Make Money as a Student with the 16 Best Side Hustles

Student life is tough. Tuition fees are sky high, and living costs are becoming more and more outrageous. For some students, a side hustle is more of an essential than an added bonus. At least there are a lot of options these days, and with the potential flexibility of a student life, there’s the potential to do work most don’t get the opportunity to do!

Working as a Barista - $12-20 per hour

A classic job for a student, university campuses and college towns are full of cafes in need of talented coffee-makers to serve an increasingly tired population. It can be a fun job if you’re a sociable individual, and is a great way to meet people and make friends on and near your campus.

Barista work doesn’t pay amazingly, but the flexibility of shifts should allow you to make it to seminars, do your essays in the library, and still make some cash on the side. The free or discounted coffee is a lovely bonus to help you survive those extra-annoying customers.

How you find this work will differ depending on where you are. Big chains like Costa or Starbucks will have application portals on their websites, but I suggest you go to a local coffee shop and just ask if they’re hiring. A friendly face is one of the most important things for a barista, and the coffee-making can be taught along the way.

Tutoring - $14-24 per hour

Sure, you’re still a student, but you’ve already learned a lot! Why not pass that knowledge on to the next generation? Particularly appropriate if you got good grades back at school, there are tons of people looking for a tutor to help them improve their knowledge on those exact same subjects.

It won’t be for everyone. The work isn’t always consistent, you will have to prepare lesson plans unpaid, and your hours might pick up around the time of year you’re focusing on exams yourself, but if you can switch focuses and teach as well as learn, you’ll have a solid source of extra income throughout the academic year.

You might go about finding this work all over the place. Start with your own network - maybe the younger sibling of a friend needs a bit of help with their Biology exam preparation, or your cousin’s friend’s friend is struggling with Maths. Outside of this, use local social media groups to find leads, and platforms like Superprof and Tutorful are great starting points if you don’t have the network to make a start.

Finding On-Campus Work - $12-18 per hour

You’ll be on campus anyway, so getting a job there makes a whole lot of sense. Despite the fairly low pay, there will be significant competition for these roles given the convenience. You can find all manner of roles on campus, from events coordination to working at reception at the student union - check out your uni’s website to find what’s on offer for you.

These roles are also great CV boosters. By working for a reputable institution like your university, you’ll learn all manner of skills that’ll help you further your career prospects going forward.

Becoming a Lifeguard - $18-25 per hour

As a former swimmer, I took to lifeguarding easily as soon as I turned 16. In the UK, all I had to do was complete my NPLQ qualification and start applying for work at local pools, leisure centres, and community groups. In the US, the Red Cross is the place to go.

You do have to pay for lifeguard training, and keep it up-to-date to ensure you’re a good safeguard for the pool. It’s not difficult to earn that money back quickly though, as your qualification significantly reduces competition for jobs.

The knowledge of lifesaving and first aid has been important outside of lifeguarding, too. Even once your qualifications have lapsed, you’ll still be better equipped to save a life than ever before.

Doing some Bartending - $15-25 per hour

Working at a bar is for a specific type of person. That type of person loves a bit of chat, doesn’t mind being around drunk people, and is able to exercise self-control when at the beer tap’s driving seat.

If you can handle the late nights, which could be a useful bonus if you’re keeping the days open for studying and class, bartending is the perfect side hustle to make a bit of extra money as a student.

Apply at local bars - student areas have tons of them. Just remember, don’t overdo it. You have a 9am lecture to get to.

Freelance Writing - $15-150 per hour

I found freelance writing a great side hustle during my time at university. As a writer for the student newspaper, I was able to point publications to experience I had in my specific niche and tailor pitches to them based on their own audiences.

It’s a super flexible role, one in which you’re your own boss and can work as much or as little as you like. Pay can be offensively low to start with, but with a good portfolio and the right clients, you can bump those earnings up surprisingly quickly.

Start out doing some blogging or working at your uni newspaper, and branch out from there, pitching publications you’re interested in and building up your client base. It’s as scalable as you need it to be, so you’ll be able to tone your output down when that dissertation deadline is looming.

Working in a Local Retailer - $12-16 per hour

Working in a local supermarket or retailer is a great option if your timetable is set and you want to fill the time working locally and earning. Those kinds of places are always on the lookout for new staff, and each year they need to replace the former employees who were in your position last year.

The pay isn’t world-beating, but the shifts will be regular, you’ll gain valuable experience in the workplace you’ll be able to cite in job interviews, and you might get a handy employee discount that more than makes up for the relatively low hourly wage.

Look around your neighbourhood, find a shop that’s convenient for you, and jump onto their website to look for openings!

Food Delivery Driving - $15-25 per hour

I delivered food with Deliveroo for a while, and it was a pretty decent gig. By going out around meal times and working late at night on my bicycle, I was able to earn pretty well - sometimes over $100 per shift.

It’s not easy, especially if you have to rely on your physical fitness to pedal around the city - things will be easier on a motorcycle or in a car. Still, once you figure out where to go (near popular takeaways, obviously), you can start to take advantage of surge pricing at peak times and rake in the delivery cash.

I know I was an absolute takeaway fiend as a student, so you should be able to make a good amount of extra money and stay active by trundling around the streets with a big bag full of food, like some kind of hungry Father Christmas.

Earning Money Gaming - $5-20 per hour

I’ll admit - I was prone to spending a bit too much time gaming as a student. Whether it was long Civ V tournaments with friends or procrastinating on my phone, I’m a guilty man.

Back in my day, paid gaming wasn’t a thing. It is now. You can ‘work’ from bed during those long, hungover mornings, or drop into a game while you’re waiting for your lecturer to finally show up. You can sign up in just five minutes to a site like Freecash, and start earning right away. Pay might take a bit more time to build up, but if you’d have been gaming anyway, it’s essentially free. There are loads of games to choose from, too, so you’ll struggle to get bored!

Being a Life Model - $30-100 per hour

This isn’t a traditional one, but it’s a favourite of mine. Life modelling pays better than a lot of other student jobs I’ve had, and in some ways, it’s easier! The obvious downside for some is that you have to be comfortable with people drawing you de-robed. 

It’s also not as easy as it looks - you need a strong tolerance for long poses and sometimes the willingness to endure a bit of pain for the sake of art.

If life modelling does float your boat, ask around at your uni! Art faculties and uni societies always need subjects, and there may even be local artists’ groups looking for your help. It can be a liberating, meditative side hustle to have on the go!

Teaching Music - $25-60 per hour

If you’re skilled enough as a musician, then teaching your craft could be a perfect side hustle while you’re a student. Plenty of my music student friends did this while studying, and there will be people at all levels looking to learn.

You will need to be good with students of all ages, and have a lot of patience, too. One of the most annoying things a teacher can do is assume their student has as deep knowledge of the subject as they do. It’s like Stephen Gerrard trying to coach bad footballers and just not understanding why they can’t do the amazing things he did throughout his career.

From this point, you can start building out your roster of clients. Contact friends and family, advertise on campus to your fellow students, and join community Facebook groups in your local area to get yourself known. 

Selling Clothes - $Varies

I’m no fashionista. What I am, is someone who’ll scroll Vinted, find the inspirational article of clothing I’ve been craving all year, and hit ‘buy’ without hesitation. If you’re on the other side of a few of those deals, you can earn a strong profit with very little time investment as a student.

Jump on Vinted, Depop, or eBay to see what you reckon you could get for your current wardrobe outcasts first. Don’t expect this to be a huge money-spinner right away! You have to know a thing or two about fashion and trends before you start making a killing.

Real fashion-forward hustlers might go the extra mile, hit up a kilo sale - common in uni towns - and unearth some amazing gems with a bit of effort. Just don’t get too attached to your inventory!

Helping People Move House - $15-30 per hour

Being a student is fun. The parties, the culture, the people, it’s all so exciting when you first get there. What isn’t fun is having to haul all your stuff from rubbish flat to rubbish flat every single year. 

Well, you’d be surprised at how many students with family money to burn can indeed splash it on having someone help them with the move. And that someone could be you - it’s a job that often pays quickly, and cash-in-hand.

It’s a very seasonal job - most people tend to move house between academic years - but moving help can pay fairly well for that period of time if you don’t mind a bit of manual labour. Post your services, rates, and ideally experience on university student social media pages, make yourself a profile on Taskrabbit, or just ask around campus and put your feelers out there!

Taking Professional Headshots - $20-150 per session

You’re all at university for one thing: going out on the t- I mean getting a job. If you’ve got a decent-quality camera and fancy helping people out in their job search by making them look good on LinkedIn, why not give this one a try?

It’s not going to be easy to earn big money at first, but by building up a portfolio of professional headshots, you’ll be able to make headway in getting noticed by higher-paying clients and potentially scale this side hustle. Advertise on LinkedIn, in student spaces online, and on campus itself to gauge interest, particularly near the end of the academic year.

Make sure you’re actually able to take and edit decent photos, too! The art of photography isn’t as simple as just whacking some filters on Instagram and hoping things work out. Do your research for headshot photography tips if you’re unsure.

Selling Print on Demand Products - $Varies

If you have your finger on the pulse of what’s trending with students, you might be onto a winner here - provided you’re passable at graphic design. Print on Demand is the side hustle where you put your digital designs on sites like Redbubble, Teespring, or Society6, and earn money for every time someone buys that design on a product.

The best part is that as a student, you can do the work in your own time. There’s no deadline, and once you’ve uploaded the design, you don’t have to do anything else. Earnings vary wildly depending on how popular the product is, too. You might design a meme shirt at just the right moment and sell loads of tees or you could end up with a storefront of duds.

For this reason, it’s very difficult to call PoD design a ‘reliable’ source of income, but it’s passive income nonetheless.

Becoming a Content Creator - $Varies

No, you won’t become the next Khaby Lame or Mr Beast. But by creating relatable content on subjects you care about, there’s always a niche open to you. You have to be dedicated - any famous creator will tell you that a consistent posting schedule is key.

Outside of that, learn the basics of video editing on an app like CapCut, figure out what type of content you’re keen on creating (long vs short form), and seek out the platform that fits you best.

Content creating is a slow burn. You won’t find yourself earning ludicrous amounts of money right away. In fact, some content creators and influencers spend years pouring money into their passion before seeing any returns at all, so this isn’t for you if you’re looking for quick cash. Eventually, after a lot of dedication to the craft, you may just start to earn through things like advertisements, video sponsorships, or even paid merch from fans.