Are you looking for summer job ideas for college students?
Summer is a time when many college students have a break from classes for several months. It’s a popular time to get a job to earn some extra money for the upcoming school year.
There are so many different summer jobs available to college students.
Below you’ll find 27 of the best summer job ideas for college students who are looking to work and earn some money this summer!
1. Server
Being a server at a restaurant is a great summer job for college students. It’s something you can do without much experience, and the potential to earn tips is very high.
Many restaurants look for seasonal help, making summer a good time to get a job, especially if the restaurant is located in an area that sees a lot of tourists in the summer.
2. Bartender
Another summer job idea for college students is being a bartender. This is a good choice if you’re a night owl because you’ll almost always be working later shifts as a bartender. It’s also a good job for earning tips.
You can become a bartender at 18 in many states in the US, but some states do require you to be 21 or older.
3. Tutor
Tutoring is one of the best jobs for college students. If you’re going home for the summer, you can market your services in your hometown.
You can also work for a tutoring center or tutoring service. Even though school is out during the summer, many parents use the time to get their kids extra academic help.
As a college student, one service you can offer is SAT/ACT tutoring to help high schoolers prepare for the exams that will get them into college.
4. Babysitter
Babysitting is a good summer job idea for college students who love kids. It can be a flexible and fun job if you like working with children.
During the summer, many parents are also looking for full-time nannies who can watch the kids during the weekdays, so this is a great way to make a lot of money during the summer.
5. Internship
An internship is one of the best summer job ideas for college students. Not only can you make good money, you also gain relevant career experience.
When looking for a summer internship, a good place to start is your college career center. Your major may also have specific resources for helping you find an internship.
I don’t recommend ever taking an unpaid summer internship, even though they are unfortunately very common for some majors and career paths. However, it’s not worth working for free and you’re better off getting a regular summer job if you can’t find a paid internship.
6. Campus Job
Some students choose to stay on campus during the summer to take extra classes or to work. If this is you, then getting a campus job is a great idea.
Campus jobs can include being a teaching assistant or research assistant, or working in your major building, the library, the student center, the health center, and so on. If you’re taking summer classes, this is the best way to find a job that will be flexible with your class schedule.
7. Au Pair
Au pairing is similar to babysitting or nannying, but you typically will live with the family. As an au pair, you receive a small stipend but your expenses like housing and food are covered by the family.
There are many opportunities to au pair abroad, so this is a great summer job if you want to live in another country for the summer.
8. Restaurant Host
If you want to work in a restaurant but you don’t want to be a server, being a host is another option. Hosts are responsible for greeting guests, checking them in, and getting them seated.
While you may not earn as much as a server since you won’t get tips, many people find being a host to be a less stressful restaurant job.
9. Summer Camp
Working as a summer camp counselor is a fun job for college students. Many summer camps don’t pay much, but you do have your housing and food covered for the summer.
This is a great job for college students who like working with kids and want an active and unique summer job.
10. Golf Course
There are several different golf course jobs that college students do. For girls, you can work as a cart girl and drive around on a golf cart selling food and drinks to golfers on the course. Many girls love this job because you can make great tips.
For guys, working as a caddy, a golf cart attendant, or a groundskeeper are all common jobs.
11. Lawn Care
This is mainly a job for guys, but girls can definitely do it too. Working in lawn care, gardening, or landscaping is not an easy summer job because it requires physical labor, but you can make good money doing it.
You can work for a lawn care company, or start offering your own services if you have the equipment and the skills.
12. Hospitality
Working in hospitality is a great summer job for college students. You can work locally, or use this job as a way to travel and work in an exotic locale.
Many hotels and resorts need seasonal help, making this an excellent choice for a summer job for college students.
13. Yacht Crew
Speaking of exotic locales, working as a yacht crew member is another unique summer job idea for college students.
If you want to get paid to travel, working on a yacht is a great way to do it. The work itself is not all that glamorous. You can work as a steward or stewardess, a cleaner, a cook, or various other jobs. But it can be an amazing experience if you’re up for the adventure.
14. Movie Theater
Working at a movie theater is a great summer job for college students. You get to work indoors in the air conditioning and there are a variety of positions you can do including selling tickets, concessions, and cleaning.
Plus, movie theater employees get perks like free movies and concessions.
15. Retail
If you’re looking for summer job ideas for college students, being a retail associate is a good job that does not require much experience.
The opportunities are endless when it comes to retail. You can look into large chain stores as well as smaller local stores and boutiques. Clothing stores, bookstores, electronics stores, and grocery stores are all good options for college students.
Many retail stores hire seasonal employees, making this a great summer job.
16. Pet Sitting
For animal lovers, pet sitting is a great summer job. This is also something that can be a lot of fun and not too stressful.
If you have neighbors that will be out of town this summer, you can offer to pet sit for them. The duties of a pet sitter include feeding, walking, and playing with the animals while their owner is away.
17. Rideshare Driver
For college students with their own car, being a rideshare driver is a great summer job. It’s very flexible and lets you set your own hours.
You can set up an account on an app like Uber or Lyft and drive as much or as little as you want, and only accept rides that you want to do.
18. Theme Park
If you’re looking for a fun and active summer job, working at a theme park is perfect for college students. Most theme parks hire a ton of seasonal employees just for summer.
You can have a variety of roles at a theme park, including ride attendant, ticket seller, or food service worker.
19. Lifeguard
Being a lifeguard at a local swimming pool, beach, or water park is a popular summer job for college students. If you like swimming and being outside, this is a good job for you.
It does require completing some training and passing a certification course, but once you’re a certified lifeguard, you can work anywhere.
20. Receptionist
If you’re looking for an indoor office job this summer, you might enjoy being a receptionist. Receptionists are responsible for answering the phone, greeting customers, sorting mail, scheduling appointments and maintaining a calendar, and more.
This is also a good way to get experience related to your major and future career path. For example, being a receptionist at a law firm or at a dentist’s office.
21. Fast Food
Working in fast food may not be the most glamorous summer job for college students, but it’s one that can be a good option if you thrive in a fast-paced environment.
During the summer, you can also look for fast food jobs at seasonal places like an ice cream parlor or a beachfront hamburger restaurant.
22. Workaway
Have you ever heard of Workaway before? It’s a platform for finding job opportunities all around the world. The jobs aren’t paid, but most of them including housing and food so you won’t have to spend anything on living expenses.
Workaway allows you to find extremely unique summer jobs, like working at an animal sanctuary in Costa Rica, a farm in Australia, or a surf hostel in Portugal for several months.
23. Valet
Working as a valet or parking attendant is a good summer job idea for college students that has the potential to earn you a lot of tips.
Many high-end restaurants, hotels, and country clubs offer valet parking services and need parking attendants who can park and retrieve cars.
24. Delivery Driver
If driving passengers around for Uber or Lyft doesn’t sound appealing to you, you could consider being a delivery driver instead.
Delivery drivers can sign up for an account on Uber Eats, Doordash, Grubhub, or another food delivery app, and make money from picking up and delivering to-go orders.
25. Barista
Working as a barista is another summer job idea for college students. As a barista, you’ll be making coffee and other drinks and preparing orders for customers.
Many coffee shops and cafes are hiring baristas, and this is a good seasonal job where you can also earn tips from customers.
26. Start a Business
Finally, consider starting your own business as a college student! It can take a while to start earning money, so this is something that you should either start well before the summer, or on the side as you work another job.
I highly recommend starting a blog as a way to make money in college. You can also offer freelance services like freelance writing, graphic design, or social media management. All of these options have extremely low start-up costs, making them perfect for students.
The options are endless when it comes to what kind of business you can start as a college student.
Best Summer Job Ideas for College Students
These are some of the best summer job ideas for college students.
Getting a job during the summer is a great way to earn money and get experience that will look good on a resume. In some cases, it can even be a lot of fun.
Hopefully this guide helped you brainstorm some ideas for what kind of summer job you can get! It’s a good idea to start applying in the spring so that you have a job lined up in time for the start of summer.
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