21 Best Online Jobs for College Students to Earn Money
Being a full-time college student doesn’t stop you from working to make money on the side. The most horrible experience is being broke as a college student.
Literally, to be able to support yourself in all aspects on campus, you need to make some money if not, your days would be less fun.
There are some events that you’d love to attend but can’t do so because you’ve no money to pay for entry – and most of the time, none of these events is free.
However, getting a part-time job might also not be the best option because managers of these jobs mostly want your service during the day, so they cannot adjust work schedule to balance your class work and extracurriculars.
If you really need to make money, what then will you do? Will you go ahead with a physical job and continue to tell your manager that you won’t be available because you have a class or project to finish?
No, don’t do that – because there are many jobs you can do online that’ll give you the flexibility to focus on your academic work while making money on the side.
Some of these jobs might even become your full-time business after college. It has happened to many, BySophiaLee is a living example. She started a side job while in college and turned it into a full-time business – making over $70,000 per month!
If you want to make money as a college student but don’t know how – read this article and know what you’ve to do.
Online Jobs for Students to Earn Money At Home
These online jobs don’t require you to have a bachelor’s degree or any qualification at all. You just have to be consistent and it’ll work for you! If you’ve little or no knowledge at all, you can learn by watching Youtube videos and taking online courses.
The flexibility you’d have is incredible – I’d recommend these online jobs more than you working at a regular job. Moreover, these pay way better and some of them could become a passive income source for life!
1. Voiceover
Becoming a voice-over artist is one of the best online jobs to do as a college student. What actually do voice-over artists do?
Voice-over artists use their voices to narrate or present films, documentaries, commercials, video games, animated films, podcasts, audiobooks, and public service announcements – just to name a few.
What do you need to start a voiceover job?
You must have the ability to speak smoothly. Moreover, you should have a headphone, recording software, and a microphone. You can always get voiceover training or coaching to kick start your journey. More importantly, you should build a resume by trying pro-bono gigs.
How much can you make part-time as a voice-over artist?
As a voice-over artist, you can make from $24 to $50 per voiceover gig. How much you earn depends on the company or the project you shall be working on.
But I must say, commercials, video games, cartoons, and audiobooks pay quite well.
Once you’ve got the needed basic skills, create your profile on Fiverr and start getting voiceover gigs. Read this voiceover guide for in-depth knowledge.
Take this Masterclass to become a professional voice-over Artist on SkillShare today.
2. Transcription
Transcription jobs soared during the Covid 19 pandemic, and have remained the same afterward. The job requires you to listen to audio files and write down all that you heard in the file. Furthermore, podcasters, YouTubers, and other content creators need transcriptionists to help them repurpose their content.
There are many transcription industries including medical, law enforcement, and general transcription.
As a college student, you can take the transcription job part-time, to give you time to focus on academics too.
I have no transcription experience, can I become a transcriptionist?
Transcription companies don’t necessarily ask for previous transcription experience but there are some skills you must have to be considered.
- Good hearing or listening skills.
- Ability to type very fast.
- Accurate typing – at least 95% accuracy.
If nothing at all, you should be able to type at least 60 words per minute before you can become a transcriptionist. Experienced transcriptionists can type from 80 to 95 words per minute, so that should be your target if you want to earn more from this job as a college student.
So if Mavis Beacon wasn’t your friend growing up as a kid – get a typing software and start practicing. You can use TypingMaster. Also, use the Dragon Naturally Speaking software to speed up your typing.
What tools do you need to become a transcriptionist?
Since you’re a college student, you may have some of these tools already. Here are the tools you need to get a transcription job:
- A personal computer with enough RAM and storage.
- A comfortable keyboard.
- Headphones/ Headset.
- Foot pedal.
- A transcription software – the best is Express Scribe.
- A text expander software. This decreases typing errors and helps you type very fast. I recommend Phrase Express.
- A fast internet connection.
- A wide monitor (Optional).
How much you can make from transcription?
As a beginner, you can make between $10 and $15 per hour. But the average earning is from $15 to $25, while we have top earners making above $27 per hour. All the same, in reality, you could be making decent money transcribing as a college student.
How to get a transcription job
- Decide the type of transcription you want. It can be medical, general, legal, etc.
- Apply for a job at Rev, GoTranscript, or Transcript Outsourcing.
- Pass the assessment test.
- Start working.
Read this article for the full guide on how to become a transcriptionist.
3. Freelance Writing
You can become a freelance writer – do you enjoy writing? If you do, then start writing for blogs, websites, publications, etc.
I remember when I wanted to start this blog, I was like: what am I going to write about? I’m not an expert in any field. Nobody would want to listen to what I’ve to say. What if they find out that I’m not really an expert?
Those were what I used to say or ask. I had an imposter syndrome – but little did I know that you become an expert through practicing.
There are so many niches to choose from; you can basically write about anything – including personal finance, sports, case study, recipes, fashion, etc. You can even write articles about your major or courses.
How to become a freelance writer – skills needed
Basically, the only skills needed to become a freelance writer are writing ability, level of grammar, and researching skills.
And even now, having bad grammar shouldn’t stop you since there is Grammarly. Grammarly corrects all errors in your article.
How to get started as a freelance writer
- Take a writing course.
- Start by creating your own space online (blog) where you showcase your work. This would create a portfolio and make it easy for you to get high-paying gigs.
- Pitch clients for gigs by showing them your portfolio.
- Alternatively, you can sign up for freelance sites such as Fiverr and Upwork without having to build a blog.
How much you can earn as a freelance writer
You can make good money writing as a freelancer. As a beginner, you can charge around $50 per 1500-word article. The income grows as you gain experience. Experienced freelance writers charge $500+ per article. This makes freelance writing a lucrative job to start as a college student.
4. Social Media Managing
The world has embraced social media, starting from Facebook where you can find most adults – to Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat where the young folks are.
Social media has therefore become the place businesses and brands want to promote their products and services to attract their ideal customers.
If you’re someone who spends most of your time on social media, this would be your opportunity to help local brands and companies get exposure by creating business accounts, posting content, and replying to comments on their behalf.
With the availability of many social media schedulers, you can schedule posts on autopilot so you get enough time for school-related activities.
What are some of the duties of a social media manager?
There are so many things you shall be doing as a social media manager, here are some of them:
- You shall create campaigns with messages that speak for the brand.
- You would be participating in visual design strategies for the brand.
- Staying on top of trends and knowing the type of content that gets the most engagement. Memes for instant get the most engagement even though short videos are popular.
- You’d be posting content and sharing them on various social platforms.
The duties are many, but a few could be mentioned here.
How much money can you earn?
As a social media manager, you would be earning between $15 and $40 per hour. On average, social media managers make $44,741 per year according to Indeed. So you could be making good money doing this as a college student!
How do I get started?
- You can’t help clients get followers and engagement on social media if your personal social account is dead. Thus, build your own social media following.
- Build your online presence through branding.
- Master the use of social media analytics.
- Search for clients.
Suggested Post: Websites Where You Can Get Paid To Write Jokes
5. Virtual Assisting
If you have good communication skills and can multi-task, then handle the administrative duties of companies remotely as a virtual assistant. This can be done on a part-time basis without facing any problems.
Some of your duties as a virtual assistant would include responding to calls and emails, performing market research, scheduling meetings, preparing and managing a contact list, prearranging travel and accommodations, organizing the manager’s calendar, and many more.
What skills are required to become a virtual assistant?
To become a successful virtual assistant you must:
- Have good communication skills.
- IT and data entry skills.
- Good decision-making skills.
- Be able to manage time wisely.
- Be able to handle customers politely, and others.
How much money can I earn as a virtual assistant?
Since you have no experience, expect between $15 and $30 per hour. However, once you gain experience you can earn from $50 to $70+ per hour.
How do I become a virtual assistant?
- Develop the skills needed to become a virtual assistant.
- If you have the skills already, go ahead and create your online presence.
- Create an account on Fiverr or Upwork and complete your profile telling brands what you can offer them.
- Network and build relationships with other virtual assistants.
There is an amazing course to help you start your virtual assisting career. Of course, you can learn everything on your own, but it may take tries and errors. Skip the bumps by learning it from a professional virtual assistant.
6. Create a Blog
Creating a blog can be one of the best things to do because that would give you the opportunity to influence people as well as generate a never-ending income.
But the funny thing is, ask random people in the streets about blogging and they’d ask: is that really lucrative? How can you make money off that?
Little do they know that the blogging industry is so massive, and that bloggers make decent money.
How can I create a blog?
Creating a blog isn’t really difficult – you first have to know what you love to write about. There are several niches including cooking, travel, lifestyle, fashion, parenting, finance, gardening, DIY, and others. After this, create your website and start creating helpful, in-depth, and evergreen content on your site.
Find ways to promote your articles and start making money from your website. Don’t cringe because you ain’t a professional writer – the truth is, blogs are to help people solve problems and not to teach them new vocabularies.
Write just like you’d speak to a seven-year-old kid, and you’d be fine. I personally hate reading professional articles; the connection is always lost in those articles.
How to monetize my blog.
The two main and easy ways bloggers use to monetize their websites are affiliate marketing and displaying ads.
Affiliate marketing is when a link is placed inside an article, recommending a product or service to readers. A commission is received when a reader clicks on the link and buys or signs up for the service that was recommended.
Ads on the other hand are the advert banners you see on websites. Other ways of monetizing are sponsored posts, selling products, courses, etc.
If you’re ever told blogging is dead, or something people do as a hobby – it’s a lie! The money you can make is insane. I wrote an article about how to start a lifestyle blog – what I taught applies to all niches.
7. Graphic Designing
If you have an eye for graphics and details, then why don’t you learn graphic designing and start offering your services to local businesses, Youtubers, bloggers, etc?
You can as well design birthday cards, wedding cards, and others for money. All you have to do is to learn and practice – and you’d become good at graphic designing.
Moreover, you don’t need any college degree to master InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, or Illustrator.
How much money can I make?
The average salary of a graphic designer is $22 per hour – you can make way more than that once you become extremely good at it. Moreover, the demand for graphic designers is expected to grow by 3% from now to 2030.
How can I get started as a graphic designer?
- Learn the fundamentals of graphic design on Youtube.
- Start this graphic design masterclass on Udemy.
- Learn how to design with Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.
- Start practicing.
- Create your own website to show your work – so that you can easily be seen as an expert.
- Sign up for freelance marketplaces like Fiverr, 99designs, etc.
- Network with others.
As a college student who wants to make money, graphic designing is one of the jobs to make that possible.
8. Tutoring
Make money by teaching people around the world languages like English, Spanish, French, etc or your program of study. Tutoring people around the world is a very fun job to do. There’s also flexibility with this job, so there’s no way you’d be stopped from focusing on your college courses.
Moreover, this could even be a way to understand your program better – that is, if you decide to teach others your program courses. The main skill needed for tutoring is the ability to communicate.
How much can I make as a tutor?
The minimum hourly wage is $15 but you can earn more than that. We have online tutors making $30 per hour.
How to start tutoring.
- Become TEFL certified.
- Create an account on websites like VIPKid, Chegg, iTalki, Preply, Upwork, and Wyzant.
- Meet other basic requirements on these platforms.
- Teach and get paid.
It doesn’t have to be online only, check around your college to see if there are some kids you can teach part-time. If you play the guitar, keyboard, trumpet, and other instruments, you can teach interested students on campus to earn money.
9. Data Entry
A data entry job is perfect for college students because it’s very flexible. If you have high communication (written and verbal) and typing skills, you can do this job perfectly.
With businesses and websites still in operation, data entry jobs would still be around – these businesses need help with inputting vital content into their systems. You get hired as a data entry clerk to do that.
How to become a data entry clerk
Data entry requires no college degree, however, a data entry certificate would be helpful. Here’s how to start:
- Learn the needed computer skills.
- Make it a norm to multi-task.
- Get trained to become a certified data entry clerk.
- Go for on-the-job training.
- Write your resume
- Search for data entry positions.
Some of the platforms where you can apply for data entry positions are Appen, Clickworker, and Fiverr. Data entry clerks earn between $10 and $30 per hour.
10. Resume Writing
Another way to make money as a college student is to write resumes for colleagues on campus. There are several students who apply for internships and jobs who don’t know how to prepare a positive and appealing resume about their work history and experience.
If you’re gifted with this skill, take advantage of it and make money while on campus! I’m certain there would be not less than 98 percent of students who need resumes. So advertise your skill and make money by preparing resumes.
At times, students use online resume builders like ResumeHelp and Zety. Thus, you can also proofread their resumes to make necessary corrections if any. Students would be willing to pay you for your service.
Furthermore, you can join freelance platforms like Truelancer, Upwork, and Freelancer.com to offer your services to clients. Resume writers make $50 to $75 per resume.
11. Retail Arbitrage
As a college student, there’s so much money you can make through retail arbitrage. In case you don’t know what it means, retail arbitrage is when you purchase a product way below market value and sell it on a platform like Amazon for a higher price – to earn profit.
It’s so easy to start and you could see profit in less than three months. Even so, you have to be ready for loss or find a way to avoid it.
In 2017, an article was posted by CNBC about a man, Ryan Grant, who made millions by selling products he bought from Walmart on Amazon.
How do I start retail arbitrage?
There are a few steps to follow to get you going.
- Open a seller account on Amazon.
- Download the Amazon Seller App. This app would help you scan products, and show you the sales ranking of the product, several listings, as well as the profit you could make per sale when you input their buy cost.
- Visit local retailers like Costco, Target, Walmart, Burlington, Kohl’s, and TJ Maxx to look for products.
- Scan the products.
- List the products with high-profit potential on Amazon through the Amazon Seller App.
How much money can I make with retail arbitrage?
Depending on the effort you put in, you could make between $100 and $5000+ per month. Get the complete retail arbitrage guide here.
12. Proofreading
Proofreading is one of the lucrative jobs for college students. If you’re someone who easily spots typos, punctuation mistakes, grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and others, then you would be a great proofreader.
It’s kind of embarrassing for a business or brand to bring out a written document, only to find out later that there is a grammatical error or misspellings. It may cause confusion among their customers and make them appear unprofessional.
To avoid this, businesses hire people with eagle eyes (proofreaders) to go over every written document before it comes out to the public.
How much money do proofreaders make?
The average salary of a proofreader is $24.87 per hour – according to Indeed. For a beginner, expect around $12 hourly wage.
How can I get started?
- Take the Proofread Anywhere entry course.
- Choose your target proofread job category. Do you want to proofread blog articles, resumes, essays, fiction books, nonfiction books, or websites?
- Promote yourself on social media.
- Join proofreading sites like Gramlee and Proofreadingservices.com
- You can also sign up for freelance sites like Fiverr, Freelancer, and Upwork.
13. Create a Youtube Channel
When you talk about Youtube, you hear names like PewDiePie, Jimmy Donaldson(MrBeast), Carry Minati, etc. These big names all had zero subscribers when they started, but have now achieved success on Youtube.
If you’ve something to share with the world, I think now is the time to push the record button and shot your first video. If your main excuse is camera shyness, there are so many faceless Youtube channels that are thriving.
How to become a Youtuber?
- Pick your niche.
- Sign up for free on Youtube and create your channel.
- Get your computer, camera, tripod, light, mic, and editing software handy.
- Shoot videos consistently and upload them on your channel.
- Start earning money once you reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours.
How much money you can earn as a Youtuber
Youtube ROI can be very quick. There are some persons who upload just two or three videos and start monetizing – a real example is James Jani. However, some also take years to see positive results. Always produce quality videos that resonate with people and you’ll win.
A typical YouTuber makes from $500 to $60,000+ per month.
14. Website Testing
There are several sites where you can get paid to test other websites. Businesses and brands want their website users to have a good experience, and because of that, they pay website testers to give honest feedback about how they see their website after using it.
Joining website testing sites is absolutely free. Moreover, you could make decent money completing this simple task.
Read this website testing article and find out how to make money doing this.
Suggested Post: 24 Legit Companies Looking For Product Testers
15. Web Developing
There is much money to make as a web developer without knowing a single line of code. Nowadays, there are already built templates that you can use to create clients’ websites.
You only have to take a web development course on Udemy and you can start building websites on platforms like Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, Upwork, and Flexjobs.
How much do web developers make?
Web developers earn an average base salary of $27.59 hourly – that’s, approximately $68,041 per year according to Indeed.com. Making such an amount of money or even half the amount as a college student would be mind-blowing.
How to become a web developer
- Learn the fundamentals of CSS, HTML, and Javascript.
- Pick a specialization or niche.
- Create projects to sharpen your website development skills.
- Build a web development portfolio.
- Join freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr.
- Build your personal brand.
- Network with other web developers.
16. Search Engine Evaluating
Although Google is always trying to provide accurate information to its users, however, that can never be 100 percent faultless.
That’s why Google pays search evaluators to help improve results for queries. So in brief, search engine evaluators rate the helpfulness of search results for a specific query or search.
Search engine evaluators get so much flexibility – their job is project-based so you wouldn’t be working frequently; usually 20 hours per week. This makes it perfect for college students.
How much search engine evaluators are paid?
Expect between $12 and $15 per hour working as a search engine evaluator.
How can you get a search engine evaluator job?
Google doesn’t hire directly, so here’s how to get the job:
- Apply to companies that hire evaluators for Google. Some are Appen, TELUS International, and SYKES.
- Pass the entry test.
- Finish the paperwork.
- Start working for money.
Obviously, a laptop and a steady internet connection are needed for this job.
17. Social Media Marketing
According to a report Kepios released in April 2022, 4.65 billion people use social media – that’s 58.7 percent of the total population of the world. Because of this, brands, businesses, and companies want marketers who’d help them reach these users.
If you spend hours on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Pinterest, take this opportunity to manage the social media accounts of these businesses and get paid nicely.
How much you can make as a social media marketer
According to Payscale, the lowest pay for a social media marketer is $36,000 – the median is $56,204, and the top earners make $86,000 per year. So this could even become your permanent work after college.
How to become a social media marketer
- Set an example. Achieve success with your social media accounts.
- Build your personal brand with reasonable followers.
- Create a resume for yourself.
- Join a platform like Freelancer.com, Glassdoor, Indeed, etc, and look for clients.
18. Podcast Editor
There is a prediction that the podcast industry would grow by 27.5 percent and be worth $60.5 billion in 2027. Podcasters are producing content regularly but editing this audio may be very tedious.
Because of that, it’s easy to get a job as a podcast audio editor. If you have a background in sound recording and editing – that would be an advantage.
How much will you be paid as a podcast editor?
The average annual salary of a podcast editor is $55,817, with top earners making $120,500 (Source: ZipRecruiter).
How to get a podcast editor job as a college student
- Learn the fundamentals of podcasting.
- Learn Digital Audio Workstation and audio editing software, eg. Audacity.
- Put yourself out there.
- Reach out for podcast editing positions.
19. PPC Marketing
PPC stands for Paid-Per-Click. As a PPC marketing expert or professional, your responsibility would be to control ads of businesses that are displayed on sites like Instagram, Amazon, Facebook, Google, etc. PPC marketing is done mainly to promote brand awareness, generate leads and raise sales.
PPC marketing doesn’t require coding or rocket science, however, it can’t be added to the easiest jobs out there; you need some level of technical skills.
How much are PPC professionals paid?
According to PayScale, PPC professionals are paid from $17 to $44 per hour. That’s $36,000 to $61,000 – with an average salary of $44,660 annually.
How to get a PPC job?
- Understand the basics of PPC marketing.
- Take the free Google and Bing online certification courses.
- Get the Facebook Blueprint Certification.
- Learn what’s meant by cost per click, click through rate, return on ad spend and others.
- Know how to use PPC tools.
- Listen to trends and learn from your competitors.
- Practice regularly.
- Apply for a PPC position.
20. Online Surveys
As a college student, you can also answer survey questions on sites including Swagbucks, InboxDollar, and Survey Junkie during your free hours.
Brands are willing to trade money for your opinion about topics. This consumer data that is collected by brands and businesses is used to enhance future products. So by taking online surveys, you’re making a positive impact on the world.
You could make from $0.5 to $20+ after completing every survey. Read the full article about online survey sites that pay instantly.
Suggested Post: Best Apps That Pay You To Refer Your Friends
21. Video Editing
The time has never been better to become a video editor. With people realizing how lucrative Youtube is, many people are joining the race – this has created a very tight competition on the platform and has compelled Youtubers to create content at scale.
And guess what, their work would be incomplete without editing these videos. It’s the reason why you have a chance to crush it as a video editor. Even if you don’t know how to edit videos, you can give yourself three to six months to learn that.
How much you can make as a video editor
According to Indeed, the average base salary of a video editor is $22.19 hourly. That’s, $51,712 per year!
Getting started as a video editor
Final Words
You now know that money can actually be made online as a college student! However, with everything related to success, it doesn’t come so easily.
If you want to see real success with any of these jobs mentioned, you’ve to limit the hours you watch Netflix.
Be that student who comes back from class and works on something that has the potential to change your financial life completely.
I think the easiest job on the list is online surveys, for that, you could earn a few dollars but not a life-changing amount. Other easy and flexible jobs that wouldn’t stand between you and your academics are resume writing, proofreading, and search engine evaluation.
If you’re still figuring out the job to choose, I hope that you decide soon. Wishing you more dollars and freedom!
Manuelo is an entrepreneur and a personal finance nerd. He is the founder of Dollars And Freedom. An expert in side hustles, online gigs, and everything about making money. His works have been featured on major financial publications, like Business Insider, GoBankingRates, Investopedia, Entrepreneur, and more. When he’s not busy with his blog or writing for others, you’ll catch him hanging out with loved ones or reading books on stoicism and self-development.
Having numerous avenues for generating income can be overwhelming, especially if you're unaware of the most effective methods to begin earning. Here are some exceptional side hustle ideas that can help you start earning money.
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