Did you know that college students can earn up to $350 a week working during the winter break?
That’s right; many seasonal jobs are available for college students during the Christmas break. The holiday season is a great period to take on a part-time job and minimize student loan debt!
To help your job search, we have gathered the best winter break jobs to earn cash and pay off student loans. We ranked these winter jobs considering criteria like training time, salary, and availability during the holiday season.
1. Ski Instructor
- Salary: $27 per hour.
- Workload: 100% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 19 ski instructor jobs are available on
Ski instructors either help skiers learn the basic techniques of skiing or help more experienced skiers improve their skills and increase their level of ability.
Ski instructors have the amazing opportunity to live their passion each and every day. They show their passion to first-time skiers while providing a fun and safe learning environment!
Requirements
- Complete a ski instructor qualification.
2. Snow Shoveler
- Salary: $18 per hour.
- Workload: 93% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 228 snow shoveler jobs are available on
A snow shoveler works to clear snow. In this job, your responsibilities are to remove snow after a snowfall from a driveway, parking lot, sidewalk, or pathway space.
Many old people from your community might need a snow shoveler to remove the snow in front of their homes during the winter season. Some companies also hire snow shovelers, this seasonal job requires you to be available at any time to help during the holiday rush.
Requirements
- The primary qualification for this job is physical power and endurance.
3. Dog Walker
- Salary: $14 per hour.
- Workload: 93% of positions are full-time.
- Medium Demand: 5,224 dog walker jobs are available on
Due to the blistering cold weather, many dog owners hire dog walkers during the winter break. This is a terrific opportunity for students to make extra cash on the side.
Dog walking is perfect for dog lovers who can resist the blistering winter cold during a 30 to 45 minutes walk. Dog walking is the best way to get a breath of (very) fresh air!
Requirements
- Proven experience working with dogs.
- Preferred: dog walker certification that includes dog first aid and CPR training.
4. Holiday Retail Worker
- Salary: $18 per hour.
- Workload: 100% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 7 holiday retail worker jobs are available on
The holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for retailers, so there is typically high demand for additional staff. Seasonal retail work is a great opportunity for college students who are hungry for a winter break job.
Requirements
- Interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
5. Delivery Driver
- Salary: $15 per hour.
- Workload: 89% of positions are full-time.
- High Demand: 24,977 delivery driver jobs are available on
It can be very comforting to work from the warmth of your own car during the winter season. These kinds of jobs do not require much experience and are ideal for college students who want to make some extra cash. Here are some typical driving jobs for students:
- Driving for Uber, Lyft, and other ride-sharing companies.
- Delivering food for Uber Eats, DoorDash, PostMates, and other food delivering companies.
- Deliver packages for UPS, FedEx, and other package delivery companies.
Requirements
- Required: a driver’s license and at least one year of driving experience.
- Required: auto insurance that meets the liability requirements.
- Usually required: 21 years of age or older.
6. Resort Worker
- Salary: $21 per hour.
- Workload: 92% of positions are full-time.
- Medium Demand: 7,601 resort worker jobs are available on
Here are some winter resort jobs for college students:
- Front Desk Clerk: Responsible for checking guests in and out of the resort, handling reservations, and addressing guest concerns or complaints.
- Housekeeper: Responsible for cleaning and maintaining guest rooms, as well as common areas of the resort.
- Buffet Attendant: Responsible for serving food and drinks to guests, as well as maintaining a clean and organized dining area.
Requirements
- Customer service skills
- Physical fitness
7. Outdoor Adventure Guide
- Salary: $13 per hour.
- Workload: 100% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 2 outdoor adventure guide jobs are available on
Outdoor adventure guides are passionate about nature.
They share their passion and conduct activities such as bungy jumping, hunting, mountaineering, and trekking. The goal of these adventures is to provide tourists with an unforgivable experience.
This seasonal job also offers many opportunities during the winter: snowshoeing, ski touring, mountaineering, etc.
Requirements
- Preferred: first aid and CPR certification.
8. Babysitter
- Salary: $18 per hour.
- Workload: 78% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 229 babysitting jobs are available on
Babysitters are responsible for the safety and well-being of children when their parents are away.
Many families may need extra help with child care during the holiday season when they are on vacation, or their usual babysitter is unavailable.
Requirements
- 18 years of age or older
- Ability to pass a background check
- Preferred: Childcare training and/or experience
- Preferred: Driver’s license (some parents want you to pick their kids up from school)
- Preferred: CPR and First Aid certification
9. Gift Wrapper
- Salary: $19 per hour.
- Workload: 100% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 7 gift wrapper jobs are available on
During the winter break, gift-wrapping services are working at full capacity. Retail stores hire gift wrappers for all kinds of gifts: flowers, chocolate, laptops, etc.
Requirements
Since you are a college student, you should be able to learn how to wrap gifts in a few hours.
10. Fast-food Worker
- Salary: $10 per hour.
- Workload: 100% of positions are full-time.
- Low Demand: 22 fast-food worker jobs are available on
Working in a fast-food restaurant isn’t glamorous, but you earn your pay.
There are many different fast-food related jobs:
- Assembling items, such as sandwiches and salads.
- Cashiers
- Customer service
- Restaurant manager and logistics jobs
These kinds of jobs are available throughout the year and not only in winter.
Requirements
- Preferred: customer service experience.
More Jobs for College Students
Many more jobs are available for college students throughout the year and not only during the winter season. To get more job ideas, I recommend the following articles: