Student life is hard in the UK. With tuition fees to think of, plus rent, bills and food all at a time when the cost of living in the UK is set to skyrocket, students are quite rightly thinking outside the box to earn a little extra money alongside their studies.
One of the recent Student Money Surveys revealed that 74% of students depend on themselves to fund their everyday living costs. For most, that might mean relying on a little extra income in addition to student loan instalments or any sponsorships and grants they’re entitled to.
But finding a job that you can do alongside your study schedule can be tricky.
That’s where the rise in remote, online positions from the last few years becomes a real benefit for students in search of work they can do anytime, anywhere. In this post, you’ll discover the 16 best online jobs for students in the UK.
What are the benefits of online jobs for students?
Online jobs allow students to earn money and prepare themselves to enter the workplace. Here are a few of the essential advantages of finding an online job as a student:
1. An additional income
2. Developing niche skills ready for graduation
3. Building a better CV and making yourself more employable
4. Familiarity with online business tools and solutions and their functionality
5. Development of soft skills and people skills
6. Building a future where you could work from anywhere in the world
16 Online Jobs for Students in the United Kingdom
1. Virtual assistant
Overview:
Some business owners are super busy.
They have a lot on their plates, and there is no time for answering phone calls, replying to emails and other administrative tasks.
That’s exactly where a virtual assistant comes into play. It’s an assistant that works remotely and helps business owners with their tedious work, so they have more time for the stuff that really matters.
Responsibilities:
The responsibilities of a virtual assistant mostly depend on the client you work with. As I said earlier, it’s mostly administrative and includes things like:
- Responding to emails and phone calls
- Scheduling meetings
- Booking travels and accommodations
- Organising calendar
- Managing a contact list
Aside from this, you should also possess strong communication and organisational skills. On top of this, you should also be aware of the latest remote work software.
This is especially important nowadays due to the Coronavirus pandemic because we are forced to work from home. Here are some tools you should be aware of.
Average salary:
The average hourly pay is £11, according to Glassdoor.
It may not pay very well in comparison with other online jobs for students we’ll talk about. But for the things you do, it’s more than sufficient.
Bottom line:
If you don’t mind doing tedious tasks like answering phone calls, scheduling appointments or organising someone’s work life, a virtual assistant job is for you.
It pays £11 – which is a fair amount for the work you do.
Tips on how to get the job:
Organisation and forward planning are key for a VA job, so make sure you are punctual when you show up to the interview, whether it’s online or in the flesh.
2. Transcription job
Overview:
A transcriptionist listens to audio recordings and converts them into a written document.
Transcription is easy. The only two things you need are a high level of English and keen listening skills. It’s suitable for anyone who has exceptional English and great typing skills.
Responsibilities:
The most common responsibilities of a transcriptionist are:
- Listening and writing out audio recordings
- Expanding shorthand notes
- Transcribing meetings
- Keeping transcriptions organised for later use
- Aside from this, you should also be patient and dedicated and have sharp listening skills.
There might be voice recordings that are very low-quality and will take a lot of time and a keen ear to transcribe them. Be prepared for that.
Average salary:
The average hourly pay is £7, according to Glassdoor.
It’s not a lot but let’s be honest, all you do is listen to an audio recording and write it out to a text document.
Bottom line:
If you’re a keen listener, love typing and have a lot of patience, become a transcriptionist. The salary is a bit lower, but it’s definitely worth the amount of work you do.
Tips on how to get the job:
Practice makes perfect when it comes to transcription, so try to improve your words-per-minute rate to make sure you stand out from other candidates.
3. Online freelance writer
Overview:
Do you like writing essays or helping people to understand certain topics?
Then you might be the right candidate for a freelance writer. All you do is write blog posts on various topics within a specific niche. It’s super easy if you love writing.
Responsibilities:
There are not a lot of responsibilities aside from writing. But overall, the freelance writer should be able to:
- Research a topic
- Write an article
- Edit and proofread an article
- Publish an article (in some cases)
The additional skills outside of writing are usually a keen eye for detail and spotting errors. You should also be highly creative and have a good grasp of the English language.
It would help if you learned at least a little about marketing, sales funnels and human psychology.
Average salary:
The average hourly pay is £18, according to Glassdoor.
However, this hugely depends on the client you have. It can be way higher.
Bottom line:
Do you love writing and have solid English skills?
Then a freelance writing job can be the right job opportunity. It pays very well but is a bit harder than most online jobs for students on the list.
Tips on how to get the job:
Think first about what you want to write about, and start to build a portfolio, perhaps with your own blog, or social channel first, to get you started in that sector.
4. Survey taker
Overview:
A survey taker gets money for submitting the surveys online.
It’s totally legit and straightforward. You might be wondering why a company would pay someone for answering surveys?
The reason is that it’s much cheaper than cold calling or contacting current customers. This job is straightforward and suitable for anyone looking to earn a few pennies.
Responsibilities:
There is literally no other responsibility than responding to surveys. It’s the easiest online job for students on the list.
Average salary:
The average hourly pay is £11 – £13, according to Glassdoor.
It’s extremely well paid for the work you do. You submit surveys for £11 an hour. You have no responsibilities and need no experience whatsoever.
Bottom line:
Are you looking to earn easy money fast?
Then survey taking is for you. The salary is pretty good for the amount of work you do, and the job is super easy.
Tips on how to get the job:
For more general surveys, recruiters won’t be too picky but consider whether you have niche knowledge – as this could win you more surveys in specific sectors.
5. Customer service
Overview:
Are you communicative and love helping others?
That’s exactly what a customer service agent does. You basically sit behind the computer and resolve customers’ problems.
Responsibilities:
This job is not as easy as the previous ones.
You need to know basically everything about the company and be able to communicate with customers in a friendly, understandable way.
The most common responsibilities of a customer service representative are:
- Answering customers’ questions
- Helping customers resolve problems
- Cancelling or updating accounts
- Assisting customers with refunds, orders, etc.
- Aside from this, you should also be a calm and optimistic person.
Aside from this, you should also be a calm and optimistic person.
You can encounter nasty customers that can call you names, be vulgar and scream at you for no reason. You must keep your cool, stay friendly and help them.
Average salary:
The average hourly pay is £9, according to Glassdoor.
It’s not a lot for the amount of work you do when you compare it with other online jobs for students on the list, though. But if you love helping others, it’s definitely worth it.
Bottom line:
If you love helping others solve their problems, you will love this job.
It requires no technical knowledge. You help customers resolve their problems and make them happy.
Tips on how to get the job:
Do your research and gen up on customer experience. The recruiter will want to know you’ll always put customers first.
6. Tech Support
Overview:
Is IT or networking your passion?
Tech support helps resolve technical issues, problems and faults on networks or systems. It requires technical experience, but it’s a piece of cake if you’re an IT student.
Responsibilities:
The most common responsibilities of technical support workers include:
- Troubleshooting technical issues
- Diagnosing and repairing faults
- Providing accurate customer feedback
- Installing and configuring hardware and software
Average salary:
The average hourly pay is £12 – £14, according to Glassdoor.
It’s a good salary that can help you earn serious money. Practising what you’ve learned and discovering more if you are an IT student is beneficial.
Bottom line:
Tech support may not apply to everyone.
But if computers are your passion, you will love them. The salary is excellent, especially for students.
Tips on how to get the job:
Make sure you can demonstrate great soft skills in addition to great knowledge of technology.
7. Online tutoring
Overview:
Do you like to tutor others?
Maybe it’s your classmates who you help, or you generally love teaching. Either way, online tutoring can be a very lucrative way to earn money for students.
Responsibilities:
You have only one responsibility – to teach others certain things.
Aside from this, it would be best if you also focused on how your students progress. For this, you can use various software solutions to track their progress, test themselves and see how well they grasped the concept (here are some of my best picks).
You must also possess strong communication and teaching skills and a lot of patience.
Average salary:
The average hourly pay is £10, according to Glassdoor.
This may differ, though. It highly depends on the things you teach and how good you are. It can go well beyond £30 – especially if you’re teaching languages.
Bottom line:
Online tutoring can be one of the best online jobs for students, especially if what you teach is your passion.
You can have engaging discussions with the learners and really help them learn online. The salary is solid but depends on how much you charge.
Tips on how to get the job:
Be prepared to be tested or questioned on how patient you are and how effective your communication skills are.
8. Translator
Overview:
Why don’t you use your ability to speak multiple languages to your advantage?
A translator can be a great job for students who love languages and don’t mind sitting down and translating documents from one language to another.
Responsibilities:
The most common responsibilities of a translator are:
- Converting text and audio recordings from one language to another
- Preparing subtitles for videos and presentations
- Proofreading translated text
You should also speak the language fluently and know it by heart. There is always a chance you will be translating technical documents, so be sure also to learn the technical terminology and industry-specific language.
Average salary:
The average hourly pay is £10, according to Glassdoor.
But this depends on the client, the type of work you do and the language you are translating to or from. The harder the language, the more money you get.
Bottom line:
If you speak multiple languages and have a vast vocabulary, you can be a translator.
It pays okay for the amount of work you do, and it’s straightforward, especially if you speak the language very well.
Tips on how to get the job:
Make sure you understand the type of resources you’ll be translating and try to do some research before any interviews. Be prepared to be tested on your spoken languages during the selection process.
9. Graphic Designer
Overview:
If you’re highly-creative, you’ll love this job.
As a graphic designer, your job is to create beautiful visuals, retouch photos and create logos for a client you work for.
All you need to be is creative and have experience with graphic design software.
Responsibilities:
The most common responsibilities of a graphic designer are:
- Retouching photos
- Preparing visuals for presentations
- Color-grading images
- Creating logos
There are just so many things you can do. It all depends on the client you work with and the type of work you do.
Aside from the responsibilities, there are also a few characteristics you should possess.
You should be super-creative, patient and have exceptional communication skills. You should also be timely, so make sure to send your graphic design project on time.
Average salary:
The average hourly pay is £12, according to Glassdoor, but you shouldn’t count on it. You can get a much higher salary, depending on the type of work you do. £12 is the bare minimum you should charge.
Bottom line:
Do you like new challenges and have a passion for design?
Then a graphic designer job is just the right one for you. You’ll get paid at least £12 for creating beautiful designs you’ll be proud of.
Tips on how to get the job:
Make sure you know the design software your recruiter uses. If you haven’t used it before- try to gain knowledge of the platform beforehand and demonstrate that you’re a quick learner of new technology.
10. Data entry
Overview:
This may be your best choice if you are looking for an easy online job for students with no experience.
Data entry is essentially filling data into tables or documents, looking for errors and checking output.
Responsibilities:
The most common responsibilities of a data entry operator are:
- Inserting customer and account data
- Reviewing data for any errors
- Checking the output of data
- Compiling and verifying the accuracy of data
Aside from these responsibilities, you’ll also need to be very disciplined and patient.
Data entry isn’t as fun as other jobs on this list. You sit behind a computer, fill in or check some meaningless data and get paid.
Average salary:
The average hourly pay is £13, according to Glassdoor.
It’s a pretty good amount for the work you do. There is almost no responsibility, and anyone can do the job.
Bottom line:
If you don’t mind sitting behind a computer and filling up some meaningless data, go for it.
Data entry job is one of the easiest online jobs for students anyone with patience and discipline can perform. The salary is very good for the amount of work you do.
Tips on how to get the job:
Be prepared for competency questions around patience and an eye for detail.
11. Social media manager
Overview:
As a social media manager, you manage your client’s online presence.
It includes everything from developing a content strategy, facilitating customer service and producing engaging content people love.
Responsibilities:
The most common responsibilities of a social media manager are:
- Developing a creative social media strategy
- Conducting customer research
- Monitoring and analysing customer data
- Producing highly-engaging content
Aside from this, you should also be a very analytical and rational person. It would help if you were highly organised, set smart goals and be a good planner.
Average salary:
The average hourly pay is £20 – £30, according to Glassdoor.
I’d say it is a fair amount for the work you do. It’s much more difficult than the previous online jobs for students, though.
Bottom line:
If you love managing a company’s online presence, analysing the audience and creating engaging content, this may be the right job for you.
Be sure to learn more about social media best practices and marketing, though. It may not seem like it, but it isn’t easy.
Tips on how to get the job:
You’ll need to be familiar with different social channels and their respective audiences. Perhaps do a little research on the best channels for the company’s target audiences and the type of content that would engage them
12. Online language teacher
Overview:
If you’re proficient or fluent in another language, you could shop around for online language tutoring jobs. Online language learning has seen a real uptick, and business students and school pupils are taking to online video sessions to help them develop their language skills. These online language classes can be conducted online, and many are searching for simple conversational skills.
Responsibilities:
As an online language tutor, you’ll be responsible for managing your timetable of lessons, planning each session ahead of time, and focusing on the progression of your students to help them reach their language learning goals.
Average salary:
According to the online language learning app Preply, the average hourly rate for an online tutor is $18.30. Naturally, the more qualified you are, the more you’ll be able to charge.
Bottom line:
If you’re passionate about your chosen languages and you’re keen to meet people from all over the world and help others learn, online language tutoring can be very rewarding.
Tips on how to get the job:
Be prepared to conduct a recorded video so that students can choose you from several language teachers- being friendly and approachable is key if you want to appeal to online learners across the globe.
13. eCommerce
Overview:
It’s super easy to set up an online shop these days. If you are an artist, maker or expert crafter, building an Etsy store, eBay shop or Amazon Marketplace account is accessible and easy to manage.
Responsibilities:
Building your online shop will mean you’ll be able to build your own routine of production, managing your stock, marketing and shipping your products.
Average salary:
Your earnings will depend on your products, their price point and, ultimately, how much you sell.
Bottom line:
You will need to have a strong product that stands out from the crowd, and a competitive price, to ensure you make a profit after production and shipping costs.
Tips on how to get the job:
This is more of an entrepreneurial endeavour than a job role, so make sure you know your target market and the channels you’ll use to reach them.
14. SEO Specialist
Overview:
SEO is a great industry to gain skills in if you have ambitions to go into digital marketing and possess basic computer skills. SEO (search engine optimisation) is about improving the rankings of a particular website on google.
Responsibilities:
Depending on the role, you’ll be sourcing keywords, creating backlinks, and optimising written content to improve general readability and SEO for web pages and blog content.
Average salary:
Salary can vary, but according to Payscale, you can expect around £12.50 per hour.
Bottom line:
You’ll need to put the time and effort into learning the basics of SEO first. But with several online courses available, developing your SEO skills is accessible and cheap (you’ll often find free courses online)
Tips on how to get the job:
Invest time and energy in becoming an SEO guru, and it will set you up for a great career in SEO and digital marketing.
15. Blogger/Influencer
Overview:
It’s something many aspire to, but making a living by becoming a successful blogger and influencer takes more work than you might think. It’s important to choose your niche – what your content will be about and ensure it will be of interest to a large online audience.
Responsibilities:
You’ll be building your own routine and dedicating time to compiling the right content and strategy for your online audience. Responsibilities might include:
- Building your follower numbers on a daily basis
- Compiling a pipeline of engaging content
- Building a gallery of quality images and videos
- Reaching out to other brands or influencers for advertising opportunities, campaigns, sponsorships, or mentions to help you raise your exposure.
Average salary:
This will depend on the subject matter, how large your following is and how much you could end up charging for brand marketing on your channel. According to Business Insider, a successful influencer could earn up to $5,000 per month just from affiliate links.
Bottom line:
You’ll need to be a great photographer, videographer, negotiator and writer, and you’ll need to be prepared to put the hours in to drive up your follower numbers through regular quality content and engagement.
Tips on how to get the job:
This is another ‘job’ that’s more entrepreneurial. Only you can be in charge of making sure you have the skills to build a strategy, drum up followers and commit to a time-consuming routine and content pipeline.
16. Freelance proofreader
Overview:
A proofreader is responsible for checking the spelling and grammar in written documents and correcting any errors. If you’re a keen reader with an avid eye for detail and you have a good grasp of English grammar, an online proofreading job could be a good option.
Responsibilities:
Your responsibilities are simply to spot and correct spelling and grammar errors. Proofreaders will either amend these as they identify them or highlight them and send the notated document back to the writer, depending on the client’s preferences.
Average salary:
You can expect around £12.45, according to Payscale.
Bottom line:
Being a successful proofreader requires sustained, deep focus and a keen eye for detail. You’ll need to make sure you have a quiet place to work and access to a printer- the quiet section of your university library could come in handy.
Tips on how to get the job:
It might be worth familiarising yourself with proofreading marks and symbols to ensure you know how to notate physical documents if required.
What are the things to consider when choosing an online job as a student?
Before you take the plunge and apply for any of the roles above, it’s worth stepping back and considering the following points:
1. What skills do you have?
It might be that you are a super-speedy typist. Maybe you have a knack for coding, or perhaps you’re bilingual and want to monetise this. Identifying what your talents are and highlighting these to any potential employer is key.
2. What equipment or resources will you need?
For most online jobs, you’ll need a computer and access to the internet, which means you should be able to work from pretty much anywhere. However, make sure you research to check whether you’ll need any additional kit, be it software, hardware, or even smarter clothing, as you’ll need to budget for this accordingly and ensure it’s worth any investment.
3. What type of online work do you want?
It’s no good doing something that bores you or a job you simply don’t enjoy. Think about what makes you excited and where your passions lie, and explore where that might take you in your future career.
4. How much money do you need to earn?
While getting experience under your belt will be extremely valuable, you also need to ensure you’re not going to be exploited, short-changed or out of pocket by the end of your university term. Put a budget together and work out monthly outgoings to establish what salary you might need from your online student job.
Frequently asked questions on online jobs for students
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What are international online jobs for students?
Most online jobs listed above should also be international. If you are happy to work remotely, it means your potential employer could be anywhere in the world. But be sure that the hiring manager knows where you are based and lets you know of any restrictions, especially for international students.
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What salary can I expect from a student job?
Your salary will depend on the job role, the industry, your experience and the hours you’re willing to put into the new endeavour. For those just starting out in the working world- be it online or offline, it’s worth looking at the national minimum wage for your age bracket.
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How can I find online job vacancies?
There are many job sites for students on the hunt for work. Student Job or Indeed are good options if you want part-time work, a full-time work experience placement, or a graduate job, whereas if you want flexible, freelance work, Upwork, People per Hour, or Freelancer may come in handy. Once you have an idea of the type of job you might want- it’s a good idea to set up job alerts so that you can apply early and never miss an opportunity.
Conclusion
Studying in the UK can be hard, especially when it comes to financial support. But for most, your lectures and study time won’t take up all of your waking hours, so it’s a good opportunity to use that free time to make a little extra cash to help you fund student life and maybe even save a little. Securing a part-time job or flexible freelance role could also be a great way to add a string to your bow, upskill before you graduate, and also enjoy meeting new people- potentially from all across the globe.
Today we’ve discussed the 16 best online jobs for students in the UK. Most of them require little or no experience, so you should be able to have a look around and find the perfect job to help you earn more money and support your student life.
Originally published Apr 01, 2021, updated Jan 16, 2023
