Do you want to make extra cash? If so, then this article is for you! College students are always looking for ways to earn more money.
Whether it’s because of the cost of tuition or just living expenses in general, we all need some extra income. Here are 10 side hustles that college students can do to make a little bit on the side and help them get by during their time as a student. You might even find one to be the best passive income investment considering beyond college.
What is a Side Hustle?
A side hustle is something that can provide supplemental income to a person. They’re often part-time positions, but there are also side hustles like freelancing and blogging which require more work time in order to make significant money.
The following points outline some of the different side hustles for college students that people have found success with.
Resident Assistant
A resident assistant is a college student who lives in the dorms and helps to manage them. They typically work alongside other members of the RAs, as well as part of staff, to make sure that everything runs smoothly.
The duties are different depending on what type of school you’re at; some schools have RAs take care of maintenance and cleaning while others may not require much more than monitoring behaviors around the building.
If you want to serve as an RA, talk with your advisor or find out how it’s done from someone else who has served before you!
Resident Assistants can earn anywhere between $600-$2000 per month for working 24 hours per week during their time as a student.
You also might get subsidized housing for working as an RA.
Work Study
The work study program is a great way for students to earn money while going to school. Work study jobs are often on campus, so it’s easy enough to drop by the office and pick up your paycheck!
The amount of time required in these positions varies according to what you’re doing, but typically lasts around 20 hours per week. You won’t have any benefits with this job either (but at least you’ll be able to work on campus).
Rideshare Driver
Become an Uber driver so you can make cash by driving other folks around town.
Most people think Uber and Lyft drivers only make money while they’re driving, but you can actually earn a lot of money just by waiting around.
One way to save on gas is to drive for more than one rideshare company at the same time. If you want even higher payouts, consider signing up with both companies when their sign-up bonuses are active.
From there, all you have to do is switch which app you’re using in order to start accepting rides from that service’s customers–and voila! You’ll get paid twice as much because you’ll have less down time.
Holding down two or three jobs simultaneously might seem like too much work for some students who already attend school full-time but the truth is, it’s not impossible.
As long as you’re putting in the hours and have a flexible schedule that can accommodate your side hustles then there should be no reason to feel discouraged from earning even more money while working towards achieving your degree.
Work as a Waiter
A tried-and-true side hustle for college students is working as a waiter.
There are plenty of restaurants in any given city that will hire, and even if you work only a few hours each day (or night) you can make decent money.
Plus, it’s not hard to find waiters who do this as their primary job. This means that most people have experience doing it which makes finding a server-friendly restaurant easy!
And don’t forget, working as a waiter can lead to higher positions down the line too so with enough patience and dedication on your part then maybe some day soon you’ll be running the show at your favorite local spot.
In order for this side hustle to fit into your schedule, make sure you find a job with flexible hours.
One of the best places to start looking is on experience sites like Craigslist, Indeed.com and Idealist.org or restaurant-specific websites.
The average hourly wage for waiters ranges from $11-$25 per hour depending on what city they live in so it’s definitely worth researching your options if working as a waiter sounds appealing to you!
Invest Money
Building wealth involves investing money.
You need to make smart decisions about where you put your money.
A lot of people are turning to investing in cryptocurrency like Bitcoin because the industry is growing exponentially and offers huge potential for big profits, but be sure that before doing anything with any kind of stock or commodity, you do your research first so that when it comes time to sell, you know what you’re selling!
There’s a number of ways college students can invest their money: stocks, bonds, mutual funds; cryptocurrency.
When looking into these options there may also be tax implications depending on the type of investment (or income on investments you expect to earn).
You can sign up for stock picking services or investment newsletters to get stock ideas for making money. If you get good enough, you might even wonder how to gift stock since you’ve made so much money!
Work as a DJ
If you’ve got a taste for music and enjoy parties, becoming a DJ might make a good fit for your needs.
You can learn the basics of being a DJ by watching YouTube tutorials and absorbing as much knowledge as possible from other DJs.
With experience, you will be able to handle any request that is thrown your way!
You can also pick up gigs by attending open-mic nights and asking the DJ for some tips.
You may even be able to find opportunities on Craigslist or Indeed.com, depending on your city!
Become a Tutor
Start tutoring others in subjects where you excel at it, such as math or science help sessions over Skype! You can do this online or in person, just make sure the location and time are convenient for you both.
Depending on your location, tutoring may be a lucrative side hustle that pays off well for the hours spent. With tutoring rates at $25-35 an hour, this could really add up!
If you live and breathe math or science like I do (and not to mention enjoy teaching others about it), then becoming a tutor might be a good fit for your needs!
It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old: there are so many different opportunities out there just waiting to be explored. The sky’s the limit when it comes to finding ways of making money around campus through tutoring students in subjects where they struggle.
Babysit
A popular choice for earning extra money in college is to babysit. Babysitting can be a great option if you have the availability to watch children in your free time.
Babysitting is perfect for those who love working with kids, or want some experience before starting their own family one day. It’s also convenient for you both: You’re getting an opportunity to earn money and they are getting quality care that suits them best.
Many people do not realize how much babysitters make per hour- it often ranges from $15-$20 depending on where you live, so this could really add up over time! If college students need more hours than what babysitting offers, there may be other ways to find work as well like pet sitting (which pays between $18-$25 per hour) or housesitting. Sometimes, you can even combine different types of sitting to earn more!
Teach Music Lessons
If you’ve got a talent for music, you might use it to help others — and earn some cash!
If you’re a musician, why not work on your skills and teach music lessons? You might be surprised at the amount of people who want to learn how play an instrument. What’s even better is that if there are ever periods where no one needs lessons, then you can use this time to practice more!
A lot of times musicians make $20-35 per hour for teaching child/adult piano or guitar classes in their own homes ($25-$30+), but it is possible to earn up to $40 when students have private sessions with teachers in studios. The lesson cost ranges between $50 and $110 so keep this in mind before you begin scheduling appointments.
It takes some patience, discipline and creativity (and persistence), but you can teach music as a great side hustle to supplement your income in college.
Personal Trainer
For those who are in shape and enjoy working with people, this might be a good option for you. Oftentimes personal trainers work on an hourly basis so make sure to check out the details before agreeing! Personal trainers enjoy working out and helping others get into shape.
Personal training is not just about weight loss; it also helps clients increase their overall health by improving muscle strength, increasing bone density, decreasing body fat level, enhancing flexibility and much more. It can take time to build up a clientele but if you’re patient enough this could end up being lucrative side hustle while pursuing your degree or during breaks from school such as summer vacation.
The average personal trainer’s salary ranges between $40,000 per year or even $50,000 a year, depending on how much you work and how well you perform for clients.
How Can College Students Make Extra Money?
College students can make extra money in a large number of ways. Often, being young and single gives you a substantial opportunity to earn money on the side.
Usually, your only limitation comes from your own imagination. If you desperately need cash, you’ve got options.
