Are you a college student ready to enter the real world to make money? But confused about balancing your studies and a job at the same time. Well, guess what? You don’t have to be physically present anywhere to earn. How? Well, check out our guide to 15 self-employed/ freelance jobs for college students.
Once the addiction to earning starts, it never ends and being a college student, you have to keep in mind that your top priority is to keep up with your grades rather than counting dollars.
That’s why we are about to give you plenty of options on how to make money and maintain an excellent academic reputation at the same time. Please stick with us and have a look at our list of freelance jobs, where we will also include the pay rates to help you choose which road to take.
Overview Of Minimum Pay Rate Per Hour For Freelance Jobs
| Freelance Jobs | Minimum Pay Rate Per Hour |
| Graphic Designer | $30 |
| Freelance Writer | $50 |
| Online Tutor | $10 |
| Proofreader | $10 |
| Social Media Marketer | $25 |
| Website Developer | $15 |
| Transcriptionist | $12 |
| Photo/Video Editor | $10 |
| Voice-Over | $25 |
| Data Entry Specialist | $12 |
| Virtual Assistant | $10 |
| Video Captioning | $27 |
| Social Media Presenter | $10 |
| Translator | $10 |
| Typist | $10 |
15 Self-Employed/ Freelance Jobs For College Students
1.Graphic Designer
As technical as the job sounds, graphic designers are very much in demand by businesses that want to attract customers through eye-catching advertisements. In fact, some companies hire them as permanent employees to beat competitors by applying unique marketing strategies.
What do graphic designers specifically do? Well, it’s never-ending, to be honest, depending on what you find interesting. It could be logo making, designing the layouts of books and magazines, or even banner and poster designing. Basically, it’s a job where you can display your
creativity.
You can even try and talk your way into designing your college brochure or year magazine if the authorities permit you to do so. That way, not only will a large number of pupils get to see your work, but it will be a form of self-branding helping you to get more projects in the future.
The tools that are mainly required for graphic designing are Figma, Illustrator, Canvas, and Adobe Photoshop, which you can learn how to use by watching video tutorials on YouTube.
For those of you who have a weakness for graphic designing and have inherited the skills required to become a pro could well be getting decent job offers to let you bag some dollars as pocket money.
How much does it pay?
On average, a freelance graphic designer makes approximately $30 an hour. But since your main goal is to earn, look for clients that pay per project rather than hours, as it’s always a better deal financially.
2. Freelance Writer
Do you have a passion for writing? Then how about earning by doing what you love? Believe it or there are massive opportunities out there as a freelance writer, providing you know how to go about it.
Small businesses always seek freelance writers to help them increase their audiences with top-quality content and product descriptions.
Other than that, you could get involved in writing video scripts or resumes and emails for those who are professionals. There are also online magazine and newspaper portals that look for freelancers to send write-ups.
Another writing job that you could take up is working as a freelance academic writer. How does it work? Well, I’m sure many of your friends and classmates are reluctant or find it challenging to do assignments given by lectures; in turn, they seek help. This is where you can take the opportunity to assist them and earn a few bucks in return. After all, nothing is for free!
How much can you earn?
As a beginner, you can start by charging $50 for a 1500-word blog or article. As you gain experience, make sure to increase your charges. However, academic writing will help you earn more than this as the work is critical, and several criteria must be met.
3. Online Tutor
Some of us have always dreamt of being a teacher since our school days. So yes, another perfect freelance job for college students like yourself is to start online tutoring. Honestly, there is nothing to learn as you can teach whichever subject you are good at or enjoy talking about.
Besides tutoring, another option could be to teach English or any other foreign language online that you know well from the back of your mind. To do this, you will need to be skilled and have a clear idea of the grammar of the language you want to work with, as the learners will rely on you.
Yes, there are many platforms where you can find tutoring jobs, but until you find one, how about looking for international students in your academic institute who want to learn English or any other language you are fluent in? And yes, you don’t necessarily have to teach them in person; simply take lessons online.
The biggest advantage of becoming an online tutor is setting your schedule. You can conduct your sessions according to your convenience. However, make sure to take the payment per session. Because if you are unlucky, students may show up for a few classes and then disappear without paying you.
How much can you earn?
As an online tutor, you can earn from $10-$30 per session, depending on what you are teaching and the number of sessions you are able to conduct.
4. Proofreader
Many people write articles, essays, books, and so on but do not have the time to proofread or are weak in grammatical skills. Imagine writing a 300-page book and then reading it from top to bottom again to find mistakes.
Well, if you are yearning to make money and lack skills in other areas, proofreading is something you could take up, but make sure you read the writeup thoroughly and correct every error; otherwise, conflicts may arise when the question of payment arises.
Look for students who get lower grades just because their work is not perfect because of silly mistakes and errors. Offer them assistance and tell them you are a fast, skillful checker, and also set a price for your service.
When it comes to books and magazines or working for people you do not know personally and have met through online platforms. Make sure to discuss the payment rates and procedures before commencing with the given tasks because the amount will likely differ significantly from proofreading academic papers.
How much can you earn?
It depends on the work you decide to be involved with. If you proofread a book, a few hundred dollars, starting from $200, could be on the way to your wallet. Then again, if you are proofreading academic papers, you can start from $5-$7 per project.
5. Social Media Marketer
Are you one of those people who live for social media? Is scrolling, commenting, and posting pictures on various platforms like Instagram and Facebook a significant part of your daily routine? Well, if so, then being a social marketer is the dream self-employed job for college students.
Many businesses, influencers, and motivational speakers tend to reach a low audience because of their lack of knowledge regarding social media marketing.
And since you are active on social media, you can easily find a job by contacting businesses and other personalities by sharing your skills. This could include the ability to create engaging written content or the skill of communicating with followers and customers by answering queries or even coming up with strategies to develop the promotion of brands.
How much can you earn?
As a beginner, you will likely get around $25-$30 per hour, but with experience, the rate will increase. Some social media marketers charge up to $70 on an hourly basis.
6. Website Developer
The demand for website developers is increasing at an alarming rate daily. Why? Because not only businesses but those who we follow on social media, even celebrities, have their websites. A highly developed and updated website is the key for businesses as it provides relative information helping them to expand themselves in the market and to overtake competitors by showing their uniqueness.
Hence if you have the skills even to build a simple WordPress site, then you are already a website developer who can start looking for clients to work with. Although this skill is a primary skill for developers, some projects require only this much.
Besides WordPress, if you can gain sufficient knowledge of visual strategy, programming tools, basic design tools, or even an understanding of HTML, you are ready to take on big projects.
But since you are a college student who has to keep studies at the top of the priority list, it’s recommended to start with small gigs such as making an app or building a one-page layout that take less time and are easy for you to pull off. That way, you can earn and concentrate on your academic side at the same time.
How much can you earn?
Depending on your skills and performance, you could earn anything from $15-$35 per hour.
7. Transcriptionist
If you have good listening skills and can put words into writing by hearing recordings, then you can aim to target clients who require transcriptionists.
The media has huge demands for transcriptionists, as recordings of interviews and speeches taken by journalists and interviewers sometimes need to be converted into written documents. Other than that, the education and healthcare sector also often look for people who can give accurate information and relevant data after hearing recordings.
Although the job may sound a little boring, it gives you the opportunity to gain vast knowledge on a variety of topics. Besides that, another advantage is that transcriptionists have to listen carefully to recordings which helps improve their vocabulary and grammar skills.
How much can you earn?
Working as a transcriptionist will enable you to earn at least $12 per hour when you start.
8. Photo/Video Editor
Social media is full of bloggers and influencers, among which some do not have the slightest idea regarding how to edit pictures and videos to post on their accounts for followers to see and comment on.
Starting from food to travel, bloggers’ photos and videos are the only tools they have to gain popularity in social media. And if the sound and picture quality lacks perfection, they will lose followers quickly.
Hence if you have a knack for editing pictures and videos by maybe adding some background music or special effects or basically whatever you are asked to do, then jump in and take up projects offered to you.
You will not need to spend time learning a wide range of skills. Just make sure you have a good grasp of Adobe Photoshop for photos and Adobe Premiere for video editing.
How much can you earn?
You can earn anything between $10-$25 per hour. Voice-over over
Doing voice-overs is a relatively easy freelance job for college students as no extra skills and knowledge need to be adapted.
But yes, you need to have a pleasant voice while speaking at a moderate pace and have the ability to display emotions and feelings through the tone of your voice by reading from the script given to you. Also, keep in mind that the same speaking style will not be appropriate for all jobs.
Voice actors are often needed for movies, radio shows, tv shows, interviews, commercials, presentations, and so on. That’s why you need to decide on the tone of voice you are comfortable with, as doing a voiceover for a movie may require an informal tone, whereas if you choose to record for a presentation, you need to sound formal.
But the job may take up a valuable amount of time from your daily life as you have to practice narrating the script according to the requirements that include the correct tone of voice and dropping in expressions where needed.
Then again, it’s a fun way of earning money without learning extra to do the job.
How much can you earn?
Usually, beginners are offered $25 per voice-over, depending on the category of work. But once you work on a few projects and gain experience, it should be easy to continue being a voice actor allowing you to increase your rates.
10. Data Entry Specialist
If you know your way around computers, then why don’t you try aiming to work for clients who are looking for data entry specialists?
The job isn’t too difficult to carry out, all you have to do is make entries of raw information from given sources to computers. This could include handwritten documents, calculations, and so on.
But it’s better to have in-depth knowledge of a few basic software that includes Microsoft Excel for spreadsheets and Microsoft Word for typing, and also you must work quickly so that clients do not hesitate to give you more work in the future.
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How much can you earn?
A data specialist starts working for clients at a minimum of $12 per hour.
11.Virtual Assistant
The job of working as a ‘virtual assistant’ sounds both posh and complicated at the same time, doesn’t it? Well, to be honest, it’s one of the easiest and most flexible jobs for students to do.
You can always choose your clients according to the services you can provide and so them in your own time, which gives you plenty of flexibility.
There are many tasks that a virtual assistant can carry out that include: creating files and folders to arrange documents, replying to customer messages on business pages, making schedules for meetings and appointments for professionals such as lawyers or doctors, and so on.
By doing this job, you will get the opportunity to learn and perform a wide range of tasks that could benefit your future career.
How much can you earn?
The money you make depends on the job you have been asked to do, but generally, a virtual assistant earns $10-$20 per hour.
12. Video Captioning
Video captioning is a slightly more complicated job than doing audio transcriptions. You have to watch the video, hear what is being said, and then convert it into writing which is then used as captions.
Many cooking, educational, and motivational videos on YouTube are captioned to make understanding easier.
Doing video captions takes a lot of time and concentration because the job has to be flawless; otherwise, those who follow the captions while watching videos may get the wrong message. And one mistake could be harmful as future clients may not be willing to give you more projects.
How much can you earn?
You will be paid approximately $0.45 per minute for video captioning. Gradually as your speed increases, the rate of payment will rise.
13. Social Media Presenter
Nowadays, businesses promote their products by arranging live sessions on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, where the owner or presenter shows and talks about what they have to offer and mentions the prices. Besides that, the comment section allows potential customers to ask any questions.
And as a student, if you are not camera shy and know the tactics to convince people, then start looking for businesses that are hiring social media presenters, as not all owners are comfortable and confident to go live in front of a wide audience.
Each session will take approximately 30 mins – 1 hour to conduct. And usually, businesses arrange these shows after office hours so that people can relax and watch. This is also an advantage on your behalf, as you can easily finish your classes and homework and then go live on social media.
And yes, you can work as a social media presenter from your home or college dorm, as business owners will send you the products that need to be shown during live sessions. All you have to have is a good picture-quality mobile phone.
How much can you earn?
As a beginner, you will probably earn around $10-$15 per hour.
14. Translator
While you may think it takes multiple skills to find self-employed/ freelance jobs for college students, sometimes you may not even be aware of how much the skills and talents you possess can be used to help people and earn at the same time.
Those of you who can speak more than one language, otherwise known as bilingual or multilingual, can quickly look for translation jobs. Many people need documents, books, and study materials that need to be translated and are not capable of doing so.
Hence if you are familiar with the required language, you can easily become a freelance translator. In fact, you can start by communicating with international students in your institution and asking them if they need any lectures or notes to be translated.
How much can you earn?
As a beginner, you can expect to earn $10 per translation.
15. Typist
If you have a good typing speed and can do it error-free, then working as a typist is something you should go for. Even nowadays, many people prefer pen and paper instead of typing.
And yes, typing does require a certain amount of knowledge, as many different functions need to be applied when working on documents—for example, formatting, the application of tables and diagrams, using different headings, and so on.
Believe it or not, many professionals do not have the time and sufficient skills to type and are often searching for typists.
Besides looking for professionals to work for, maybe you could help out friends or classmates to type their documents in your educational institute. Even now, many students are not familiar with all the ins and outs of Microsoft Word and Google Docs.
How much can you earn?
A typist can earn anything from $10-$15 per hour. It all depends on your skills and ability to submit work on time.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it,15 easy freelance jobs for college students to consider taking up. Some of the work requires minimum skills, such as working as a web developer or graphics designer. In contrast, other jobs, such as being a translator or online tutor, allow you to display what you know already and help people with it.
Nonetheless, you can always choose the job you think will be the most appropriate for you, considering the pay rates and skill requirements.
Let’s not forget the topmost advantage of freelancing is the flexibility of choosing your working hours and doing the job right at home in front of your PC or mobile phone.
