10 Best Jobs For College Students (A Complete Guide)

Updated 12 September 2023

The best jobs for college students are those that allow them to focus on their studies while providing them with sufficient pay to cover their daily expenses. Having a job while pursuing education can make students' lives more comfortable by giving them more financial freedom and empowering them to take decisions. By studying and working during college, you can learn how to maintain a work-life balance at an early age and offer yourself scope for skill development. In this article, we go through some jobs for college students and factors to consider when looking for one.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.

10 Best Jobs For College Students

Here are the 10 best jobs for college students:

1. Tutor

National average salary: ₹18,682 per month

Primary responsibilities: A tutor's main objective is to help students enhance their academic performance. They may visit the student's house, an institute or take online classes. Their work hours are generally flexible depending on whether they teach as an individual or as a part of an institute. Tutors may play different roles as per the student's needs, such as teaching the curriculum, assisting with homework or assisting students in studying for tests. As a student, tutoring lower grades can help you remember your basics and understand the concepts better.

2. Research Assistant

National average salary: ₹23,667 per month

Primary responsibilities: Research assistants aid researchers in conducting experiments or acquiring and evaluating data and information. They may also assist their project leaders with submitting research to granting organisations and foundations, managing project correspondence and doing administrative responsibilities. The types of research settings in which they work could significantly impact the nature of their responsibilities. Common fields that research assistants work in include medical research, market research, colleges and companies in research and development.

3. Brand Ambassador

National average salary: ₹19,890 per month

Primary responsibilities: Companies use brand ambassadors to increase brand awareness and boost publicity. They are the face of a company's product and image. A brand ambassador may develop the tools needed to help build a market through training offered by the sales and marketing teams. Brand ambassadors visit retail locations on a regular basis to deliver the company's message to store personnel and customers. Companies often choose brand ambassadors because of their enthusiasm for or commitment to a particular cause.

4. Data Entry Operator

National average salary: ₹17,679 per month

Primary responsibilities: A data entry job requires a person to enter data into a computer and convert it into a file. It often has very basic educational requirements and is relatively easy to get for anyone who has a working knowledge of computer devices. Sometimes, you may also require the use of smartphones for this job. There are usually a number of available offers to work online and may not even require a student to travel. Some industries that require data entry professionals include hospitals, IT companies, accounting, retail and sales.

5. Freelancer

National average salary: ₹20,941 per month

Primary responsibilities: Freelancers are people who work for themselves and are not employed by a single company. It is essential for freelancers to provide high-quality products or services, and to do so, they can practise getting skilled in their field. They have complete freedom to do whatever kind of work they prefer, and their work timings are often flexible. Freelancers work in a wide range of industries, so their pay has no defined limit. Their income depends upon the type, quality and quantity of work they do.

6. Blogger

National average salary: ₹21,905 per month

Primary responsibilities: Bloggers are self-employed writers who write, edit, publish and promote their blogs' material. They come up with fresh ideas, create and edit blog posts, advertise them to readers and do research. They may specialise in one or more areas. The various types of blogs include:

Business blogs
Lifestyle blogs
Personal blogs
Fashion blogs
Food blogs
Review blogs
News blogs

7. Virtual Assistant

National average salary: ₹21,905 per month

Primary responsibilities: A virtual assistant is a person who works with firms and clients from remote locations and assists them with their everyday tasks. This profession covers a wide range of activities, from basic administrative labour and customer service to intricate creative, social media activities and online reputation management. Typical tasks of a virtual assistant include:

Managing emails and email accounts
Make travel arrangements
Schedule appointments
Making phone calls and receiving phone calls

8. Teaching Assistant

National average salary: ₹18,125 per month

Primary responsibilities: A teaching assistant assists the teacher in class planning and delivery. In addition, they also help students learn and sometimes provide special attention to students who may require a bit of extra help to keep pace with the class. Sometimes, they take attendance, help with the correction of examination papers, plan out trips, support teachers in managing class behaviour, help students who need extra help and do similar minor tasks.

9. Receptionist

National average salary: ₹12,960 per month

Primary responsibilities: Receptionists are in charge of welcoming visitors and providing customer service to them. This includes a variety of tasks such as greeting visitors and directing them as needed, answering any questions they may have, taking calls and handling them appropriately and frequently performing ad hoc administrative tasks as required. In addition, it may also require them to maintain security with log books and monitor the security camera feed.

10. Game Tester

National average salary: ₹19,837 per month

Primary responsibilities: A game-tester analyses video games and searches for any bugs or glitches that may be present. These are mainly games that have not yet launched but are still in the development stage. When a video game reaches a particular stage of development, it is common for video game companies to recruit testers. The testers collaborate closely with the game's development team. The companies expect the testers to test the game's most extreme possibilities to ensure they cover all the scenarios. They highlight and convey issues to the development team so that they can address them.

Common Factors To Consider When Looking For A Job

Here are some factors to consider when looking for a job:

Time commitment: As a student, you may want to devote a significant amount of time to your class's assignments and studies. It is necessary to ensure that your job leaves you with adequate time for this.
Location: As a student with a job, it is necessary that you make the most out of your time. A job closer to your place of residence may entail less travel time and can be ideal for you.
Salary: You are, after all, working in the job to earn yourself some good money to be able to pay for your needs. Meticulous research about your field of work can tell you what your expected salary can be. Ensure that you are working a job that pays around the same amount.
Flexibility of leaves: In college, you can need breaks to give examinations from time to time. For this, you might also require taking a day or two off before the tests. You may want your job to allow for leaves in such situations.
Skills required: For the benefit of both you and your employer, it would be best that you take up a job that aligns with your skills. This would help you hone your skills further, and you may also be able to perform better with lesser or no stress.
Opportunities to learn and grow: Aside from the money, the work also requires providing you with opportunities to learn and grow. The job you do now could help you get experience in an area where you may like to work full time after college.