How to make money as a student in the UK
The student loan covers rent and maybe food. Costs keep rising and the loan doesn't. Here are the options that actually pay, ranked by how easy they are to start.
On this page
Part-time jobs: most reliable, easiest to start
A part-time job is the most predictable way to earn as a student. Regular hours, consistent pay, no setup time. Student visa holders can work up to 20 hours per week during term time; UK domestic students have no legal limit.
Hospitality (bars, restaurants, cafes)
£11 to £15/hr + tipsFlexible shift patterns. Evening and weekend hours fit most timetables. Tips can add £20 to £50 on a busy shift. Most managers understand student availability.
Retail
£11 to £12.50/hrMore structured hours than hospitality. High demand at Christmas and summer. Sainsbury's, Tesco, H&M, and Next all run regular student hiring. Good for building consistent income.
Amazon Flex or delivery
£13 to £15/hrWork completely on your own schedule. Requires a car. One of the highest hourly rates available with no experience required.
Campus jobs
£11 to £12.50/hrLibrary assistant, IT helpdesk, student ambassador, research participant. Zero commute. Employers are structured around exams and understand coursework deadlines.
Event staff
£12 to £15/hrOne-off shifts at concerts, sports events, and conferences. Often better rates than regular hospitality with no ongoing commitment.
Aim for a job that pays at least the National Living Wage (£12.21 per hour in 2025) and offers flexible scheduling. Don't take cash-in-hand roles without payslips. You'll need those payslips for rental references and future visa applications.
Online income: lower ceiling, higher flexibility
Online work generally pays less per hour than a physical job but fits around lectures and deadlines much better. The best options are ones you can pause during exams and scale up in summer.
Online tutoring
If you got ABB or above at A-level, you can tutor those subjects. MyTutor, Tutorful, and Superprof let you set your own rate. GCSE Maths, English, and Sciences have constant demand.
Starting rates are £15 to £20 per hour. Once you have reviews, £30 to £40 per hour is common. This is one of the best hourly rates available to a student with no work experience.
Freelancing
If you have any marketable skill (graphic design, copywriting, video editing, web development, social media management) you can sell it on Fiverr or Upwork. Fiverr works well for fixed-price packages. Upwork is more like a job board where you bid on projects.
Starting rates are low, £5 to £15 for basic work. After a few months and some positive reviews, a student with solid Canva skills or basic Photoshop can earn £200 to £400 per month without much ongoing effort.
Paid research studies
Most UK universities run research studies that pay participants. Check your university's psychology or business department noticeboard. Rates are typically £5 to £15 per session. Prolific Academic is the best online version and pays around £9 per hour. General survey sites (Swagbucks, YouGov) rarely break £2 per hour and aren't worth the time as a primary source of income.
Starting point: pick one income stream and spend 4 weeks doing it consistently before adding a second. Trying to run 3 side hustles at once in the first week is a reliable way to do all of them badly.
Campus-based opportunities
Some of the most overlooked options are on campus.
Selling things you already own
A wardrobe audit can generate a few hundred pounds before you've done a single hour of paid work.
Clothes
Vinted and Depop for fashion. Average selling price is £8 to £15 per item. 20 items cleared out earns £160 to £300.
Old textbooks
Sell back to the campus bookshop, list on Amazon marketplace, or use BookFinder. First-year textbooks for popular courses move fast.
Electronics
Old phones, laptops, and consoles sell well on Music Magpie, Decluttr, or Facebook Marketplace (which gives a better price than trade-in services).
Handmade digital products
Study notes, Notion templates, revision packs. Sell on Etsy or directly through your Instagram. Your degree is your niche.
How many hours is too many
Research shows that up to 15 hours of paid work per week during term time has no measurable negative effect on grades. Above 20 hours, performance starts to fall.
The bigger risk isn't the total hours. It's the scheduling. An 8am shift before a 9am lecture twice a week is more damaging than 15 hours spread across evenings and weekends. Protect lecture time, keep at least one full day per week completely free, and clear your calendar entirely during exam periods.
If you're working to cover essentials rather than extras, check whether your university's hardship fund applies to you. Most UK universities distribute significant hardship funding to students who apply. It's not widely advertised. Ask student services directly.
Track what you earn alongside what you spend. Earning more only helps if spending doesn't rise at the same pace. See our guide to student budgeting for the weekly method.
Frequently asked questions
How can a student make money in the UK?
Part-time jobs in hospitality or retail are the easiest to start and pay £11 to £15 per hour. Online tutoring pays £15 to £40 per hour once you have reviews. Most students combine one reliable job with one flexible online income stream.
How many hours can a student work in the UK?
International students on a Student visa can work up to 20 hours per week during term time. UK domestic students have no legal limit but working above 15 hours during term time tends to affect grades.
How can a student make money online?
Online tutoring (MyTutor, Tutorful) pays £15 to £40 per hour. Freelancing on Fiverr or Upwork pays £5 to £50 per project depending on skill and reviews. Prolific Academic pays around £9 per hour for research surveys.
What's the best side hustle for a student?
Online tutoring gives the best hourly rate for students with good A-level knowledge. Hospitality work is the easiest to start immediately with no setup required.
How do you earn money without a job?
Selling clothes on Vinted or electronics on Facebook Marketplace can generate a few hundred pounds with no ongoing commitment. Paid university research studies typically pay £5 to £15 per session.
Track income and spending in one place
The Student Budget Planner has an income tracker alongside the weekly spending log, so you can see your real take-home and whether the numbers actually balance. £5.99.
Download the Budget PlannerKeep reading
How to budget as a student in the UK
The weekly allocation method, realistic budget splits, and the habits that make your loan last the full term.
How to write a CV as a student (with no experience)
What to include, how to format it for ATS, and how to write bullet points that actually get interviews.