Best-paid part-time jobs for students
We know which jobs pay the most for graduates, but how can you earn top dollar as a student? We've got the stats to help you choose where to work.
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There are plenty of ways to make money as a student, but there's no substitute for a good old-fashioned part-time job. In fact, our most recent Student Money Survey revealed that 56% of you depend on one to fund your everyday living costs.
Aside from the fact that employment is usually a more steady source of income than most of our easy ways to earn some cash, adding some experience to your CV will help you to stand out in a crowded and competitive job market.
But what are the best-paying part-time jobs for students? Well to answer that very question, CV-Library analysed listings for part-time jobs across the UK to find the highest mean salaries – and here's what they found...
10 high-paying part-time jobs
These are the highest-paying part-time jobs for students in the UK:
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Cleaner
Average hourly pay: £10.69 – £11.21
Being a cleaner speaks for itself – you'll be keeping offices, homes, hotels or other places spick and span. It involves sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, mopping and more.
There are usually quite a few temporary, flexible cleaner positions available, especially if you're only looking to work a few hours per week.
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Receptionist
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Average hourly pay: £11.05 – £11.48
A receptionist role is very customer-focused. If you already have great communication and organisation skills, this may be a great part-time job for you.
Your duties will involve welcoming and directing visitors at the front desk, taking and forwarding phone calls, issuing visitors badges and answering any inquiries.
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Assembly Operative
Average hourly pay: £10.91 – £11.83
As an assembly operative, you usually work in a factory or warehouse where you're putting goods together with a team of people.
You could work on the assembly line, which is essentially a long conveyor belt with items that need to be put together. However, you could also be inspecting the finished products to make sure they're up to scratch.
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Customer Service Advisor
Average hourly pay: £11.21 – £11.68
Ah, customer service. The traditional home of students seeking to add to their Maintenance Loans. And, at over £11 an hour, you can see why it's so popular!
Your hours will vary depending on the type of role you end up in, and you could be offering support over the phone, via email or even in person. But whatever medium you're working with, you'll likely be helping customers with refunds or other queries – so having good people skills is a big help.
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Production Operative
Average hourly pay: £10.90 – £12.32
Similar to being an assembly operative, as a production operative, you'll help with the production and packaging of items. Depending on the size of the factory, tasks may vary. However, it will mainly include quality checking products, weighing raw materials, operating machinery and producing labels.
This job is perfect for someone who pays close attention to detail. Plus, adding this job to your CV is a great way to show future employers that you know how to work well under pressure.
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Picker Packer
Average hourly pay: £11.37 – £12.00
Picker packer jobs involve picking merchandise from the shelves and packing them, ready to be shipped. It's usually done in retail or wholesale warehouses, and other duties can involve labelling boxes or stocking shelves.
You may have to lift heavy objects and you'll need great attention to detail. On top of that, you'll learn how to work in a fast-paced environment, which is a great skill to add to your CV.
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Administrator
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Average hourly pay: £11.51 – £11.95
A role as an administrator is great for those seeking experience in an office environment.
Tasks in admin roles vary, so you could be doing anything from managing diaries, taking phone calls, filing documents or sending emails. You'll also be able to add 'organisation', 'communication' and potentially 'office admin software' to the list of skills on your CV.
And there are always loads of different administrator roles available across different industries, so you'll likely have your pick of the litter.
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Warehouse Operative
Average hourly pay: £10.99 – £12.51
Far from being sat behind a desk all day, warehouse operatives spend most of their time on their feet, moving across the workplace.
This job involves a whole range of responsibilities, but most commonly you'll be picking and packing stock for delivery, keeping track of stock levels and loading goods onto vehicles.
We've all experienced the frustration of receiving a delivery, only to find half of the order isn't there. Unsurprisingly, being thorough and having a good eye for detail are high on the list of desirable qualities for warehouse operatives.
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Van Driver
Average hourly pay: £11.39 – £12.24
From online food orders to Amazon packages, van drivers are responsible for getting items from one place to another.
Grocery shopping needs to be delivered in a special, refrigerated van, but plenty of other goods bought online simply need a vehicle of any sort to get them from A to B.
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Labourer
Average hourly pay: £12.85 – £13.61
According to CV-Library, working as a labourer is the best-paid part-time job for students. The term 'Labourer' covers various sectors. You could be working in construction, trimming hedges, washing windows... so many things, really!
Again, if you're not keen on working in an office and prefer to be on your feet all day, this is a great way of finding work outdoors. And, in case you hadn't worked it out, these jobs involve a lot of manual work, so be prepared to get your hands dirty.
Keep in mind that these are all advertised jobs where you'll be employed by a company. There are other ways to earn money as a student, like working as a tutor or freelance writer – the options are almost endless!
Now you know which industries to look for jobs in, what's stopping you? Use our part-time job search.
