Whether you are a high school Student or a college student, you most probably want to earn some money of your own. Especially if you’re trying to save up for college or a goal, or trying to save money on your student loans, bringing in some extra money every month will help you reach your goals faster. Online jobs are a great way for students to earn money from the comfort of their home or dorm.

The Internet has opportunities for everyone. With companies opting for remote workers and cheaper labor, more and more people are choosing to become freelance workers. This is a perfect opportunity for students to make some side income while still having the flexibility to focus on your studies or other commitments as needed.

Whether you are looking to earn some PayPal money, quick cash, or you just want to have extra funds to enjoy your weekend with friends, an online job can help make this happen.

In this article, you will find 15 of the best online jobs for students to earn money on the side.

The 15 Best Online Jobs for Students

1. Freelance Writer

If you love to write, why not make money out of it and become a freelance writer? This job is an amazing opportunity for those students who want to earn money during their free time. It will take some work to get started, but earning that additional income makes it all worth it.

The internet offers a variety of online writing jobs which include blog articles, essay writing, and many more. Another option is to join an essay writing company that sells essay templates and write essays for them.

How much does a freelance writer make? As per PayScale, a part-time freelance writer may make between $24,000 – $115,000 a year.

How would an additional $24,000 help you with your goals?

Writers can charge up to $500 for a 1,000-word article. Of course, your fees would vary depending on your expertise and your clientele. However, the more experience you gain and the more established your body of work the more you will be able to charge.

In order to become a freelance writer as a student, you will need to have basic knowledge of the language you will be using to write and good grammar. You will also need to carry out research in order to write essays or blogs, although that will depend on what the topic is.

There are online courses like Earn More Writing that can help you get started with this gig.

2. Freelance Web Developer

Web developers are in demand today and lots of companies hire web developers to help them build their websites. If you have skills relating to coding or building and designing websites, you can start freelancing as a web developer today.

According to Glassdoor, the average hourly pay of a freelance web developer is around $36. If you have even more experience, you could increase your hourly pay.

If you need to learn web development, there are courses available on websites such as Udemy and Skillshare. Code Academy also offers exercises that can further your knowledge about web development.

Of course, there is always good old YouTube where you can start learning the basics for free.

3. Proofreader

Proofreaders check the grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and formatting of a piece of writing, and they also help get it ready for publishing.

You can earn up to $50 per hour with this gig. If you are often referred to as a the “grammar police?” then this job would suit you perfectly.

You can advertise your services on Craigslist and Craigslist alternatives to get started. You can also reach out to your friends and other students to find clients.

If you need a little more guidance you can take the Proofread Anywhere course for ideas on how to grow your business and where to find good-paying online proofreading jobs.

4. Freelance Graphic Designer

Freelance graphic designers create visual versions of brands and businesses. The best thing is many successful freelance graphic designers do not have formal degrees. In fact, this is one of those potentially high income skills that you don’t need a college education to learn and perform.

If you want to learn graphic design or improve your graphic designing skills, you can check out courses on Skillshare or Udemy. Beginner or basic-level graphic designers earn around $9 – $15 per hour, mid-level designers earn $15 – $25 per hour, and experts earn $30 – $50 per hour.

Create portfolios that will make you stand out and attract clients. A few essential graphic skills are 3D design, fine art, printing techniques, photography, and typography.

5. Video Editing

Videos are one of the most common forms of content found on the Internet and are gaining in popularity. Like web developers, video editors are in high demand and skilled video editors are even more so.

Video editors are usually paid per hour. Data from Upwork shows that beginner video editors can charge between $20 to $45 per hour and experienced video editors can charge $50 or $75 per hour. Not too shabby.

In order to earn money in the video editing field of online work, you are required to know how to use video editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro. Try checking out online courses from sites like Coursera or Udemy to further your knowledge on video editing.

6. Social Media Manager

Businesses must make sure they spread awareness of their brand and what better way to spread awareness than by using social media? However, many business owners know almost nothing about Social Media and how to best use it. Others may simply not have the time.

That is where social media managers come in. They use their knowledge of social media to advertise the brands in the most appealing manner possible.

The average pay for freelance social media managers is $20 – $25 per hour. However, some freelancers charge up to $70 per hour.

To be a social media manager, you will need to know how to use the major social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and more. You should also have basic knowledge of marketing and how to best advertise brands through social media.

You can use platforms like Fiverr to post your services.

7. Vlogger

Blogging is often touted as a great way to make money, and while that can still be true, video content is gaining in popularity. Thus, lots of people have turned to vlogging, which you may be able to turn into a full-time career.

The great part is, you don’t have to be a major expert or have years of professional experience to become a vlogger, which means students can vlog as well. You can talk about anything from better ways of studying to videos talking about a day in the life of a student. Vlogs are enjoyable to create and even more enjoyable to watch.

If you have an interesting take on something, knowledge about something, or want to document your progress toward a goal, a vlog could be a great way to build and brand and make money.

According to Intuit Turbo, the average YouTube pay rate hovers between $0.01 and $0.03 for an ad view. A YouTuber can make around $18 per 1,000 ad views and $3 to $5 per 1,000 video views.

All you need to do is create fun videos that attract an audience, and then begin posting them. A YouTube Channel is a great place to start. You can also create animations, tutorials and the likes on your YouTube Channel, promote your content, and watch your revenue grow as your audience increases.

8. Online Tutor

Another of the great online jobs for students is online tutoring. Online tutors are in high demand, especially now, so if you can tutor others on various subjects this might be a good side hustle for you.

Again, you don’t have to be an expert or professional to tutor. Are you good at math? There are many parents looking for someone to teach their children mathematics and other subjects. Did you ace the SAT’s? There is a huge market for good SAT and other exam tutors.

How much you earn will depend on the site you use and the subject. Some pay up $50 and more per hour. Tutor.com is one of the top websites that will pay you to tutor. Wyzant is another option.

While anyone could become a tutor, this job may be best for college students being as some websites require at least a high school diploma. If you are a teen, here are some online jobs for teenagers you can check out.

9. Online English Teacher

Becoming an online English teacher is very similar to online tutoring, but it’s worth its own category because of the growing popularity and opportunity to teach English online.

English is an in-demand language across the world and you can help others learn to read and speak fluent English while also making a nice side income.

Even if you do not have formal teaching qualifications or degrees, you can expect to earn an amount in the range of $12 – $25 per hour.

You do not to be a professional teacher in order to become an online English teacher. All you need is to be fluent in the language and have or be pursuing a college degree. You will also often need to obtain TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) certification, which is relatively easy and cheap to do.

Some good online teaching opportunities include VIPKid, QKids, and Skooli.

10. Translator

If you fluently speak a language other than English, you can make some good money with this skill. Schools, companies, and individuals are always in need of translators both to and from English.

What you earn will vary with your experience, but the average freelance translator makes around $29 per hour translating instruction manuals, scripts, and almost any other kind of document you can think of.

First, you will need to be fluent in at least two languages. Last, you need to understand how translation works. There are various courses out there that can help get you started if you speak multiple languages but are unsure how to begin.

11. Video Captioning

Another great option for online work is creating captions or subtitles for videos. Video captioning turns audio from a video into a written form and syncs the audio with the video while conveying any sounds from the video using text. Because this may require more skill, what you are paid will be higher than the usual.

Captioners from Rev, one of the most popular video captioning companies, start at $0.45 per minute of video captioned. This rate means that 10 hours of videos per week will net you $270 per week and $1,080 per month. More experience means more pay so you can earn up to $0.75 per video minute.

While the only required skills are typing and listening, it will take you some time to get the hand of the system, rules, and to gain speed. Sign up at sites like Rev and take and pass a captioning assessment to get started.

12. Online Surveys

While you won’t make a fortune, aking surveys is a great way to earn you some quick cash in your spare time.

Most surveys pay $1 – $3 per survey, and surveys take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes to complete. This is an online job for students to earn money at home, but be aware that taking surveys cannot be your only source of income or your main job, nor can it be your career path.

Legit online survey sites include:

• Survey Junkie
• Swagbucks
• InboxDollars
• MyPoints

Bonus Online Jobs for College Students

The following online jobs for students are specifically geared toward college students and thus have been put into their own category.

13. Sell Your Notes

If you take great, legible and informative notes, you can make money by selling them to other students. All you need to do is sign up on platforms like StudySoup and you can earn up to $500 per class.

This is a great opportunity to make money doing something you’re likely already doing anyway.

14. Sell on Etsy

If you are into arts and crafts, you can make money selling paintings, designs, and other crafts on Etsy. This is one side hustle that requires a creative side; however, it can be very rewarding and lucrative.

How much you can make on Etsy really varies. Some report making around $50 a month while others make a full-time income.

If you’re creative and have a unique homemade product or craft to sell, setting up an Etsy shop is a great way to open your doors to millions of potential buyers from around the world.

15. Deliver Food

Okay, this one isn’t exactly what you’d think of when you think online jobs. But, while the work isn’t completed online, the platforms for food delivery service are and thus we’ve included delivering food as a potential online job for students.

Food delivery soared in 2020 as people were required to stay indoors to practice social distancing and work from home.

There are a ton of delivery driver services available that you can take advantage of, from takeout to grocery delivery. You can work for food delivery apps like DoorDash, Postmates, Instacart, Shipt, Caviar, and UberEats to make some money on the side.

Especially in a college town, being a delivery driver can keep you busy earning money without having to travel far. Plus, it’s flexible so you can work when you want and fit this gig around your busy and unique schedule.

Conclusion

The world was increasingly moving online even before the pandemic began, and that pace has only accelerated since.

With so many opportunities for flexible online work, online jobs are a great way for students to make money. Even if you don’t have much time to spare, an hour or two per day could go a long way to make your student life a lot more comfortable. There are lots of students who have even been able to make a career out of their college side hustles.

First, think about your skills and interests. Then, see if any of those match with the jobs we described above. If nothing else, you can look to sell your notes, tutor fellow students in subjects you’re good at, or deliver food.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way to earn money in this world. Start small and see where it takes you.

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