a subject that is unique and interesting to readers can allow you to draw them in.
You can begin earning ad revenue or obtaining sponsorship deals with consistent page views.
Before reaching that level, it can be difficult to earn any money through blogging.
You have to be persistent to get to a place where you can make enough money and where it is worth it to continue going.
Patience is the key if you choose this path.
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6. YouTube Influencer
While it may seem that many people can make a comfortable living posting videos to YouTube or other social media platforms, it is a very long and tedious process to get to that point.
You have to have unique ideas that have the potential to go viral, but you also need to know how to properly edit a video to make viewing it a pleasant experience.
Like niche blogging, being a YouTube influencer takes a long time before you see success.
It isn’t until you start to have a steady stream of viewers that you can take advantage of YouTube monetization and see revenue from ads and sponsorship offers.
7. Freelance Writer
Writing those term papers can give you some well-refined skills to parlay into extra cash.
If you can efficiently write quality material, it is worth looking into freelance writing.
You can create your own gigs on platforms like Fiverr or join forces with a content creation site and ghostwrite for different websites and companies.
If you decide to go this path, make sure you have an application that helps with grammar and spelling errors.
Clean and error-free writing will help you to have better reviews and, in turn, higher earnings.
8. Audio Transcription
If you are a fast typer, it may be worth looking into audio transcription.
Listening to others’ words and putting them into written form requires the ability to process what you hear quickly and type it out simultaneously with minimal errors.
If this sounds like a good fit for you, there are many online practice tests to see how you would fare with it as employment.
You’ll often see opportunities listed on a job board or freelance websites.
Depending on what company you decide to partner with or the platform you use, you could earn a few cents per word to begin.
This rate is likely to go up as you continue to perform consistently.
9. Video Captioning
Now, more than ever before, the need for video captioning is in demand.
With social media videos like those on TikTok and Instagram, it is vital to include video-closed captioning for those who are deaf or hard of hearing to participate in the experience.
While some platforms offer this service, the result isn’t always accurate.
Additionally, if individuals have created a short movie or documentary, they often want to hire someone to perform this task.
If audio transcription is too fast-paced for you, video captioning may be ideal for you.
Like transcription, you will earn more with consistent, high-quality output.
10. Photo Editor
In the same breath as video captioning, photo editing is a highly sought-after service for new up-and-coming influencers and social media participants.
Taking photos and tweaking them in a way that makes them look more professional and flawless can bring in the top dollar if done the right way.
If you have a keen eye for these things and are in graphic design or photography, offering photo editing services on the side can pay off quite well.
Offer to do pro bono work for family and friends in order to build a portfolio and use that to get jobs afterward.
11. Retail Arbitrage
In the past few years, many have discovered the joy of retail arbitrage.
Searching the racks of thrift stores to find popular clothing brands and accessories and selling them at a higher price online can bring in some fast cash.
However, the time it takes to find the items can be lengthy, so that needs to be considered.
If you frequently find yourself in thrift stores anyway, this could pay off for you.
Taking extra time to search out items that others would pay good money for can make you a significant payday.
Be sure to pull things up on your phone while browsing to see what profit you can make before purchasing the items you find.
Online Jobs for College Students: Highest Paying
While we have outlined the best online jobs for college students who have no experience, we now bring you a list of the highest paying.
If you possess a skill set in one of the areas below, you may have the ability to earn top dollar while still in college.
1. Software Developer
Typically, those pursuing a future in software development aren’t going into the field blindly.
Often, those individuals have been self-taught until college and have a pretty strong foundation of skills going into their advanced education.
If this is you, don’t hesitate to profit off of this knowledge!
Many companies and individuals look to hire those with a skill set such as this for various projects.
As a college student, your rates will be lower than hiring a corporation but still high paying for a person in school!
2. Online Tutor
We referenced this option above, and it is an excellent fit for those who have no work experience but also want a high-paying opportunity.
There are tutors needed for all subjects you can think of and many hobbies and specialties.
Additionally, online tutors are requested worldwide, not just in your country.
This broad range opens up the ability to obtain more money due to the immense need through less work than most part time jobs.
3. ESL Teacher
The primary target demographic for an ESL teacher is overseas parents.
These parents want their children to learn English as a second language and pay good money to do so.
Many online companies hire college students for this purpose.
Often, you will send in an audition tape of you teaching a lesson, and they will respond with a pay rate offer per class.
To excel at this job, you must be in tune with your students and hone in on the skills they need to learn.
You may need to research ways to most appropriately and effectively teach the required skills.
There are many free resources available to help you with this challenge.
4. Graphic Designer
For those entering a program in Graphic Design, you can quickly transfer those talents and learning objectives into employment.
Many companies and individuals don’t possess the ability to create logos and graphics independently.
Therefore, they look to outsource this task to others who show great talent in the subject.
College students are great for this need, as they are looking for opportunities to shine and build a portfolio.
You can earn a substantial income doing small projects on the side while still having adequate time to devote to your studies.
5. Website Designer
It is getting easier to design a website on your own, but it is still an arduous task to take on.
This is especially so when a person or company is looking for something specific and detailed.
For those who have an interest in coding and possess experience in web design, this field can be a great option.
The pay makes it well worth your time, as well.
6. Search Engine Evaluator
As a role that is a bit of a hidden secret, a search engine evaluator gives human insight into online search engines and the information they give out in their results.
Some tests need to be completed before taking on this role, and the work isn’t set or guaranteed hours each week.
However, even with those details, the pay comes out to a higher amount than minimum wage in most states and can be done at home.
7. Podcaster
While rising up the ranks in podcasting is in the same realm as being a YouTube influencer or a niche blogger, the payoff is pretty good once you obtain a high enough status.
Podcasting goes hand in hand with ad deals, sponsorships, and additional platform revenue.
Therefore, if you can get to a high-ranking podcasting position with persistence and patience, you will have a solid income as a result.
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8. Voiceover Artist
As a testament to the substantial income brought in through work as a voiceover artist, many outside of college use it as a full-time income.
In knowing that, you can tell that the pay you can potentially earn will be a fair amount.
While this role doesn’t require any form of special education, it is worthwhile to learn as much as you can about the work.
Having a better skill level will lead to booking more voiceover artist jobs at higher rates.
9. Video Editor
Like photo editing, having the skills to edit videos is in high demand.
Additionally, due to the amount of time editing often takes, the amount you can charge is higher than other gigs.
With the rise in videos on social media platforms and the number of people wanting to become influencers on YouTube and TikTok, the need for editing is significant.
Finding the Best Online Job for You
When looking for a job that works with your college education, don’t automatically pursue the first option that you come across.
Instead, consider the following questions.
What are you good at?
There is no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to finding a solid employment opportunity.
If there is an area that you are already skilled at and it can be profitable, explore that option first!
What are your budget and financial goals?
In order to pick the best route, you need to know what your overall goal is for the amount you earn and where you want to be now and in the future financially.
How much money do you need to start?
Is your preferred role one that requires some kind of initial investment?
If you are looking to start podcasting, how much will you need to obtain the necessary equipment?
How much does it cost to start an online business?
It is worthwhile to consider whether you will work as an independent contractor or if you will work under an LLC or other business structure.
Depending on what route you take, there will be additional costs associated with getting everything in place.
What hours are you willing to work?
Lastly, you need to consider how frequently you want to work and how many hours you have available to invest in employment.
Some options, such as video editing or being a virtual assistant, take longer than others on the list.
With all of that in mind, you need to carefully consider your availability before committing to a particular position.
Wrapping Up
Securing employment as a college student can be challenging.
With the complex schedules that students hold and a significant amount of time spent studying, there aren’t many hours of the day that remain to devote to working.
Therefore, finding online jobs for college students is becoming increasingly common and recommended by career service departments.
These roles allow you to complete your education while earning an income simultaneously.
