How To Become A Day Worker: What It Is and Career Path

What is a day worker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A day worker works temporary or short-term jobs on a day-to-day basis. They often work in industries such as construction, hospitality, and agriculture, where labor needs fluctuate. Day workers may perform tasks such as cleaning, landscaping, or other manual labor. They typically do not receive benefits or job security and may work for multiple employers in a single day. Despite their precarious work conditions, day workers fill immediate labor needs and contribute to the economy.

ScoreDay WorkerUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,046

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.7

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.98%

Asian 6.73%

Black or African American 9.16%

Hispanic or Latino 18.81%

Unknown 6.08%

White 58.24%

Gender

female 55.56%

male 44.44%

Age - 35

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 35

Stress level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

3.7

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a day worker?

Pros

Opportunities for overtime pay
Ability to plan personal life around work schedule
Less chance of working during holidays or weekends
Opportunity to work with a diverse group of people
Possibility of advancement within the company

Cons

Limited control over workload and assignments
Less autonomy compared to self-employed workers
May have to work in uncomfortable conditions (e.g. outdoors, hot or cold temperatures)
May require physical labor and manual work
Possibility of being laid off due to budget cuts or downsizing
Limited job security compared to tenured positions

Key steps to become a day worker

Explore day worker education requirements

Most common day worker degrees

Bachelor's

51.7 %

High School Diploma

18.3 %

Associate

17.3 %

Start to develop specific day worker skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	29.37%
Data Entry	20.34%
CPR	15.46%
Children Ages	8.48%
Athletic Events	7.12%

Complete relevant day worker training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New day workers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a day worker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real day worker resumes.

Research day worker duties and responsibilities

Obtain adequate training in CPR and first aid.
Maintain parks and recreational facilities, operation of gardening equipment, including lawn mowers and string trimmers, gardening and horticulture
Operate vehicles and power equipment, such as mowers, tractors, snow blowers, chain saws, and pruning saws.
Communicate professionally with parents as requested by leadership in order to provide customer connection and relay important information on camper experience.

Prepare your day worker resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your day worker resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a day worker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable day worker resume templates

Build a professional day worker resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your day worker resume.