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High-paying side hustles for college students, based on where you live

When you’re in college, checking your bank account balance can be rough. Hence, the trifecta diet of Top Ramen, mac ‘n’ cheese packets and two-for-one pizza deals. But when you’ve got a full schedule of classes, studying and, real talk, memory-making, having a full-time job isn’t necessarily feasible. What strapped college students need is a part-time gig that’s both flexible and pays well. 

While the list of part-time jobs spans far and wide, gigs that work with the specific demands of students’ individual schedules and needs are a little more narrow. For instance, some students want to earn a little spending money in between classes while others need night and weekend gigs that will help account for spending money and textbooks and food.   

Whether you’re after a job where you’re solely responsible for making your own hours or something with a little structure, check out this list of popular part-time jobs for college students, along with current national average hourly rates and the going rates in the top 10 college towns, too.

Good jobs for college students across the nation

1. Tutoring: $17.25
2. Housekeeping: $15.50
3. Food delivery driver: $15.32
4. Retail worker: $14.87
5. Babysitting: $14.25
6. Cashier: $12.36
7. Pet care: $12.25
8. Hostess: $11.92
9. Waitress: $11.42

Want to learn a little more? Here’s a breakdown of the benefits of each of these job types.

#1 ̵1; Tutoring

Find a tutoring job

National average: $17.25/hour

To say tutoring is a good side hustle for a college student is an understatement. In addition to it being one of the most flexible gigs out there (you set your own hours), it pays well. In fact, based on national data, tutoring has the most earning potential among the nine top jobs for college students. That said, your tutoring rate will vary by your experience and the subject you’re helping with, among other things. 

“I’ve met and connected with so many other students through tutoring,” says Emily Marinucci, a college student in Harrisonburg, Virginia. “And in addition to it being a flexible way to make money, tutoring has helped reinforce and retain the information for myself. It’s also a good way to network with professors since they all know me through helping other students.”

#2 ̵1; Housekeeping

Find a housekeeping job

National average: $15.50/hour

Got a knack for tidying? A compulsive itch to organize? Then a housekeeping gig, which is also wildly flexible — and can earn you some serious coin — could be a good side hustle for you. And if you like the self-imposed scheduling aspect of housekeeping, but not so much the cleaning, keep in mind there are tons of odd jobs for which people are looking for help.

#3 ̵1; Food delivery driver

National average: $15.32/hour

Wherever there’s a college, there’s a need for food delivery drivers. While less flexible than tutoring or housekeeping, a gig as a food delivery driver — either through a restaurant or third party, such as UberEats or DoorDash — will earn you an hourly rate, as well as tips. (Though don’t forget to factor in gas and vehicle expenses!)

#4 ̵1; Retail worker

National average: $14.87/hour

If you’re looking for something a little more low-key — i.e., a job where someone tells you when to show up and what to do — a retail job is a good option. 

“My last two years of school, I worked at a small shoe store at the local mall,” says Jessica Priddy-Patton of Los Angeles. “It was pretty uneventful, but I loved that I had a set schedule and always had spending money.”

#5 ̵1; Babysitting

Find a babysitting job

National average: $14.25/hour

As far as part-time college jobs go, it doesn’t get much better than babysitting. In addition to getting to hang out with adorable small humans, babysitting gigs are always available during non-class hours; and depending on your experience and what the job entails, they can be seriously lucrative.

“Babysitting was an excellent part-time college gig for me because not only was it profitable, it was also flexible and provided me with hands-on experience in my field of interest,” says Aliana Acevedo, a college student in Medford, Massachusetts. “I am minoring in Child Studies and Human Development, and babysitting provided me with the opportunity to get real world child care experience that̵7;s relevant to my resume. Also, it was the right fit for my busy schedule; it allowed me to take the downtime in my schedule and turn it into a way to make easy money on the side, whether it was for textbooks or a night out with my friends.”

#6 ̵1; Cashier

National average: $12.36/hour

Whether you work at a grocery store or the local Target, a gig as a cashier can be a great way to ring up a little extra cash. 

“Being a cashier was the perfect part-time job for me while I was in school,” notes Jennifer Beltramini of New York City. “The flexible shifts allowed me to work on weekends and after class, and looking back, it taught me the value of money and how it relates to basic needs in life, such as food and toiletries.” 

#7 ̵1; Pet care

Find a pet care job

National average: $12.25/hour

There are a number of factors that contribute to how much you’ll make as a dog walker or pet sitter (such as how often you work and how many four-legged clients you have), but caring for pets is a great gig for college students on the hunt for a flexible job. Whether you walk a few pups in between classes or take care of your traveling neighbors’ cats in the evening, pet sitting will put extra cash in your pocket while working with your schedule. 

#8 ̵1; Hostess

National average: $11.92/hour

Every college town has their share of restaurants and bars, so generally speaking, jobs at such establishments are pretty pervasive. Anyone looking for a part-time job at a restaurant that involves interacting with people, but not necessarily balancing trays of food and drinks, should consider becoming a host or hostess. 

#9 ̵1; Waitress

National average: $11.42/hour

Another profitable part-time gig for college students? Waiting tables. If you’re friendly and good at turning tables, the tips can add up nicely for you too. 

“Waitressing worked out great for me in college,” says Krysten Mace of Cranford, New Jersey. “It was flexible and put cash in my pocket for expenses. I worked mostly at night after classes, so it fit with my schedule. I also made friends with my co-workers and was able to swap shifts occasionally when I had plans or needed to study.” 

Good jobs for college students in the top 10 college towns

Knowing the national hourly rates can be helpful in determining which jobs generally pay more than others, but it doesn’t tell you what you can earn in your town. Check out the going rates for the highest-paying jobs for college students in the top 10 college towns in the U.S.

Blacksburg, Virginia

1. Housekeeping: $14.00
2. Retail worker: $13.81/hr
3. Tutoring: $13.50
4. Babysitting: $11.25
5. Waitress/server: $11.12/hr
6. Pet care: $10.75
7. Food delivery driver: $10.44/hr
8. Cashier: $10.30/hr
9. Hostess: $9.44/hr

College Station, Texas

1. Housekeeping:  $13.25
2. Tutoring: $13.25
3. Retail worker: $12.40/hr
4. Cashier: $11.70/hr
5. Hostess: $11.60/hr
6. Food delivery driver: $11.39/hr
7. Babysitting:  $11.25
8. Pet care:  $10.00
9. Waitress/server: $9.94/hr

Gainesville, Florida

1. Food delivery driver: $16.25 
2. Tutoring: $13.75
3. Housekeeping:  $13.50
4. Waitress/server: $13.24
5. Retail worker: $13.05
6. Babysitting:  $12.25
7. Average cashier: $11.37
8. Pet care:  $11.00
9. Hostess: $10.44/hr 

Champaign, Illinois

1. Food delivery driver: $15.89/hr
2. Retail worker: $15.39/hr
3. Tutoring: $14.00
4. Housekeeping: $13.75
5. Babysitting: $12.50
6. Pet care: $11.75
7. Cashier: $11.42/hr
8. Waitress/server: $10.45/hr
9. Hostess: $10.17/hr

Columbia, Missouri

1. Retail worker: $16.35/hr
2. Tutoring: $12.50
3. Babysitting: $11.75
4. Housekeeping: $11.50
5. Waitress/server: $11.41/hr
6. Cashier: $11.10/hr
7. Food delivery driver: $10.94/hr
8. Pet care: $10.50 
9. Hostess: $10.28/hr

Athens, Georgia

1. Food delivery driver:$16.81
2. Housekeeping:  $14.00
3. Tutoring: $14.00
4. Retail worker: $12.23
5. Babysitting:  $11.75
6. Waitress: $11.05 
7. Pet care:  $10.75
8. Cashier: $10.70
9. Hostess: $9.97

Ann Arbor, Michigan

1. Housekeeping:  $17.50
2. Tutoring: $17.25
3. Retail worker: $15.17
4. Food delivery driver: $14.68 
5. Babysitting:  $13.75
6. Waitress: $12.42
7. Cashier: $12.05
8. Pet care:  $11.75
9. Hostess: $11.28

Tallahassee, Florida

1. Food delivery driver average: $15.09
2. Housekeeping: $14.25
3. Retail average: $14.02
4. Tutoring: $12.50
5. Babysitting: $12.25
6. Waitress average: $12.10
7. Cashier Average: $11.07
8. Hostess average: $10.63
9. Pet care: $10.50

Greenville, North Carolina

1. Food delivery driver: $13.59
2. Retail worker: $13.23
3. Housekeeping: $12.25
4. Tutoring: $12.25
5. Babysitting: $11.00
6. Waitress: $10.39
7. Cashier: $10.29
8. Hostess: $10.11 
9. Pet care: $10.00

Lafayette, Indiana

1. Housekeeping: $15.25
2. Tutoring: $14.25
3. Food delivery driver: $13.43
4. Retail worker: $12.63
5. Babysitting: $12.00
6. Pet care: $11.50
7. Waitress: $11.07
8. Hostess: $10.61
9. Cashier: $10.56

Methodology:

To identify our list of college towns, we pulled the cities and towns the U.S. Census Bureau reported having populations of more than 65,000 in 2017. From that list, we identified the 10 cities and towns with the highest postsecondary enrollment as a percentage of the population. 

The average hourly rates for babysitting, housekeeping, tutoring, and pet care were compiled from Care.com member data. All of the average hourly rates for food delivery driver, hostess, waitress, retail worker and cashier were compiled from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the exception of waitress in Gainesville, FL, which was pulled from Indeed.com.