Last Updated on April 15, 2022
Would you like to find online jobs for college students that will make money for your campus or off-campus needs?
Becoming a college student brings along thrilling moments as well as anxieties. The thrilling moments, of course, are wonderful and everybody looks forward to that.
But anxieties can nudge you down a roller coaster of mind-numbing moments.
You ain’t sure how to offset a student loan. You ain’t sure if your stipend will effectively take care of your college needs and you ain’t sure just how to pay off your credit card debt.
The thing is, financial issues if not sorted out, could impact adversely on your studies.
So how do you eliminate these anxieties?
I want to show you how to make a side income when in college…
How can college students make money online?
The gig economy has brought a lot of opportunities to make money across the world. Because of the flexible schedule between businesses and independent workers, millions of people are picking on such job opportunities that you can accomplish even when you work at home or your dorm room.
Some of the best online jobs on the market do not necessarily require you to have a bachelor’s degree or special skills to accomplish them.
Why?
Because they are basic enough to only require things like your dedication, time management, talent, and a zeal to accomplish among other things. For example, booking appointments.
A number of job requirements can be self-taught or learned through cheap online courses.
This is why students are today able to pick up search engine evaluator jobs, social media management assignments, and website maintenance gigs among others.
Which is the best online job for students?
There are hundreds of online jobs college students can do. You’re looking at graphic design, web development, customer service, affiliate marketing, tutoring services, voiceover work, transcriptionist, photographer work…
The list goes on and on.
In the end, it all boils down to one’s favorites. Opportunity is everywhere. So you have to pick something in which you have an interest.
Here is my advice. Since you want to make money on the side, choose job sites that do not ask you to spend money before you begin. Also, make sure to pick on gigs that will not interfere with your academic calendar.
How can I make $20 an hour online?
Hundreds of people today are leaving the corporate world because they have found a way to make $20 or more an hour from online gigs. After all most of them are caught up in full-time jobs that pay in that very range.
But with the flexibility of home jobs or projects that you can accomplish with your laptop and internet connection anywhere you prefer to be, lots of guys are keen to pick up such gigs even on a part-time basis.
To get started, pick a job for online earnings from the listed ones below. Even assignments where you are unable to make $20 an hour from the beginning, chances are that you will eventually learn the ropes and scale-up to higher amounts that will start hitting your bank account.
What jobs are good for college students?
1. Freelance Writer
There is a huge market for freelance writers today. Because almost every business has taken to the internet to market their products and services. So the demand for content is skyrocketing since every website needs content. In fact, Technavio analysts have projected that the content marketing industry market size will grow by $269.24 billion from 2020 – 2024.
Freelance writers produce written content for their clients. So if you have a knack to writing, the opportunities on your table are immense. Because whatever content form a website needs, whether articles, videos, or podcasts, they all need writing. And you have a chance to take a piece of the content marketing industry cake.
How much will you earn?
Freelance writing earnings are largely dependent on your experience and the type of content you are producing, and of course the online platform you use. In the cost per word pricing model, some beginner freelance writers may charge $0.01 per word implying that they would be making $20 for a 2,000 words article.
The more experience you gain the more you earn. Some writers have been known to make as much as $500 for a single article. If you want to strategically place yourself in this lucrative industry, you can take a course to hone your writing skills. One renowned place for online content marketing training you can use is at Smartbloggers.com.
Freelance writing online jobs sources
There are several platforms where you can get freelance writing gigs on the internet. Registration requirements differ with each site. So just check out the requirement before you can consider registering. Some of the best platforms you can get these writing assignments are iWriter, Upwork, BloggingPro, and Flexjobs.
Inspiration quote:
“Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.” – E.L. Doctorow
2. Virtual Assistant
The demand for Virtual Assistant(VA) jobs has gone up in the recent past and keeps on rising. Busy business people need a Virtual Assistant to take care of some of their day to day tasks. Established businesses are also benefiting from using Virtual Assistants because of it being a cheaper option than full-time employees.
Virtual Assistants work remotely. You choose when to work. So, taking up such a job will not negatively impact your college calendar. Most of the tasks you are required to perform do not need any special training but merely your organizational abilities. Some tasks required of VA’s include email box management, managing social media accounts, organizing travel and calendars, research, and several other tasks.
How much will you earn?
The amount of money you earn will vary widely and depend on the tasks to be performed and of course the client. However, typical earnings range from a minimum of $10 an hour to as much as $150 per hour. If you wish to maximize your earnings, consider taking up some training like the one offered by Kayla Sloan who will teach you how to make a consistent $10,000 per month as a Virtual Assistant.
Virtual assistant online jobs sources
To find Virtual Assistant work you need to go to websites that allow you to register as VA service provider. There are many such platforms on the internet and four of them are Fiverr, Guru, VirtualAssistantJobs, and Upwork.
Inspiration quote:
“It doesn’t take talent or luck to succeed. You just need to decide.” – Marie Forleo
3. Audio Transcription
This job requires you to listen to recorded audio and then convert that audio into the written word. Your client will normally define their requirements in terms of formatting and what you transcribe to text format. For example, if the client wants every word to be typed, then you just have to do that. If the client wants the transcription in a summarised form you have to provide that.
The audio files to be transcribed may come from a wide array and this may include meetings, training seminars, conferences, and several more. You can get started with these jobs right from your dorm or you can work from home. With the advent of improved transcription tools available today, it is possible to churn out several jobs in a short period and improve your earnings.
How much will you earn?
The pay rate for audio transcription is mostly made per “audio hour.” This basically implies that your pay rate will be for one hour of audio transcribed and not necessarily the number of hours you have worked. The earnings vary widely from place to place and also influenced by your experience. Typical earnings though range from an average minimum of $15 per audio hour going to above $45 per audio hour.
When you gain more experience and want to triple your income, you can aim for the medical or legal transcription job arena. These are well paying but you may need to undertake some training to get certified for that. One place you can find such training is Transcribe Anywhere. They go further to show you even how to get new clients.
Where to find Audio Transcription jobs
There are several platforms you can reach out to for transcription gigs. Their pay rates differ and also their methods of payment. If their conditions suit your needs, you can register with them and get started with the transcription assignments available. You can go to these four websites: Fiverr, Scribie, TranscribeMe, and Rev.
Inspiration quote:
“Never compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.” – Jon Acuff
4. Make a Niche Site
A niche site is another amazing venture you can explore as a college student. This is a website whose concentration is on a particular topic. It is very easy today for anyone to create a website. You can start such a site with $0 expenditure using free website creation platforms like Wix. The article Free website hosting and domain name registration will give you more information on how you can do that.
The major requirement when you create a niche site is to provide content. Depending on how well you know the topic you are writing about, this may require a good amount of your time. You will be aiming to produce quality content that will rank on the search engine results pages for you to garner sufficient traffic that you can monetize.
How much will you earn?
The earnings here can range from paltry amounts to mind-blowing figures. There are several ways to monetize your niche site. But for many, what is common is using ads and affiliate links. The more traffic you get the better chance of making money online.
To maximize your earnings, you need to switch from using free platforms to paid web hosting( is good to start with) in order for you to have a unique domain name. You will also need to acquire a reasonable understanding of SEO in order for you to rank your website high on the search engines. Check out this article: How to Easily Make a WordPress Website and Earn Affiliate Income.
Where to find niche site jobs
This is basically from yourself. But when you are just starting you may need to avoid expenditure before you wet your feet thoroughly well. You can begin with these four platforms to create free websites: Wix, Weebly, WordPress, and WebNode.
Inspiration quote:
“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” – Amelia Earhart
5. Social Media Marketing
Almost every business nowadays wants to have a social media presence. Why? Because social media is a great way to engage users of your products or services. It is a way to spread awareness of your brand, driving quality leads, and boosting your online presence and reputation.
But here is the problem…
Thousands of business owners do not know how to effectively use social media. Plus some do not even just have the time to hang around social media platforms. And that is where you come in as a social media manager. To engage followers, promote content, converse with people, and cultivate relationships that will convert to leads.
How much will you earn?
Being in college you cannot take up a full-time job. Most college students would rather work as freelance social media managers. The rates again vary widely with platforms where you sign up to get such gigs. Typical rates however start from $15 per hour going upwards to as high as $70 an hour. Others charge a fixed sum for a particular period of say, one month, or per project.
It is important to have a good understanding of the major social platforms for you to do well in this area. Taking some training in social media marketing will be a boon to you. You can take on short training on Udemy and Coursera.
Where to find social media marketing jobs
Social media marketing gigs can be found on several platforms. When you go to a particular platform, it would be prudent to check around and see what other guys are providing especially in terms of how they are pricing their services. You can get these jobs from Fiverr, Upwork, and PeoplePerHour.
Inspiration quote:
“We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it.” – Erik Qualman
6. Voice Over Work
Website content is required in mainly three forms. That is video content, audio content, and written content. Voice over work requires you to provide narration for written content. It could be narration for instructional videos, a narration of a commercial, audiobooks, or even podcasts.
There is a yawning demand for real human voices to do such work. Because even as much as artificial intelligence can do voice-over work, the technology is not yet to a level where you can fail to tell that it is not a real human voice. So if you have a great voice that can do for such work, it is time you considered picking up voice-over work assignments.
How much will you earn?
Payscale says that the average voice-over talent hourly pay is $30.72. If you can eke out five hours a week from college life for this job, you will be earning an average of $153.60 a week. The earnings will, of course, vary widely with your level of experience, how much time you put in it, and the platform you choose to work with.
It is important also to hone your talent and sharpen your skill in order to ensure that you’re the best at it by a long shot. Training is a bridge that will take you to that level. There are several online courses where you can register for such training.
Where to find voice-over jobs
There are a number of websites that have listings for voice-over jobs. Get started with these websites by registering and putting up your profile on their platforms. You can try these four websites. Fiverr, Upwork, Voices, and BunnyStudioVoice.
Inspiration quote:
“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning” –Maya Angelou
7. Online Surveys
Online surveys are about sharing your opinions. So if you want to have your opinions heard, you can start taking part in the best-paid survey sites and make yourself a side income. Major companies and brands across the world are desirous to make continuous improvements to their products and services.
As such, these companies rely on the consumers and clients of these products and services to get feedback. So they recruit ordinary consumers from various demographics to give their opinions. These opinions are then analyzed and considered for the improvement of subsequent products and services.
How much will you earn?
Compensation for online surveys come mainly in two forms. Either cash to your bank or PayPal accounts or gift cards to renowned brands like Amazon. Most online surveys will pay you from $0.5 to $3 per survey. The ones that pay higher like $5 to $10 per survey are rare to come across.
If you can find the time, paid surveys can be an interesting side hustle as in some cases you learn of new products before they hit the shelves. A survey taker will on average spend 10 to 20 minutes on a single survey. To increase your earnings, consider registering with three or four survey sites.
Where to find online surveys
There are hundreds of websites today conducting online surveys. Most of these websites act as a bridge between companies that want to conduct surveys and you the survey taker. Here are four websites you can consider for online surveys. Swagbucks, Inbox Dollars, Vindale Research, and Survey Junkie.
Inspiration quote:
“To venture an opinion is like moving a piece at chess: it may be taken, but it forms the beginning of a game that is won.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
8. Proofreader
Becoming a proofreader can be one of the best part time jobs for college students. Most of the time this job is confused with copy editing. The two are distinct and it should be noted that editing overlaps what proofreading does. Because editing focusses on making an article suitable for the audience by making it understandable and well organized.
Proofreading, on the other hand, is normally the final stage taken to review an article before publication. A proofreader makes sure content does not have grammatical, typographical, punctuation, spelling, formatting, and any other such errors. It is a job that requires a keen eye in spotting such errors no matter how minute they could be.
How much will you earn?
The compensation for proofreading work will vary depending on several factors. Typical earnings would stand in the range of $10 to $50 per hour. It is possible to earn money that will take care of some of the needs in college when you put in some time into this job.
One way to make money beyond beginners is to undertake some training in proofreading. Caitlin Pyle, who has made a business out of proofreading provides training and a free introductory workshop on proofreading on her website ProofreadAnywhere.
Where to find proofreading jobs
There are a number of websites where you can find proofreading work to make extra cash for your college needs. It may be prudent to sign up with at least two platforms for you to get access to a higher number of assignments on offer. Most of these jobs you can do them as a freelancer. Check on sites like Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, and PeoplePerHour.
Inspirational quote:
“one of the mugs, robin saw, read keep clam and proofread” – Robert Galbraith
9. Data Entry
Data entry is probably one of the easiest online jobs for college students with no experience. Online jobs for data entry come from a wide array of industries and you will not be short of side gigs to make extra money. The job requires the ability to work under strict deadlines and a knack for accuracy.
Data entry is typically clerical work. It involves entering data into computer databases or other documentation platforms using processes like typing and voice recording. Of course, you need to have some basic competence in handling the keyboard and recording devices which I believe is commonplace for anyone in college.
How much will you earn?
This is dependent partly on the employer and the type of work you have to do among several other things that can influence your earnings. According to Payscale, the hourly range of data entry work pays from $10 to about $18 per hour. The average payout for this side hustle is $13.46 per hour.
As a student, you can pick on this work as a remote worker. A computer and an internet connection will be your basic requirement. You can do the work on campus or work from home during your holidays. It is a side gig where you can improve your earnings by becoming a better typist and gaining knowledge on the use of computer programs for inputting and editing electronic data.
Where to find data entry jobs
There are many sites listing remote and full-time data entry work opportunities. To register, most platforms will require your email address and your profile for your would-be employers to consider. Here are four platforms you can consider. Truelancer, PeoplePerHour, Toptal, and Fiverr.
Inspiration quote:
“Don’t stay in bed, unless you can make money in bed” -George Burns
Conclusion
The nine online jobs for college students listed above are easy for anyone to pick up one and start making a side income.
There are of course hundreds of other jobs out there that you can do. If you want to find other ways you can check on 25 Easy Ways For College Students To Make Money Quickly.
On the nine jobs listed above, which one suits you best?