Best Part-Time Jobs for College Students in 2022

Jeff White | Jan 07, 2022

As a college student, you need a part-time job that is flexible and allows you to set your own schedule but one where you can earn enough money to contribute to your living expenses. Not all part-time jobs are ideal for the life of a college student, which is why we’ve put together a list of the best jobs that actually make sense for you in your day-to-day. 

If you’re ready to apply to the right part-time jobs for you then you should download the ExtraHourz app. Once inside you’ll be able to easily search all available jobs, especially the flexible and on-demand opportunities available to you through our unique system, ExtraShiftz. Download the app and apply today. 

Best Part-time Jobs for College Students 

The best part-time job is going to vary for every college student but the main features are that it is flexible to meet the demands of education, that it can be done within close proximity to the school, and it pays enough to be worthwhile. As we compiled our list we decided to prioritize on-demand, or gig-related work, and jobs that could be completed from a dorm room. Many college students may not have access to a car or reliable transportation. 

Freelancer, order fulfillment (Amazon or Wal-mart), Work at a restaurant, sales, Shopper, customer care,

Here is our list of the best part-time jobs for college students in 2022: 

Online Order Fulfillment: Best Overall 

Ecommerce business is a major part of spending throughout the U.S. and it isn’t expected to slow down any time soon. During the pandemic in 2020, ecommerce spending hit an all-time high, with the total percent of retail spending jumping 25% from 2019. We kept most of that jump in 2021, with a little bit of in-person spending coming back, but total ecommerce is nearly 20% of all spending in the country. 

This means that businesses who do a lot of fulfillment of these online orders need individuals to pull products and make sure the order is ready to ship out to customers. Companies like Amazon and Wal-Mart hire a lot of these jobs, and they are great for college students because they typically don’t require experience. If transportation is an issue for you then you’ll want to make sure the warehouse is fairly close to your university. 

What this job entails: Picking products from its place and creating a package in a warehouse or sorting packages that are going out to customers. 

How much you can make: $12 - $20 per hour to start, but up to $50 per hour for experienced workers. 

Delivery Driver: Best for Students With a Car

If you have reliable transportation then a really good opportunity, which is part of the gig economy, is to be a personal shopper or delivery driver. You can deliver food from restaurants to families who are too busy to go pick it up on their own. You can also use apps to take orders in grocery stores, complete the needed shopping, and deliver that food to their homes. 

This is a great opportunity because it is completely flexible and can match any difficult school schedule. If you need to work in the morning, you can. If you can only work after 6pm, then go for it. As long as you use apps that have a strong number of requests in your area then you’ll be all set to pick up the cash you need delivering various goods to your neighbors. 

What this job entails: Shopping and delivering food or other goods to the homes of consumers. You must have your own car or reliable transportation. 

How much you can make: The bulk of your money comes from tips and the amounts vary by location. However, most believe you can make $20 - $30 per hour if you’re efficient and there are plenty of orders in your area. 

Freelancer: Best for Skilled Digital Workers 

The economy is turning more and more towards a freelance work relationship instead of an employer/employee relationship. This means that building your portfolio of work while still in school will give you a leg up on what you might be doing after graduation anyway. Plus you’ll be able to acquire skills needed to run a small business so it’s a win-win if you have a marketable digital skill that you’re good at.

Some examples of the types of freelance work that is popular includes: 

  • Web development

  • Software development

  • Writing

  • Editing

  • Design work

  • Search engine optimization (SEO)

  • Photography

  • Bookkeeping

  • Virtual assistant

  • Tutor

If you have any of these skills then you could find work on freelance sites like UpWork or Fiverr. Or you can just try to sell your services directly to businesses that might need your services. 

What this job entails: Completing project work for businesses or individuals at home on your computer.

How much you can make: Depends on what your skill is, but anywhere from $10 - $100 per hour. 

Online Course Instructor: Best for Those With a Specific Skill to Teach

An online course instructor creates a series of lessons to teach a very specific skill to an audience. You’ll typically create the content one time and then aim to bring in revenue from it, essentially for as long as it is relevant. The most successful online course instructors update their courses periodically and there is no limit to the number of courses you can create.

It’s important to note that you will not make money immediately from this and that it should probably be completed in addition to another job or opportunity on this list until you start to see the money coming in. You’ll need to learn a bit of marketing to go along with whatever skills required to teach this course, but you can teach online through skill-based sites like Udemy or you can teach kids through sites like Outschool.

What this job entails: Creating videos and audio teaching as well as materials for your students. Possibly teaching live classes during every session. Also might require some marketing skills to get students. 

How much you can make: You might make nothing for a very long time but the best course creators on these sites can make $50 per hour or up to several thousand dollars per month. 

Restaurant Worker: Best for Everyone Else

One of the most common jobs for college students is to work in a restaurant. You can work as a hostess, a line cook, a waiter, or a cashier. You can work in a fancy restaurant that can be stressful but provide large tips, or work in a fast food restaurant that is low-stress, flexible, but has less earning potential. 

A restaurant worker typically can request a certain schedule and most places will work around your school schedule if you’re a hard worker and reliable. These jobs can be demanding both physically and emotionally but they can also be rewarding and teach you a lot about people and how business, in general, works. 

What this job entails: Standing for long periods of time and dealing with people constantly. It could also require learning some cooking or cleaning skills. 

How much you can make: $8 - $30 per hour, depending on the restaurant and what your role is inside. 

Part-time Jobs for College Students - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

In this section we’ll look at the most popular questions related to college students finding part-time work. 

What types of jobs are best for college students?

Typically jobs that are flexible and don’t require a lot of effort to get to are nice fits for college students and their uncertain schedule. Also, jobs that don’t require previous experience. It’s a great time in life to learn skills that can stick with you for the rest of your career. 

What jobs pay the most per hour?

Skilled labor is going to pay the most per hour, in terms of jobs that college students can get. You’ll be best off learning a skill like editing, copywriting, or web development, and then freelancing to make money (if you’re looking to maximize the dollars). 

Is Amazon flexible with college students? 

According to Amazon’s website, they are flexible with college students trying to work in their warehouses. They try to work with you on a schedule that works for you and works for their shift fulfillment. You can learn more about how they work with you on their careers site

Bottom Line

Luckily, if you’re a college student looking to earn some extra money now is the best time to do it. We’ve never had more flexible options for work that can meet your schedule than we do right now. If you’re looking to get started you should download the ExtraHourz app and see what jobs might be a good fit for you in your local area.