The Best Part Time Jobs for Every Education Level

No matter what field you’re in or what your educational background, sometimes a part-time job will be a necessity. Maybe you need a second job to make ends meet, or you need flexible hours. Whatever the case may be, we’ve got five of the top options for you to consider, based on whether you have a high school diploma, a four-year degree, or a master’s degree or higher.

High-School Diploma

If you’ve got a high-school diploma, you can score a great, high-paying part time job even without a degree. Customer Service Representative If you’ve ever spent an hour on hold while trying to straighten out some kind of product or service issue, you know how essential it is to have someone good and helpful on the other end of that phone line. Customer service reps can make between $10 and $18 an hour, according to PayScale. What you’ll need: A high school diploma or GED, plus on-the-job training. Strong customer service skills are a must. Yoga Instructor Breathe in, reach toward the sky, and hold it…if you can help other people find their zen while maintaining perfect posture, teaching yoga can be a very flexible (okay, pun intended) part-time career path. Depending on experience, yoga instructors can make between $25 and $50 an hour. What you’ll need: Certification as an instructor (typically a course plus about 200 hours of teaching experience) Nanny/Childcare Worker If you love kids, being a nanny for a particular family or working in a childcare facility can be a great part-time job. Part teacher, part parent, part entertainer—these caregivers are major multitaskers. What you’ll need: Rock-solid references, and certification in First Aid is helpful as well. Oh, and patience—you’ll need lots of that. Catering Professional Catering can be a great gig because it can often be done on nights and weekends, on a part-time schedule. And once you have a foot in that door, it can be a lucrative side gig with many more opportunities coming along. Catering workers can often make more than $20 an hour, potentially more depending on the event and tips. What you’ll need: Service skills (including customer management), on-the-job-training. Bartender Like catering, bartending is a real bang-for-your-buck part time gig, because you can basically set your own hours and have the potential to make a lot of money during that time. Whether you’re slinging suds or crafting artisanal cocktails with ingredients most of us have never even heard of, it’s a job with great potential for tips. Bartenders can command anywhere between $10 and $75 per hour, depending on tips. What you’ll need: State certification, depending on your state—check the requirements where you are.

Four-Year Degree

If you’ve already got a bachelor’s degree under your belt, you may want look for part time jobs more specialized to your education and experience. App/Software Developer Despite what stereotypes we may have about tech startups, app and software developers work as lone wolves on a part-time, project basis while they have other tech jobs. Developers can earn anywhere from $30-$60 per hour. What you’ll need: A degree in computer science or software engineering, plus excellent coding skills, and knowledge about UI design, programming languages, basic computer backend knowledge. Tutor Those who can, do. Those who can, and want to earn money by showing others how to do, teach. Tutors can earn anywhere from $15 to $200 per hour helping students with homework, or teaching supplemental concepts. Tutors may also help with standardized test prep. What you’ll need: Expertise and strong communication/teaching skills. Experience in the field is helpful, especially when it comes to test prep tutoring (for example, being a high scorer yourself will raise your rates). Translator/Interpreter People with global skills will continue to be in hot demand. Many companies (especially those with international offices) may employ translators directly, or use a third-party agency that matches qualified translators with particular jobs. Translators can earn up to $50 an hour, depending on the complexity of the translations. What you’ll need: fluency in at least one language other than English, with very strong grammar and syntax skills. Grant Analyst If you have a background in business, accounting, or public administration and are knowledgeable about grants, financial documents, and budgets, this is an area where you can go freelance, and command around $30 per hour. What you’ll need: A strong finance background, as well as education in business administration, accounting, or a similar field Freelance Editor If you live for finding tiny mistakes in written materials, or rewording for style or accuracy, then freelance editing is a strong choice for a part-time gig. What you’ll need: A degree in English, communications or similar, plus superior attention to detail and written communication skills

Master’s Degree or Higher

If you have a master’s degree (or higher), there are many highly specialized part time jobs that might be a great option for you. Adjunct Professor If you have a lot of great subject matter experience and expertise, teaching could be a solid part time choice for you. Adjunct professors are basically part-time faculty at a college or university. And with online courses becoming more popular than ever, this is becoming a highly flexible choice for part time teaching. What you’ll need: An advanced degree in your field, or extensive experience working in it. You’ll also need strong communication and teaching skills, as you’ll be working with students of varying abilities. Business Consultant Business consulting is excellent for the MBA who wants a flexible schedule, and the ability to work with many different clients. Consultants with specific expertise can work on a project basis, or may have an ongoing relationship with a particular company. Top consultants can make $150-$300 per hour, depending on qualifications and experience. What you’ll need: An advanced degree in business (typically an MBA or similar), and/or extensive expertise and experience in the field where you want to consult. Self-marketing skills are also key, as you’ll need to find and maintain a client base. Information Technology Consultant Like with business consulting, IT consulting is a way to channel superb tech skills and a strong education/experience background into a flexible job. IT consultants often work on a project basis, either with a single company or with a range of clients. Highly qualified IT consultants can make $100 an hour, depending on experience and projects. What you’ll need: An advanced degree in computer science or engineering, and/or extensive expertise and experience in the specific IT area of expertise where you want to consult. Self-marketing skills are also key, as you’ll need to find and maintain a client base. Therapist Because therapists typically work on an appointment basis, it can be a very flexible option for part time work. Therapists can set their own schedule, working with clients for anywhere from $45 to $150 an hour, depending on the client and the specialty (family therapy, life coaching, etc.). What you’ll need: An advanced degree in psychology, as well as a strong patient/customer focus. Physical Therapist Physical therapists, like other kinds of therapists, typically work on an appointment basis, which makes it a strong part time job candidate alongside other jobs. Physical therapists work with patients to recover from illness or injury, as well as work on basic mobility and daily physical tasks. What you’ll need: A master’s degree in physical therapy, as well as state certification (check your state’s requirements) No matter what your education level, there are lots of great part time opportunities out there for you. With a combination of that education, your skills, and your experience, you can find a flexible job that’s right for you.