Did you know that many companies are willing to pay for the software development skills of undergraduate cs students?
In fact, when researching jobs for computer science students, I was stunned by the number of positions available. Some employers even send recruiters to job fairs with the hope of hiring computer science students. However, most of these offers are full-time positions that don’t fit the busy schedule of a computer science student.
In this article, I have summed up the best part-time jobs for computer science students who are still studying in college. To rank these student jobs, I considered criteria such as flexibility, salary, and career development. Each position on this list will allow you to gain valuable experience and boost your resume as a future software engineer or web developer!
1. Freelance Web Developer
- Salary: $20 per hour.
- Workload: 93% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 288 web developer jobs are available on
Freelance web developers build websites for organizations and small businesses.
As a computer science nerd, you already have the technical skills required to become a freelance web developer. If not, feel free to watch free courses on how to build simple websites with WordPress or other Content Management Systems. Once you know the basics, here is how you can make money:
- Reachi out to potential clients: local businesses, lawyers, photographers, music bands, influencers, etc.
- Understand the client’s needs: talk with your client about the project and estimate the web development cost. It is sometimes required to build multiple draft versions, and make revisions as requested by the client.
- Publish the website: find a host server, buy a domain name, and upload the website.
Requirements
- A portfolio of websites that highlights web development skills.
- Proof that you can develop websites with WordPress or other CMSs.
- Understanding of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and other languages.
2. Data Entry Clerk
- Average Salary: from as little as $5 up to $25 per hour.
- Workload: 10% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 518 data entry clerk jobs are available on
As a future computer scientist, you know that the strength of statistical models depends on their data input. There are many data entry jobs to make you familiar with data collection:
- Describing or identifying images
- Entering up-to-date prices
- Transcription of audio notes
- Subtitling
- Tagging and annotating data
- You name it!
You can put data entry jobs on your resume; it shows the employer that you know how to handle data and understand how data is collected.
Requirements
- Note: Some data farms ask you to complete a qualifier to validate your transcription/subtitling/tagging skills.
3. Computer Repair Technician
- Salary: $30 per hour.
- Workload: 100% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 11 computer repair technician jobs are available on
Many computer repair shops hire part-time repair technicians to:
- Repair hardware: board repair, chips cleanup, smartphone screen repair, etc.
- Install or update software packages
- Build new PCs
- Recover lost data
Requirements
- Some repair shops require technicians to complete a certification.
4. Freelance Social Media Manager
- Salary: $15 per hour.
- Workload: 100% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 72 social media manager jobs are available on
Social media managers make money by representing companies on social networks. Many companies hire social media managers to:
- Attract new fans: publishing engaging content, promoting the brand with paid advertising, reaching out to local influencers, etc.
- Turn fans into customers: responding to questions about the product/service, retargeting advertisements, etc.
- Turn these customers into advocates: organize giveaways (share this post to win our product), create communities on Reddit and other forums, etc.
As a computer science student, managing a few local businesses' social media accounts is a great way to learn the basics of digital marketing.
Requirements
- Preferred: Strong communication skills.
5. Teaching Assistant
- Salary: $12 per hour.
- Workload: 93% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 198 teaching assistant jobs are available on
Computer science teaching assistants support the professor by grading code submitted by students and organizing exercise sessions.
To find open teaching assistant positions, check the website of your faculty. Colleges usually require to have passed with flying colors to be hired as a teaching assistant for the class. Computer science students can also assist professors from other faculties with undergraduate courses such as algorithms, algebra, calculus, etc.
Requirements
- Required: In-depth knowledge about the topic.
- Preferred: Previous experience as a tutor.
6. Computer Science Internships
- Average Salary: paid internships can pay up to $20 per hour.
- Workload: 100% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 3 computer science internships are available on
Summer internships are a great way to gain experience as a future computer scientist. Tech companies often hire computer science majors in the following fields:
- Back-End Web Development
- Cybersecurity
- Software Engineering
- Data Science
- UX Designer
- Machine Learning and AI
Internships are big tech is not only a great way to gain hands-on experience, it is also a boost to your resume.
Requirements
- Interest in computer science, computer engineering, software engineering or related technical major.
7. Tutor
- Salary: $20 per hour.
- Workload: 75% of positions are full-time.
- Medium Demand: 7,770 tutoring jobs are available on
Computer science students get hired as tutors to teach high school and college courses.
At the high school level, computer science students often teach:
- Pre-Algebra
- Pre-Calculus
- Logic
- Trigonometry
At the university level, computer science tutors can be hired to teach courses such as image processing, programming principles, advanced algorithms, etc.
Requirements
- For university level courses: A bachelor’s degree in CS is preferred.
8. Video Editor
- Salary: $22 per hour.
- Workload: 100% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 16 video editor jobs are available on
Many local businesses in your area might need videos to promote their services on social networks. It is a golden opportunity to make money as a freelance video editor.
It is a great part-time job for computer science students interested in image processing, digital marketing, video editing, or photography.
Requirements
- Preferred: A stunning video editing portfolio.
- Required: Extensive experience with editing software (e.g. Lightworks, Premiere, After Effects, or Final Cut).
9. Computer Science Research Assistant
- Salary: $22 per hour.
- Workload: 100% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 11 computer science research assistant jobs are available on
Research assistants are hired to help professors with their academic research.
Computer science students who want to pursue an academic career can benefit from a research assistant position to:
- Gain software development skills that are not taught in the classroom.
- Develop a mentoring relationship with a faculty member.
- Earn a letter of recommendation for graduate school.
Requirements
- Required: A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.
- Preferred: Academic or work experience related to the field of research.
More Part-Time Jobs for Computer Science Students
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of all part-time jobs open to computer science students. In the following article, you will find more student jobs to make money on the side:
When you finally graduate from college, please do not forget what Linus Torvalds once said: “If you think your users are idiots, only idiots will use it.”