The 10 Best Online Jobs For Students

One of the most stressful parts about being a student is finding a way to balance your studies with bringing in a stable income.

The ideal job for a student is flexible, gives them plenty of time to do their schoolwork, and pays enough to support themselves through education. That’s why online jobs are such a fitting option for students.

We have put together a list of the 10 best online jobs for students, as well as the benefits of working from home.

Key Takeaways:

• The top three online jobs for students are social media manager, online tutor, and virtual assistant.

• Online jobs help give you more flexibility in your schedule which can lead to a better work-life balance.

• Getting an online job as a college student can help you save more money with eliminating a commute and eating at home more often.

The 10 Best Online Jobs for Students

1. Graphic Designer

   Average Annual Salary: $45,000

   Graphics are visual images or designs that’s purpose is to either illustrate something, inform people or entertain them. Graphics are presented on a surface, such as a computer screen. This is why being a freelance graphic designer is a great position to take on if you have a knack for illustration and want to work remotely.

   As a freelancer, you’ll have the power to control your hours and rate to ensure that you’re only working as much as you desire. It’s a very creativity-heavy position, making it a gratifying part-time job for many students.

   Graphic designer job responsibilities include:

   • Creating a plan for building visual elements

   • Taking into consideration the purpose of a graphic

   • Illustrating rough concepts to allow clients to decide on their favorite

   • Using software and other equipment to prepare the graphic piece

   • Coordinating with people like web designers and marketers during the creative process

   • Making edits on the layout and design when needed

   Find Graphic Designer jobs near me

2. Video Editor

   Average Annual Salary: $46,000

   Video creation isn’t as simple as pressing record. An in-depth editing process must be handled before a video is ready for an audience. That’s where a video editor comes into play.

   If you’re already a film student or just have some video experience in general, being a video editor could be a great path for making online.

   Whether you’re working for a professional film company or just working on small freelance gigs, there’s a decent amount of cash to be made in this role. Most video editors with a firm grasp on the role charge at least $25 per hour.

   A video editor’s job responsibilities include:

   • Fixing and influencing raw film

   • Discussing with other film industry professionals to make the best editing choices

   • Sticking to a scheduled timeline to complete editing work

   • Reviewing the script and director’s notes when needed

   • Trimming footage to the desired film length

   • Making sure the scenes flow logically

   Find Video Editor jobs near me

3. Stock Photographer

   Average Annual Salary: N/A

   Stock photography is a collection of images used for specific purposes like spicing up advertisements or written articles. The photography is often specific but can serve multiple purposes such, as a photo of a lively party or a patron at a restaurant eating a burger.

   The person behind the camera who takes these multipurpose photographs is a stock photographer. While some photographers in this niche work with agencies on a contract, many places are open to online submissions from amateurs.

   Being a stock photographer is perfect for students because it allows them to flex their creative muscles and generate a realistic income. It’s a smart path to break into the field of photography in general too.

   A stock photographer’s job responsibilities include:

   • Having an in-depth knowledge of all camera and photo editing technology

   • Understanding stock photography niches

   • Creating a vast portfolio of stock photos for various niches

   • Working independently or for an agency to sell photos individually or as a collection

   • Staying up-to-date on the industry

4. Social Media Manager

   Average Annual Salary: $58,000

   Plenty of companies and individuals want to reap the benefits of having a flourishing social media presence without actually having to put in the work to sustain that goal. That’s when they turn to a media-savvy social media manager.

   A social media manager supervises a brand, organization, or person’s interactions with the public through social media. Many students already have a solid familiarity with social media, which makes a job involving these apps an especially good online occupation.

   However, even for students who don’t know much about social media or business marketing, there are many resources available on the internet to gain these skills quickly and build up the experience to start finding clients.

   A social media manager’s job responsibilities include:

   • Researching social media, company, and customer trends

   • Discussing business/social media goals with the client

   • Developing a social media strategy based on these goals

   • Creating and publishing relevant and engaging social media content daily

   • Keeping track of a client’s traffic metrics

   • Maintaining contact with other marketing and customer service personnel

   • Responding to comments or reviews in a professional and timely manner

   • Staying up-to-date with trends and tools of social media applications

   Find Social Media Manager jobs near me

5. Tutor

   Average Annual Salary: $33,000

   As people are already deeply familiar with the school system and education, students can make some of the best tutors to assist their peers.

   While some tutors work in-person through their school, there is a litany of tutoring opportunities available online as well. It’s even easier to find tutoring work this way because you can provide your services to anyone in the world instead of just students in your immediate area.

   Using your knowledge and former education to help other students is an excellent way to give back to the educational community. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that it can make you a decent amount of dough using just your computer.

   A remote tutor’s job responsibilities include:

   • Reviewing the curriculum topics and assignments each client needs help with

   • Helping clients complete their homework, projects, and papers and study for tests

   • Going over concepts that the client is struggling with again and again until they get it

   • Advising them on skills they can use at school to improve their performance like note-taking strategies, techniques for focusing, and research skills

   • Creating study guides and administering mock tests to see where clients need help improving

   • Monitoring progress over time and providing feedback along the way

   Find Tutor jobs near me

6. Virtual Assistant

   Average Annual Salary: $24,000

   Acting as a person or business’ assistant has been a profession for a long time, but it wasn’t until the past couple of decades that the job has gone virtual. Today, being a virtual assistant is a lucrative career that provides the ideal online working situation.

   While some administrative and customer service skills go into being a virtual assistant, they’re nothing that can’t be attained. Additionally, many virtual assistant positions are willing to train the right eager-to-learn applicant.

   As of January 2022, more than 3,000 virtual assistant jobs are available on Zippia alone. That’s a big pool of potential online job openings that pay an average of around $20 per hour.

   A virtual assistant’s job responsibilities include:

   • Replying to emails and phone calls the client receives

   • Organizing calendars and scheduling meetings

   • Booking travel arrangements and accommodations

   • Performing market research when required

   • Creating presentations when applicable

   • Acting as a point of customer service

   • Preparing spreadsheets and maintaining online records

   Find Virtual Assistant jobs near me

7. Blogger

   Average Annual Salary: $41,000

   If you’re a master of the written word and hoping to find a job that won’t require your presence in person, being a blogger might be the ultimate solution.

   Bloggers are the people who research and create all the informative written content that’s available online. They can work for agencies that find writing work for them or independently for websites. Becoming a blogger is a clever way to earn while working from home as a student. There is an entire universe of content that needs to be written and millions of people out there waiting to read it.

   You may be surprised to find how many blogging jobs there are that need people to write about anime, videogames, or reality shows. Your off-the-clock guilty pleasure could turn into an awesome way to make money online as a student.

   A blogger’s job responsibilities include:

   • Pitching ideas for content that’s relevant to a specific niche or website

   • Researching content ideas to develop a foundational base of knowledge

   • Speaking with experts on the topic or field to gather more info

   • Writing and editing the content

   • Promoting blogging content using various techniques like emails or social media

   • Adhering to SEO best practices to maximize readership

   • Always keeping an eye out for new content trends or engagement data

   Find Blogger jobs near me

8. Online Survey Taker

   Average Annual Salary: N/A

   Big companies and marketing agencies highly value the public’s opinion. As a consumer, your perspective is very precious. Students can take advantage of this fact by voicing their opinions on various surveys for a profit. This is called being an online survey taker.

   While being an online survey taker isn’t a traditional employment position and likely won’t lead to a lifetime career, it can be an easy way to remotely bring in a little bit of quick cash. This makes it a nice option for students who are just looking to earn a bit of extra money on the side for gas or weekend beers without expending too much effort.

   An online survey taker’s job responsibilities include:

   • Utilizing a variety of websites to find relevant surveys

   • Reading through each survey question carefully

   • Answering every question honestly

   • Inputting information about your demographics

   • Completing additional minor tasks on surveys as required (like watching a video)

9. Etsy

   Average Annual Salary: $86,000

   Instead of finding an online position working for someone else, students may be better suited to starting their own small business selling things on Etsy or websites like it. Etsy is an e-commerce platform that allows sellers to set up shops and give customers a way to easily purchase their merchandise.

   It’s an interesting option for students because there are so many different avenues they could take the role down. Many shops on Etsy sell handmade or vintage items like jewelry or mugs, but the possibilities go far beyond that.

   So many unique items are sold on Etsy that it makes anything possible. Becoming an Etsy seller is a fantastic online job for college students because it can be rewarding to create a thriving small business, both financially and sentimentally. It could even lead to a lucrative business off of Etsy one day.

   Common products sold on Etsy include:

   • Stickers

   • Posters

   • Repurposed clothing

   • Digital artwork

   • Printable invitations and thank you cards

   • Homemade bath and beauty products

   • Tarot card readings

   • Personalized gifts

   Find Etsy jobs near me

10. Streaming Media Specialist

    Average Annual Salary: $48,000

    There’s an audience out there for just about anything that can be put on a screen. That’s likely how the online job of live streaming came to be. Earning a sustainable living as a streamer is a fairly new concept, but it’s taken off like wildfire, and many people are getting in on it.

    A live streamer is a person who records themselves in real-time and performs in a specific niche that attracts a bunch of viewers. There are many streaming specialties, such as video gaming, tutorials, or even just vlogging in general.

    The live streaming community as a whole has millions of viewers worldwide who are eager to see a little peek at someone else’s life, whether it’s just someone playing StarCraft or a student chatting about what they made themselves for lunch that day.

    A live steamer’s job responsibilities include:

    • Defining a content niche and becoming highly knowledgeable in it (like a specific videogame or topic)

    • Being sociable and entertaining on camera for potentially long periods

    • Engaging with viewers by responding to chat comments

    • Always coming up with new ideas to keep the content fresh and engaging

    • Expanding the channel’s audience by promoting on other social media

    • Collaborating with other streamers in the same genre

    • Monitoring channel success overtime and making improvements when needed

    Find Streaming Media Specialist jobs near me

Benefits Of Online Jobs

1. It eliminates the pressure of working in person. Working in person at any job is an incredibly draining activity for many folks. After spending all day working with customers or coworkers, many employees find themselves too exhausted to do anything else, like schoolwork. Remote jobs are the perfect solution to this problem.

2. Saves time on commuting. Students need every second of their day to accomplish their many tasks. While your commute back and forth to an in-person job might not sound like a lot of time wasted, those minutes add up.

   Even if it only takes you 15 minutes to get to work every day, you’ve already thrown away two hours of your time on a four-day week schedule.

   Getting an online job allows you to make some money without taking on an annoying commute every day.

3. More flexibility than a traditional job. A student’s schedule is typically rigorous. They require a position that awards a little more flexibility than a conventional job. While every position is different, this work environment is expected in online jobs.

4. Improves work-life balance. When working online gives you more freedom to spend time with your friends. Depending on the job you have, your friends can come over and spend some time with you through out your day. You can also spend more time studying or doing your homework during the day, leaving more time to have a social life.

5. High productivity. Working from home has lead to a higher productivity rate with workers. This is because of the elimination of a commute and you are less likely to have lengthy in person meetings. Workers also are able to take smaller breaks through out the day in the comfort of their home and they come back recharged and ready to work.

6. The ability to save more money. When working from home, the commute gets eliminates which means you are saving a ton of money on gas. The non commute might also erase your coffee stop every day, which saves you a lot of money in the long run. You are also more likely to make lunch at home instead of going out to eat with your coworkers every day.

7. A more comfortable environment. When working from you are able to be in your own personal space which can be more comfortable. You no longer have to have the thermometer war and are able to set the temperature to what you want. You can also get comfortable wearing whatever you want which can lead to higher productivity.

   You are also able to personalize your space to your liking without worrying that you are breaking the rules or going to offend someone with your decorations.

Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.