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Your primary job in college is to learn, but that doesn't pay — right away, at least. And regardless of how you're paying for college, chances are you'll need a little extra cash at some point. You always have plenty of options for earning money, but finding one that doesn't get in the way of your studies is the tricky part.
I spent nearly 10 years in college, and I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, so I got pretty good at figuring out ways to earn extra money while in school. I'll share some of my favorite college side gigs that my friends and I have tried over the years, along with other promising ones I've found.
- Freelancing gigs can help you develop new skill sets that can help you in your future career too.
- Don't forget to look for on-campus jobs, like becoming an RA or TA, an intramural sports referee, or even an art model (yes, really).
- Don't forget to track your income and expenses. You'll need to report income from side hustles on your taxes, and it can help you assess whether a side gig is profitable.
Food delivery driver
If you have a car while you're at school but you don't want to ferry around actual people, consider delivering people's takeout orders instead via DoorDash or Uber Eats. It's flexible, and you can do it on your own schedule. You'll generally need to be at least 19 years old, although DoorDash allows drivers as young as 18 in many states or 21 if you live in California.
Delivering groceries and other items through Instacart or Shipt can be a good option if you don't mind doing the actual shopping part too. You only need to be 18 to sign up for delivery gigs through these apps.
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Freelancer
"Freelancer" is a broad category and can include hundreds, if not thousands, of different jobs all with one thing in common: you work for yourself, which technically makes you a self-employed business owner. Some people like me have turned that into an entire career, but you can also dip your toes in and out of the freelance world on your own hours.
Generally speaking, you have two main ways to earn money through freelancing. You can search for available gigs on quick-and-easy (but generally low-paid) platforms like TaskRabbit, Upwork, or Fiverr. To earn beaucoup bucks, you'll need to develop your own skills and find your own potential clients. Common freelance gigs include things like writing, graphic design, web design, social media management, digital marketing, or becoming a virtual assistant.
Pet sitter
I couldn't have pets while living in cramped college housing, so this was always my favorite side hustle as a college student. In Alaska, I developed a reputation among the small dogsledding community I knew as a reliable caretaker, and eventually people started calling to ask if I'd watch their house pets while they were away. It crossed four things off my list at once: I got lots of one-on-one time with cute pups, I got a mini-vacation in a nice home, I got lots of quiet time to study, and, of course, I got paid. Finding your own clients is more challenging and carries a degree of risk, but you earn more. Sites like Rover make it easier to get started and offer more support, but you'll likely earn less per visit.
Dog walker
I haven't used Rover to find pet-sitting gigs, but I have used it to offer dog-walking services, and this would be a perfect college side hustle. If you're not willing or able to stay in someone's home, you can still earn some extra cash by walking people's dogs. You'll also get some quality one-on-one time with friendly pooches, and you'll get some extra fresh air in between study sessions.
As with pet sitting, apps like Rover and Wag! offer an easy way to start a side hustle as a dog walker. But you might not earn as much on a per-walk basis.
Do surveys and focus groups
OK, so I'll be honest. These aren't my favorite options for solid side gigs because, in my experience, they're often a waste of time just to earn a few pennies. You click through dozens of pages only to find out you're not eligible for a particular opportunity after all, and it can take forever to reach the cash-out threshold in your account.
That said, the stakes have never been lower. So if you just want to waste some time while watching TV and earn some amount of coffee money, sites like Swagbucks are a perfect college side gig. And, every once in a while, a decent-paying opportunity may come your way after all.
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Tutoring
You're already in college, so chances are you've learned some practical skills in a particular subject that you can teach to someone else for a price, even if it's just students a year or two behind you or those who aren't yet in college. Or maybe you came in with a skill directly, like speaking another language.
Either way, options to make money by offering tutoring services are abundant. Sites like VIPKid and italki make it easy to teach anyone online. You can also post ads offering your services in your local community. Finally, your college itself may be hiring tutors for certain classes.
Pub trivia host
When my husband was in school, his favorite side gig was hosting pub trivia at a local pizzeria. Not only did he have a ton of fun, but he got free dinner and made some lifelong friends. He even got invited to participate in two different weddings of his regulars!
You can certainly earn more by creating your own quiz questions, game format, and by approaching business owners directly. But that's a lot of work for something that doesn't pay that well. Luckily, there are actually many local services and nationwide entertainment companies that already do all that for you, so you just have to do a bit of prep work in advance and show up to lead the party.
Selling digital downloads
If you can put together a written report, you have the skills to make something that someone will buy online at two in the morning. It's very easy to create and list digital downloads such as lesson plans for teachers, chore charts for kids, or printable journals and trackers for various hobbies and projects on sites like Etsy. Or, maybe you're more into writing self-published ebooks on Amazon.
You can make a good bit of money as long as you can get a basic handle on what to create and how to list it correctly. It's the perfect side hustle for college students because you can make printables in your spare time and sell them indefinitely with minimal future input. Every few months, I still make an online sale from a series of knitting patterns I made while in school 12 years ago.
Art modeling
If your college offers art classes and you're comfortable in your own skin, see if your college hires student workers as art models. My college roommate did this gig for a while, and she had a great time. You need to be able to hold poses for a long time, but other than that, the work wasn't too difficult (apparently) nor as exposing as you might think. (It's art, after all, not a trashy romance novel cover.)
Be aware that most of these gigs involve a lack of clothing. Only pursue this type of opportunity if it is at a safe, professional location, most often on campus in the art classroom. Here's one example from the art department at Oregon State University that pays $15 per hour for a three-hour session.
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Resident Advisor
Another friend worked as an RA in college, essentially being the person in charge of her particular building's floor in case residents got unruly. She was assigned to a quiet dorm, so it was an easy gig, though she did have to serve a rotating shift on duty for the main building with RAs of other floors.
She didn't get paid in cash but rather in free housing. And that actually put far more money back into her pocket over time since she didn't need to take out student loans with interest for this big college cost.
Research or Teaching Assistant
Believe it or not, my school actually paid me to get my grad degree. That's the normal way it worked when I graduated with a master's degree in wildlife biology in 2014. My thesis research on arctic caribou nutrition was funded by the USGS, while I also helped the college by teaching the lab portion of undergrad classes. Between those two, I received a full tuition waiver plus a small stipend and modest benefits. (If it makes you feel any better, I am not, in fact, a wildlife biologist today.)
Even undergrads can work as a research assistant or TA, especially if you're an upperclassman. My husband helped teach lower-level classes even before he'd graduated with his bachelor's degree.
Intramural sports referee
If you're physically inclined and enjoy sports, see if your school offers an intramural sports program. They may be hiring student workers to serve as referees.
It can be a fun and flexible campus job while also being a good way to stretch your legs after a long day of studying.
Donate plasma
A curious fact about many college campuses is that there's often a plasma donation center nearby. Unlike the Red Cross, a nonprofit organization, these are run by for-profit businesses that collect blood plasma and sell it to pharmaceutical companies that use it to create lifesaving medications.
It's a weird quirk of the modern medical system, but as a result, companies are willing to pay you a lot of money for something that doesn't cost you anything to make. You just need to make sure you're healthy and very well hydrated. I had a friend in college who actually brought her study materials along to her appointments since the actual donation process can take a little time.
FAQs
What is the highest-paid side hustle?
The highest-paid side hustles — legal ones, that is — are generally freelancing gigs that require specialized, highly skilled work and are done on a project-fee basis. If you take six hours to write a paper for a successful business and earn $1,200 for the project, for example, you're earning $200 per hour. It's unlikely you'll be able to snag these kinds of gigs while you're in college, but you can start laying the groundwork now.
What are common side hustle mistakes to avoid?
A side hustle is technically a business, and you should treat it as such. That means reporting your extra income on your taxes, keeping your personal and business finances separate, and tracking your cash flow. You should also pay close attention to your income vs. expenses so you know whether your side hustle is actually profitable and worth your time.
Why does Gen Z have side hustles?
Gen Z members have side hustles for the same reasons as anyone else: to earn extra money, grow their skills, test new business ideas, meet new people, etc.
Bottom line
Side hustles for college students are abundant, and — if you play your cards right — probably some of the more fun jobs you'll ever have. That leaves plenty of opportunity for you to try different things out until you find something that works for you, which is another key perk of being a college student.
Check out our list of the best side hustles for even more ideas for earning extra cash. Just make sure you keep your eyes focused on the ultimate goal — finishing your degree so you can move on to even bigger opportunities.
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