10 Best Summer Jobs for College Students in NYC

Keep your eyes wide open, since the list is going to bring you the best summer jobs for college students in NYC!

Being a college student can be really fun, but if you don’t have a scholarship or parents who are willing and able to pay for it, you get in the position that you must work and finance yourself. On the other side, some college students simply decide to work because they want to have an additional income to cover living expenses or they simply want to gain some experience before they graduate. In that sense, those college students who would like to have a part time job throughout the whole year and not just during summer should consult our list of Highest Paying Part-Time Jobs for College Students.

I am aware that nobody likes to work during summer, and especially while you are a student; summer is a great opportunity to rest from the long lectures, to go to the beach with your friends and to be as much adventurous as possible. However, if you take into consideration that some of the seasonal jobs may also combine working and having fun, you will realize that this is not a bad idea after all. Besides earning your own money, you will meet a lot of new people, make incredible friendships and become completely independent. After all, you may always take a break for 10-15 days and go on holiday which you may pay from the money you earned. I assure you, this is one of the best feelings one may get.

In order to find the best possible solutions for college students in NYC and help them earn money during summer, I did an extensive Google search and I may say that there are a lot of great opportunities and ideas. Some of the ideas were taken from Trade-Schools and Localwise websites, and I found them quite useful in this regard. Eventually, it is just a matter of preference and everyone may choose a job that best suits them, so at least you don’t hate waking up in the morning knowing that you have a work to do that day. Those students whose motivation is only earning a lot of money that they may save up for later will probably choose those jobs from the top of the list since the ranking is made according to the estimated salary, which was checked on the PayScale.

So, let’s see what are the best summer jobs for college students in NYC.

10. Restaurant Staff

$5.17-$10.51/Hour

This is probably one of the most famous jobs among college and high school students since it can be done without a particular previous experience in most cases.  Additionally, working in a restaurant does not limit you to a single position, since there are always possibilities such as working as a waiter or waitress, in the kitchen or as a part of a cleaning service. There are tons of restaurants in NYC that are willing to hire students during their summer holidays, so prepare your CV and search for the most suitable places for employment.

9. Amusement Park Employee

$10 – $12/Hour

Being an employee in an amusement park is the next job on our list of best summer jobs for college students in NYC. That is quite a logical choice during summer for those people who like working outdoor jobs. Plus, you get to have a lot of fun while earning your own money, which can never be a bad idea. However, if you are an introvert person who is not very into communicating with people all day, you should think twice about this. On the other side, adrenaline lovers will love this job, since it will include free tickets for everything in most cases. You will be surrounded by kids, adults who came to have fun and you will make a lot of new friendships while working, so use the opportunity of living in this giant city with numerous parks and find your place in one of them.

8. Fitness Trainer/Sports Instructor

$14.65 – $16.85/Hour

For those people who train a lot or study sports, this can never be regarded as an actual job, but you will still get paid for it, which is a great opportunity. Imagine this, if you train every day and if you attend fitness classes yourself, why not try and become a trainer yourself? Additionally, if you are good at certain sports and trained for years, this is the right time to join some sports clubs or visit those where you already trained yourself and present your talents. This job, that ranks 8th on our list of best summer jobs for college students in NYC is well paid if you take into consideration that it is not a typical one where you receive the orders and perform your duties, but instead, you do what you like and get paid for it.

7. Tour Guide

$8.64 – $19.90/Hour

Who knows your city better than you do? I bet no one, and the summer is the right period of the year where you can actually earn money by knowing every single corner of NYC. If you know additional languages, plus if you are a charming and communicative human being, with excellent knowledge of amazing places of New York, with a strong will to share its beauties with other people, don’t hesitate to try with this job that ranks 7th on our list of best summer jobs for college students in NYC. There are many similar things, but in my opinion, the website named Tours by Locals can be of a huge help, so check it out!

6. Lifeguard

$18.96/Hour

So, you are a very good swimmer, or you maybe even have a certificate from the school where you have trained swimming for a very long period of time, even since a very young age. This is why I think in such situations there is no need to go further and look for jobs when you can actually earn money by spending your day at the pool and making sure that everything is under control. Of course, some risky situations may appear from time to time, but that should definitely not prevent you from applying for a lifeguard position since this is one of the best summer jobs for college students in NYC.

5. Tutoring

$15-$20/Hour

As a college student, you must be good at certain school subjects and you can always earn a lot of money by helping those students younger than you, or children who have difficulties to overcome math, chemistry or any other subjects in their Primary or Secondary schools. Additionally, you can always teach some other things, such as playing guitar, piano, dancing, or anything else that you consider yourself very good at. However, don’t do it if you are not very good at it since you will eventually disappoint people and remain broke.  Work on your skills and the results will definitely be visible in a very short period of time!

4. Pet Sitting

$17 – $21/Hour

Being an animal lover and pet owner can bring you a lot of money if you know how to use it. Your neighborhood is certainly full of people with pets, and if you take into consideration that there are many busy and employed people among their owners, you will realize that they definitely need your help. Sometimes they will simply need you to take a walk with their pet, but sometimes they will need the whole range of services, such as bathing, taking them to hairdressers (yes, pets also have hairdressers), and any other things they usually do with their pets when they have a lot of time to do it.

3. Babysitting

$20-$25/Hour

I don’t think it is necessary to mention it, but I will still do it; don’t go for this job if you don’t like kids and babies and if you are not prepared for the fact that they actually can be quite demanding at some points, especially when they cry without stopping and you feel helpless because you don’t know what to do. However, if you are patient enough, if you like spending time with children and if you are a creative person who always knows how to amuse them and have fun, go for it! I am sure you may find a job even in your neighborhood, without the need to go further, so let people know you are interested in becoming a babysitter this summer! Now, let’s see the top two entries on the list of best summer jobs for college students in NYC.

2. Caregiver

$23.27/Hour

Elderly people around us are often time alone and if they don’t live with their children, they have a hard time living on their own, since they are not able to perform everyday duties by themselves. In that case, if you are a medical school graduate or a student of medicine, or if you are simply willing to spend your day with them, taking care of whether they took their medicines, go to the grocery store or prepare food, you may actually earn a lot of money, plus you may gather a lot of wisdom from them. I am sure that this is one of the best possible options for students who are positive, patient and very well organized.

1. Summer Camp Program Coordinator/Educator

$9.94 – $30.64/Hour

Summer is the best period of the year mostly because there are many cool summer camp programs, especially for small children and teenagers, but you as a college student can find your place here, without any problems. If you attended certain training for youth workers, or if you have certain certifications for educators, don’t forget to check out all of the summer camps around and in New York. Besides this, you need to be organized, punctual and ready to work as a part of a team, but I am sure it is worth since this job is the first on the list of the best summer jobs for college students in NYC.