While I was in college, one of my favorite jobs as a college student was the one I held. My job as a team leader at the school’s indoor recreation centre was one I enjoyed immensely. As a team leader, I took my job seriously.
My responsibility was to manage events and train new employees. Although I loved my job it was difficult to balance my classes and extracurriculars with a rigid work schedule.
College can be a very busy time.
While college work can offset large expenses, it can be hard to find a work schedule that fits into a tight schedule. Online jobs are a great option.
18 Legit Online Jobs For Students To Make Money
These online jobs for students are great for college students who want to work, but don’t have the time. Online Jobs are often more lucrative than traditional campus jobs.
1. Textbook flipper
What it pays? This varies based on the type and number of books you sell.
Textbooks can be expensive. Sometimes, they cost hundreds of dollars. What do you do with your textbooks? While many students will sell their books to their university bookstores for a few dollars each, there are ways you can make more. If you are a smart shopper, you may even be able buy books at a discounted price and then sell them for profit.
Book Buy-back Sites like Bookscouter will allow you to search for the lowest price on textbooks in order to maximize your return. Flip books for extra cash by looking for them on eBay or selling them to friends.
This could be the right side hustle for you. You can read more in our Bookscouter review.
2. Manager of social media
What it pays $15 to $40/hour
You don’t have to spend hours a week on social media. Why not earn some money for that time? Nearly every company uses social media, and many require help in managing it. They therefore hire independent social media managers.
Social media managers are responsible for building brand awareness through curating content, building relationships and generating leads. Your role is to represent the company online.
Start your journey as a social media manager. Reach out to local businesses to tell them about your services. Reach out to local businesses such as coffee shops, boutiques and yoga studios.
Talk about which social media platforms are most familiar to you and how you can use them to reach new customers and grow your business.
3. Blogger
What it pays Various (some bloggers earn $100,000+ per month).
Bloggers create written content which you share with your audience. Writing content that is valuable to your readers is the key to blogging success. Instead of writing a personal review about your trip to Hawaii and then posting a post entitled “7 Things You Must Know Before Vacationing In Hawaii”. It’s both interesting and useful.
Make sure you choose a topic that you are passionate about before you start your blog. Write for your target audience. Because you cannot always appeal to everyone, it’s fine to focus on a specific niche.
After you have chosen your topic, brainstorm at least 20 ideas for blog posts. Then, start writing your first five blogs. This is a great way to find out if you enjoy writing about your topic.
Once you have brainstormed ideas, the next step will be to select a host. Hostinggator is popular for beginners. Although it is not free, plans start at $2.75 per monthly — but it is an important first step.
To get started, check out our step by step guide to creating a profitable blog.
See how we created a successful blog.
This 7-day email course will allow you to join more than 100,000 other users:
- Learn the exact steps that we used to earn our first $1,000 blogging income (and more).
- Start your blog and learn how to create epic, income-generating content.
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4. Freelance writer
What it pays $50 to $500+ per Article
If you are interested in working as a freelancer writer, don’t be concerned about your qualifications or experience. You can be a freelance writer if you are able to use grammatical skills well as a good writer. Holly Johnson is an example of someone who has gone from working in a mortuary, to becoming a freelance writer making more than $200,000 annually.
Writing freelance is a flexible way to make money while in college. You might also enjoy having your name in print or online. A blog is a great way to build your online reputation and showcase your work. You can also start a freelance writing business by taking up clients through Upwork.
Once you have some work and testimonials, you can start applying for jobs on Problogger or Freelance Writing Jobs.
Related to How To Become A Freelance Writer (No Experience Required)
5. Product reviewer
What it pays Review: From $2 to $10 (or More)
You might consider writing reviews about new products if you are passionate about trying them. Many websites will pay you for your reviews.
Register with websites such as LifePoints or inboxDollars to do this. You will also need to answer some questions about your demographics. You’ll be sent products to review and test based on the information that you provide. Your reviews can be shared on social media, on the site, in a blog or as part of a survey.
You can also sign up for InboxDollars to find more ways of making money in college, such as taking surveys, playing video games, and even watching videos.
You don’t need to be a full-time product tester to make money.
6. Virtual assistant
What it pays $15 to $200+ an hour
Virtual assistants are employed by businesses who prefer to outsource tasks that do not need to be performed in-house. These tasks can include customer service, bookkeeping, and data entry. Your experience and skills will determine the amount of virtual assistant you charge. You can also charge more if you have special skills such as managing Facebook ads or email marketing.
You can start working as a virtual assistant. Make a list of the services you offer and then create profiles on Zirtual or Virtual Assistant Networking.
Kayla Sloan, a professional virtual assistant, offers a workshop on 5 steps to become a (without sending your friends or family members on social media).
7. Graphic designer
What it pays $25 to $50 an hour
To make a living online as a graphic designer, you don’t need to be an artist. You don’t need to be an artist to make unique and beautiful designs for clients. Appealing graphics are essential for small businesses, including logos, business cards, social media images, and many more.
You can sign up for the Graphic Design Basics course at Skillshare if you don’t have all the skills, but still want to learn graphic design. Once you have the basics down, you can go on to a more in-depth course such as Graphic Designer for Beginners Part1. This course teaches you how to apply design principles to real-world projects.
Reach out to local small businesses once you are ready to start. Tell them about your services (business cards and branding, flyer design, etc. Let them know how you can increase brand awareness. Send us a sample of your work.
To see if your friends or favorite bloggers are interested in your services, you can reach out to them. Websites such as 99designs can also be a great resource for freelance graphic designers.
8. Proofreader
What it pays $10 – $45 an hour
You should have a keen eye for spelling and punctuation errors. The final stage in content review before publication is completed is proofreading. This involves looking for typos, spelling and grammar errors.
This is a separate job from editing, and it’s one of the most popular online jobs for college students.
For seven-day free courses, check out Proofread Anywhere. Caitlyn Pyle was the course’s creator. She started her proofreading company, and made a living while travelling abroad.
Online freelancer profiles are a great way to start booking proofreading jobs. There are many opportunities available on Fiverr and Upwork.
9. Resume writer
What it pays $50-75 per resume/$10-25 per hour
You can make it a side-business by helping friends create their resumes. If they have an existing resume or a template online, you can provide proofreading services to ensure that it is error-free.
It’s easiest to offer your resume writing services through freelance websites or word-of mouth. Tell your friends that you are available to help with their resumes, before they apply for a job or internship after college. Ask them to spread the word.
10. Tutoring
What it pays $14 to $15+ an hour
Online tutoring or teaching is an ideal job for college students. The best thing about tutoring online is that it reinforces what you already know. If you tutor subjects within your major, it’s almost like earning money to study.
Here are the top places to begin if you’re looking to offer tutoring services online.
- VIPKid is only for graduate students. The hourly rate is $14-$22.
- Wyzant– tutors can set their own rates
- Chegg– Tutors starting at $20 an hour
You can also tutor in your area of expertise if you need some time off from school. You can advertise your services in social media, student centers, and in the local community.
11. Web developer
What it pays$20-$75 per hour
No matter what your major is, you can make a side business as a web developer. You can start if you don’t have any skills by enrolling in an online course like The Complete Web Developer Course at Udemy.
This course can be paid for in less than a week and will cover everything you need to book clients. Even though you won’t become a professional coder in one class, you will have a solid foundation and the confidence to start taking on your first client.
It’s better to begin with small projects, such as editing existing websites, than creating new ones for new web developers. This is a great way to learn the most common coding languages, along with WordPress, and how they interact to create a website.
Bidding on projects through freelance sites such as Upwork, Fiverr, and PeoplePerHour can help you start making money.
12. Survey taker
What it pays Surveys from $0.10 to $20
While surveys aren’t always the best gig, they can be a great online job for students. Survey sites collect data from consumers that companies can use to improve their products. They are eager to pay regular people for their opinions.
You can earn a decent side-income with paid online surveys in just a few hours a day.
We love Swagbucks for the variety of ways you can earn, including playing games and taking surveys.
Register for an account on each site that you want to take surveys. You won’t be eligible to take every survey so it’s a good idea to sign up for multiple sites.
13. Search engine evaluator
What it pays $12-$15 per hour
Google isn’t always perfect. Google, like other search engines, isn’t always perfect. That’s why they rely on real people to give feedback on the relevancy and utility of their results.
These online jobs are available to college students for between 10 and 30 hours per week. They can be easily arranged around busy college schedules.
Search engine evaluator job opportunities on:
- Lionbridge
- ZeroChaos
- Appen
Follow the application process and answer all questions honestly. It is important to be realistic about how much time you are able to dedicate to this job. You might consider looking for a side hustle if you have only a few hours per week but the job requires 20.
14. Fiverr gigs
What it pays $5 to $995 per gig
Although five dollars may not seem like a lot, it can add up quickly for tasks that only take a few minutes. You can charge more if you have a special skill.
Fiverr projects range in price from $5 to $995. You can offer three versions at three price points of your services. Some Fiverr sellers make it their full-time job, while others just use it for side income.
Fiverr offers popular services such as web development and writing. You can also make prank calls and celebrity impressions.
17 Simple Ways To Increase Your Income
15. Data entry
What it pays $10 to $17 an hour
Data entry is relatively easy and doesn’t usually require any specialized skills. This makes it an ideal online job for students who don’t want to make a commitment.
These websites offer online job opportunities.
- Clickworker
- DionData Solutions
- The Smart Crowd
Before applying for data entry jobs, you might want to test your typing speed. It will be difficult for you to complete your projects on time if you are a slow-typist.
16. Gamer
What it pays The pay: is variable (some gamers make $10,000+ per month).
You might be able turn your passion for gaming into a side business with flexible hours. To make money, you can create a gaming blog or YouTube channel, participate in gaming tournaments, and even play on gaming sites like .
If you are a student in computer science or graphic design, you might be able find a part time job in the gaming industry.
It is easy to get started with an online job. All you need is a phone or laptop and an internet connection.
17. Influencer on social media
What it pays Pays varies depending on campaign nature (some influencers may earn six figures per year)
Many companies pay people to promote their products or services on social media. You can make extra money if you have a lot of followers on Instagram, TikTok or Twitter. For some campaigns and companies, just a few followers may be enough.
You will make money as an influencer earning either a flat fee, or affiliate income. You can share a link or a discount code with your followers to earn affiliate income. You earn a percentage when they purchase through that link or code.
18. Amazon seller
What it pays: Variations
Amazon is more than just for 2-day shipping. There are many ways to make a profit on Amazon.
There are many options to make an Amazon side-hustle, whether you want to work as a driver, sell handmade goods, or find micro jobs on MTurk. You can also resell books or sell products wholesale, or join Amazon Affiliates for money through your blog and social media.
Amazon has no limit on the amount you can make selling; if you are able to use several of its programs, this can be a profitable side hustle. Follow the guidelines and rules of the program. You could be fired from Amazon if you don’t follow the program’s guidelines.
Online jobs for college students are the perfect side hustle
Online work is the best option for college students. You don’t need to have any previous experience to succeed. These gigs can be flexible and pay higher than other brick-and mortar jobs. You don’t even have to work during your vacation.
You could make your college side job into a full-time career if you are passionate about something.
