13 Best Online Jobs for College Students

If you’re tired of being broke as a college student and you want to make some money to support yourself in school, then continue reading!!

Thanks to the internet and the digital age, you can now get a good online job for College Students or start a side hustle online and make good money all from the comfort of your home. One thing about these online jobs is their flexibility, which makes them a good fit for you as a college student. The majority of them make it possible to work on your own terms, making it very easy to combine with your busy academic schedule.

 In this guide, we are going to look at the 13 best online jobs you can venture into today and start making money.

Online Jobs for College Students

1. Social Media Manager

If you are a social media addict or spend more time on social media, you could make money with this by managing the social media accounts of businesses and brands.

A lot of these businesses and brands want to grow their accounts to build brand awareness but either they are too busy or don’t know how to manage and grow their accounts. That’s where you come in as a Social Media Manager to manage accounts and help them grow their following and online presence.

This job involves building brand awareness by creating engaging content, replying to comments, building a community to educate people about the business, and communicating with potential customers.

This is a great, interesting online job that allows you to make money doing what you love and is also flexible enough to not interfere with your studies or coursework.

Pros and Cons Of Being a Social Media Manager

Pros

• Being a Social media manager gives the freedom to be creative.
• Working as a social media manager also helps you to develop, improve, and expand your skillset, which can attract better and bigger opportunities for you in the future.
•  Being a social media manager allows you to make an impact on a business or brand.

Cons

• One major drawback of being a social media manager is having to deal with the pressure to deliver and get results.
• Being a social media manager always gives the impression that the work never finishes and that you aren’t well paid for it.

2. Micro Freelancing

A freelancer is an independent contractor who renders his or her services to people or businesses. Depending on the type of job, the contract could be long-term or short-term.

You could also find work as a micro freelancer to render services like proofreading documents, creating presentations, and typing documents to earn extra cash.

Pros and Cons of Becoming a Micro Freelancer

Pros

• There is a manageable workload and flexible work hours.
• Being a freelancer helps you build more skills and experience, which can pave the way for bigger and better opportunities.
• Freelancing also allows you to be your own boss, as you can choose the clients to work with and where to work from.

Cons    

• There is an inconsistency in getting a gig and less job security.
• One major disadvantage of being a freelancer is dealing with clients who may not pay you for the work done. However, you can avoid this by taking the necessary precautions to protect yourself from ungrateful clients.
• Another con of being a freelancer is that you will not get employer benefits like paid vacations, health insurance, etc.

Here are some of the ways you can protect yourself from this trouble:

• *Clarify the payment amount and method before you do any work for anybody.

• *Try to get as much information like location, business website, and contact details of your client.

• *Consider getting feedback from other freelancers to know if the client is worth working for.

• *Ask for part payment, especially from new clients, before jumping into the job.

3. Data Entry Clerk

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Data Entry is another great way of making money online, which does not require any skills. This makes it a perfect option for college students looking for jobs that require no skills. However, this job requires that you are detail-oriented, fast in typing, possess excellent reading comprehension, and also be very efficient.

As a Data Entry Clerk, you will be working on tasks like typing documents into a system, transferring numerical data into a system database, verifying information, and performing clerical work.

Pros and Cons of Becoming a Data Entry Clerk

Pros

• Data entry is a great online job for beginners as it requires basic computer knowledge and skills.
• Also, data entry makes it possible for you to work anywhere in the world with flexible working hours.

Cons

• Most data entry jobs have a very low payment threshold because the job is easy to do unless you have more experience and skills to take on more complicated tasks.
• Because the job requires basic skills and knowledge, you will mostly find thousands of people applying for one data entry job position, and this makes it competitive.
• Another disadvantage of data entry jobs is that there are a lot of job scams and frauds out there, and people who might want you to work for free. That is why it is important you do your research before accepting an offer from anybody. Also, use legitimate sites like FlexJobs to find job opportunities.

4. Web Designer

Web design is a skill that is in high demand and very lucrative. If you know web design or coding, you could take advantage of making money with this skill by building and designing websites, apps, etc., for people and businesses.

Even if you have minimal skills in web design, you can acquire more skills by taking up a course on sites like Udemy and Teachable. Also, website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and Elementor for WordPress use a drag-and-drop builder, which makes it easy to build or design a site without coding.

You can get started by using a freelancing site to find clients and build your brand. Additionally, it is important that you start building a portfolio right away once you start getting clients, as it increases your credibility as a web designer.

Pros and Cons of Becoming a Web Designer

Pros

• Web design is a field that is in high demand, which means getting gigs will be easy.
• You get to be your own boss, which means you set the rules. This gives you the freedom to choose whom to work with, what hours to work, and how much you get paid.
• Another advantage of working as a freelance Web Designer is the flexibility it comes with. You have the freedom to choose your own schedule.
• Students who plan to venture into the Tech field in the future can use this as an opportunity to learn the skill, gain experience, and start building their portfolio.

Cons

• To work and succeed as a freelance Web Designer, you need to be much more disciplined. Since you are your own boss and have nobody to keep you on your toes, you have to be disciplined enough to do that yourself.
• There is unpredictable work availability and income flow. This is generally a problem that comes with working as a freelancer.

5. Virtual Assistant

Virtual Assistance is another cool side hustle you can consider to earn good money. This is also a very lucrative field, which gives you the freedom to be your own boss and to work on your own schedule.

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As a virtual assistant, you will be offering specialized services to businesses, as most of them don’t have the time to do it. Examples of services you will be rendering include booking appointments, answering emails, and managing data in spreadsheets. You are basically handling every digital task for them.

Being a virtual assistant requires that you work hard and also be tech-savvy, as you will be working independently.

Pros and Cons of Becoming a Virtual Assistant

Pros

• Working as a virtual assistant gives you the freedom to work based on your own schedule. This makes it easy to balance the job with your studies as a student.
• You have the freedom to choose whom to work with and flexible working hours.
• Low technical requirement and the minimal cost of starting as a Virtual Assistant makes it easy for anyone who is not tech-savvy and has overhead costs to get started in the field.
• Working as a virtual assistant allows you to network with a lot of people and businesses, and this can be a stepping stone for bigger opportunities in the future.

Cons

• You will get no working benefits like paid vacation and health insurance.
• Work is repetitive, which can be very boring and exhausting.
• You need to hustle to find clients when you are just starting out.

6. Online Tutoring

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Another way of making money online in college is by offering lessons to students who are struggling to pass their courses, and of course, you have to be very good in those courses to teach others. Students who are struggling to pass a course are always willing to pay you to help them out.

This is not limited to only your colleagues at school; you can also offer tutoring lessons to kids from elementary to high school and make a decent living from it. You only have to teach subjects you are very good at.

Thanks to the internet, you can find students from around the world who need tutoring in areas like the SAT or ACT and other areas you have mastered.

Pros and Cons of Becoming an Online Tutor

Pros

• One major advantage of working as an online tutor is Flexibility. Most online tutoring jobs will give you the freedom to work based on your own schedule. This makes it easy to balance it with your academics.
• Most Online teaching jobs will provide you with lesson materials for each class. This saves you a lot of energy and time from creating teaching materials.
• Being an online tutor gives you the opportunity to meet students from around the world.
• Online tutoring does not require any formal training or qualifications to get started. This makes it easy for you, as a college student with no experience in the field, to get started and also gain experience in teaching.

Cons

• Online tutors do not enjoy working benefits like health insurance and paid vacations.
• You will be working at odd hours due to the different time zones of your international students.
• You might encounter some frustrations with tech and internet-related issues.

7. Translator

If you are multilingual, you can make money with that advantage by becoming a freelance translator. Translators are needed all over the world to translate documents like manuscripts, instruction manuals, and any other content that needs to be translated into other languages. Also, you could work for companies that need a translator to help them better communicate with their customers who speak different languages.

Pros and Cons of Becoming a Translator

Pros

• Freedom to choose your working hours and where you will work. The sector is high in demand, which makes finding a job as a translator quite easy.
• As a freelance translator, you have the freedom to choose whom you want to work with and how much you want to be paid.

Cons

• One disadvantage of working as a freelance translator is the irregularity of jobs and income, especially when you are just starting out.
• You must be disciplined to succeed as a freelance translator.

8. Freelance Writer

If you love to write, you could consider becoming a freelance writer. A lot of freelance writers make a full-time income from writing for businesses, bloggers, brands, etc., and you can too. As a freelance writer, you will be writing articles for bloggers, resumes for job seekers, etc. Remember to start a portfolio once you start getting gigs, as it will pave the way for better and bigger writing opportunities for you.

Pros and Cons of Becoming a Freelance Writer

Pros

• Your earning potential as a freelance writer is unlimited.
• You have the flexibility to work at your own schedule.
• Working as a freelance writer will improve your knowledge, as you are always conducting research in order to deliver an excellent job.

Cons

• You‘ll have to hustle to find Freelance Writing jobs, especially when you are new in the field.
• There is an inconsistency in income from working as a Freelance Writer.
• The job is very competitive, which means you will have to work hard to stand out from your competitors.

9. Graphic Designer

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If you know how to use Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Figma, and Sketch, or have a passion for graphic design, you could turn that passion or knowledge into a side hustle where you get paid by designing graphic materials for businesses, brands, and content creators. Examples of products you will be designing include logos, marketing banners, brochures, business cards, pamphlets, etc.

However, if you do not have any skills in graphic design or know how to use any of the graphic design software, you can easily learn that on Skillshare or YouTube to get started today.

Tip: Once you work on some projects and have a number of designs, remember to start building your portfolio to show to new clients. This will increase your credibility as a graphic designer as well as your chance of them patronizing you.

Pros and Cons of Becoming a Graphic Designer

Pros

• Working as a graphic designer gives you the opportunity to use your creative skills on a daily basis. This also improves your skills as you try out new design ideas and different design software.
• This also gives you the freedom to work with whom you want and the number of hours you will be working, making it very easy to balance with your studies.
• Working as a graphic designer helps you to gain more experience in the field and also build your portfolio.
• You also have unlimited earning potential as a freelance graphic designer.

Cons

• There are times when you will feel pressured to meet clients’ requirements and expectations.
• Unstable availability of projects to work on, which also means an inconsistent flow of income.
• To work as a Graphic Designer, you need to use programs like Adobe Illustrator, Sketch, and Figma, which can be quite expensive for anyone just starting out.

 10. Notes Taker

Some students enjoy taking notes while others struggle to do so. Therefore, if you are good at taking and organizing your notes, you could make money by selling your notes for popular courses to other students. There are a lot of sites that allow you to upload your notes to them to sell to other students.

Pros and Cons of Selling your Notes

Pros

• Selling your notes as a college student can be a great way to generate a passive income.
• Getting good reviews can boost your sales.
• You can set your own price for the notes.

Cons

• You will have to do some marketing, especially when you are just starting, in order to make your first sale and get some reviews.
• Making your first sale might take some time.

11. Freelance Proofreader and Editor

If you have excellent grammar skills, you could make extra money with freelance proofreading or editing. As a Proofreader or editor, you will work on articles, books, or documents to fix grammatical errors or edit the write-up to make it more accurate and interesting to read for businesses, bloggers, authors, etc.

Most of these businesses do not have the time to do these tasks and are willing to pay and have somebody else do it. This is very important to them as a book or document with grammatical errors will make them appear incompetent before their customers.

Pros and Cons of Becoming a Freelance Proofreader or Editor

Pros

• Working as a Proofreader or Editor gives you the flexibility to work on your own schedule.
• You get to be your own boss, working as a freelancer.
• Another advantage of being a proofreader or editor is that they are in high demand, which means once you are established, you will have a lot of projects to work on.

Cons

• Finding clients a new freelance proofreader or editor can be a hustle.
• Income can be inconsistent as job availability is unpredictable.
• You need a lot of self-discipline to succeed as a Proofreader or Editor.

12. Copywriting

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Copywriting is a form of digital marketing that involves writing compelling copy to persuade a lead to take action, which includes making a sale, signing up for a free trial, etc.

Copywriting is one of the most lucrative and highly demanded skills in the digital marketing space. Venturing into copywriting as a college student will make you a lot of money; you just have to learn and master the skill. As a copywriter, you will be writing marketing copy for products or services on sale pages, social media ads, product descriptions, etc.

Pros and Cons of Becoming a Copywriter

Pros

• Copywriting allows your creativity to grow and develop your skills, which can be used for other writing projects.
• Getting a job as a copywriter is quite easy, as there is a lot of job availability.
• Working as a copywriter will give you the freedom to work on your own schedule.

Cons

• One major disadvantage of copywriting is that writers suffer from burnout and a lack of motivation that comes with hours of churning out content.  
• Another disadvantage of working as a copywriter is unpredictable job availability and income.

12. Audio Transcriber

As an audio transcriptionist, you will be transcribing both video and audio files into an accurately written document for businesses and institutions.

This job requires that you can pay attention to detail, have strong grammar and analytical skills, and be fast and accurate in typing. Translators are largely needed in the medical, academic, and legal fields. This makes it a lucrative field to try out if you have the skills to work as a transcriptionist.

You can also work for small businesses and brands or get hired by transcribing agencies to transcribe audio files for their clients.

Pros and Cons of Becoming an Audio Transcriber

Pros

• All you need is a computer (or device), reliable internet, and headphones. You can work from home or anywhere quiet.
• It can help you cover small expenses, books, transport, etc., without needing a full‐time job. Not likely to replace full earnings, but good side income.
• Being a transcriber helps improve listening skills, comprehension, grammar, typing speed, and attention to detail. These are transferable skills in many areas (essays, research, etc.).

Cons

• The rate per audio minute or hour is often low, especially when you’re a beginner. It takes time to increase your speed and accuracy so you can make “good money.”
• Work may not always be available, and pay fluctuates depending on how many jobs you can get, how long they are, and deadlines.
• Many people want these jobs; rates are pushed down. Also, AI / automated transcription tools are increasingly good, which may reduce demand or push rates lower.