Studying full time and needing extra money is a tricky balance. You need work that fits around lectures, assignments and exam weeks, pays fairly, and does not leave you exhausted for class. The good news is that plenty of side hustles are built for exactly that kind of schedule.
Quick answer: the best side hustles for students are flexible, low-cost to start, and easy to pause during exams. Online tutoring, freelance work, pet sitting, food delivery, odd jobs, reselling, babysitting, virtual assistant work, social media help and on-campus jobs all fit that test. This guide covers 10 options in plain terms, including how each one works, where to find work, and what to watch out for.
At a glance: 10 side hustles for students
| Side hustle | Best for | Startup cost | Where to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online tutoring | Strong students in a school subject | None | Learnmate, Superprof |
| Freelance writing, editing and design | Students with a portfolio skill | None | Upwork, Fiverr |
| Pet sitting and dog walking | Animal lovers with flexible days | None | Mad Paws, Pawshake |
| Food delivery | Evenings and weekends | Low if you already have transport | Uber Eats, DoorDash, Menulog |
| Odd jobs | Practical, hands-on students | Low | Airtasker, Gumtree |
| Selling pre-owned items | Anyone with things to clear out | None | eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree |
| Babysitting | Patient, reliable students | None | Local parent groups, babysitting platforms |
| Virtual assistant work | Organised students good with admin | None | Upwork, Fiverr |
| Social media help | Students who live on social media | None | Direct outreach to small businesses |
| On-campus jobs | Students who want work close to class | None | University careers pages |
1. Online tutoring
Best for: students who did well in a school subject and can explain it clearly.
Tutoring is one of the highest-paying flexible options for students, because you are selling knowledge you already have. Maths, English, science, languages and music are steady sellers, and HSC and VCE help is in strong demand. Sessions run over video call, so there is no travel and you can fit them around your own timetable.
Learnmate reports that tutors on its platform set their own rates from around $30 an hour, with its 2025 averages at $41 an hour for primary, $54 for Years 7 to 10, and $65 for Years 11 to 12. Student tutors usually sit at the lower end of that range until they build reviews. If you will work with children under 18, you will generally need a Working With Children Check, so check the rules in your state before you start. A free trial lesson is a good way to win a first student.
2. Freelance writing, editing and design
Best for: students studying writing, media, communications or design.
Businesses always need words and visuals: blog posts, product descriptions, social media captions, edited essays, logos and simple graphics. You do not need years of experience, but you do need samples. Write three short pieces, or design three simple graphics, in the area you want to work in, and use them as your portfolio.
Freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr are the usual starting point, and direct outreach to small local businesses works well too. Startup cost is nothing beyond a computer and internet. Start with smaller jobs, build reviews, and raise your rates as demand grows. The student advantage here is real: you can take work in quiet weeks and pause during exams without losing a rostered shift.
3. Pet sitting and dog walking
Best for: animal lovers with a pet-friendly home or flexible daytime hours.
Pet owners need someone reliable when they travel or work long days, and demand peaks around school holidays. Finder reports pet sitters typically charge around $50 to $60 per day per pet, with food and equipment usually supplied by the owner. Looking after more than one pet at a time can lift the daily total, but only take on what you can genuinely handle.
Pet-sitting platforms like Mad Paws and Pawshake match you with owners and handle bookings and reviews. Startup cost is close to zero. The honest catch is that work can be seasonal, and you need a backup plan if an animal gets sick or a booking runs over.
4. Food delivery
Best for: students with a bike, scooter or car who want evening and weekend hours.
Delivery apps such as Uber Eats, DoorDash and Menulog let you log on when you choose and get paid per delivery, which makes this one of the easiest student hustles to start. Finder cites an average of around $30 an hour for delivery drivers, but that figure is before tax, fuel and vehicle costs, so your real take-home will be lower.
Keep a simple log of kilometres, fuel and phone costs from day one, because those records matter at tax time. Peak meal times pay best, and rainy weekends are usually busier than quiet weekday afternoons. If you are an international student, delivery hours count towards your visa work limit, so track them carefully (see the visa section below).
5. Odd jobs
Best for: practical students who can assemble, fix, clean or move things.
There is steady demand for the jobs people put off: assembling furniture, mounting TVs, garden clean-ups, moving help and basic cleaning. Airtasker is built for exactly this kind of work, and Gumtree and local community groups are useful second channels.
Startup cost is low if you already own basic tools. Price by the job, not by the hour, once you know how long tasks take, and be honest about what you cannot do. Turning up on time and cleaning up afterwards is what gets you repeat bookings. This is also a good semester-break hustle, when you can take on bigger jobs without lectures in the way.
6. Selling pre-owned items
Best for: any student with a wardrobe, bookshelf or electronics drawer to clear out.
This is the simplest side hustle of all. Start with your own clothes, textbooks, electronics and furniture, then decide whether you enjoy sourcing and reselling or whether you just wanted a clear-out. eBay suits items worth posting, while Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree suit bulky local pickups.
Take clear photos in daylight, describe faults honestly, and price by checking what the same item recently sold for rather than what you paid for it new. Startup cost is zero until you start buying stock to resell. If reselling becomes regular and profit-driven, it starts to look like a business, which brings tax and record-keeping duties with it.
7. Babysitting
Best for: patient, reliable students who are good with kids.
Families need sitters for evenings, weekends and school holidays, and students are a natural fit because their schedules are flexible. Work comes through babysitting platforms, local parent groups, and word of mouth once a few families trust you.
Rates vary by city, the number and age of the children, and whether the work is a regular booking or a one-off evening. A Working With Children Check is normally expected when you work with children, so get that sorted before you advertise. Be clear about your availability, arrive early, and agree on pay, finish times and what to do in an emergency before the first sitting.
8. Virtual assistant work
Best for: organised students who are good with email, calendars and admin systems.
Small business owners often need help with inbox management, scheduling, data entry, basic bookkeeping and social media posting, but cannot justify a full-time hire. That is the virtual assistant gap. The work is remote, the hours are flexible, and the startup cost is nothing more than a computer and a reliable connection.
List your services on freelance platforms, and name the tasks you do best rather than offering general admin to everyone. Clients hire specialists faster than generalists. A short weekly retainer with one or two regular clients beats chasing one-off gigs every week, and it is much easier to plan around study.
9. Social media help for small businesses
Best for: students who already understand short video, captions and posting schedules.
Many small businesses know they should post regularly but do not have the time or the knack. If you can plan a week of posts, film simple phone videos, write captions and reply to comments, that skill is worth paying for. Start by offering a short trial to one local business, such as a cafe, gym or salon, and use the results to win the next client.
Charge by the month for a set number of posts rather than by the hour, so both sides know what to expect. Agree in writing who owns the account passwords and content, and never post anything for a client without their approval. This hustle also builds a portfolio that helps if you later want marketing or media work.
10. On-campus jobs
Best for: students who want work minutes from their lectures.
Universities and TAFEs hire students for library shifts, student ambassador roles, tutoring centres, research assistance, campus events and IT help desks. These jobs are often advertised on the university careers page or student jobs board, and some are only open to current students.
The pay is usually set by an award or enterprise agreement, the hours are designed around study, and managers understand exam periods because they work in education. The downside is competition: on-campus roles are popular, so apply early in semester and check the board regularly. Even a few shifts a week close to class can beat a longer commute to an off-campus job.
How to pick the right one
Ask three questions before committing. First, how many hours a week can you honestly spare without your grades slipping? Second, what skill do you already have that someone would pay for today? Third, how fast do you need the money? Service ideas like tutoring, pet sitting, delivery and odd jobs can pay within weeks. Product and content ideas take longer to build.
Start with one idea, not three. Give it a month of real effort, track what you earn against what you spend, and only then decide whether to keep it, change it or drop it. If you want the bigger picture first, see our guide on how to start a side hustle step by step, and our broader roundup of side hustle ideas that can earn extra income.
Work rules international students must know
If you hold a student visa (subclass 500), you can generally work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. That limit counts across all jobs combined, not per employer, and it applies to gig and freelance work too. During scheduled course breaks you can generally work unlimited hours. Students in a masters by research or doctoral course are generally exempt from the limit once their course has started. Check your own visa conditions before you start, because breaching them can put your visa at risk.
Domestic students do not face a visa hours cap, but the same good sense applies: protect your study time, and be upfront with employers about exam periods. If a job regularly clashes with compulsory classes or placements, it is the wrong job for a student, no matter what it pays.
The tax basics, in plain terms
This is general information, not tax advice, but these are the points that catch new student earners out. All side hustle income counts as assessable income and must be declared on your tax return. If your side activity looks like a business, with regular work done with the intention of making a profit, you will generally need an Australian Business Number, which is free to apply for through the Australian Business Register. See our guide on whether you need an ABN for a side hustle for the full test.
Most side hustlers only need to register for GST once annual turnover passes $75,000, but rideshare drivers are the exception and must register from the first dollar. Keep records of income and expenses for five years, and set aside a portion of every payment for tax rather than spending it all and facing a bill later. If your situation gets complicated, a short chat with a registered tax agent is money well spent.
Mistakes to avoid
- Starting five hustles at once instead of testing one properly.
- Trusting headline hourly rates that ignore tax, fees, fuel and vehicle costs.
- Forgetting the visa hours limit if you are an international student.
- Working with children or in people’s homes without the right checks and insurance.
- Underpricing to win work, then resenting the work and quitting.
- Letting side work eat into exam preparation and compulsory classes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best side hustle for a student with no experience?
Selling pre-owned items, food delivery and odd jobs need the least experience, because customers care more about reliability than qualifications. Tutoring and freelance work pay more per hour but need a skill you can already show.
How many hours should a student work each week?
There is no single right number, but most students manage somewhere between 5 and 15 hours a week during semester without grades slipping. International students must stay within 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session. Start low, see how your marks and energy hold up, and only add hours if both stay healthy.
Do students need an ABN for a side hustle?
If your side activity is run like a business, with regular work done to make a profit, you will generally need one. It is free to apply for through the Australian Business Register, and having one stops business clients from withholding tax from your payments. Occasional one-off sales of your own belongings are different and do not need one.
The best side hustle for a student is not the one that pays the most on paper. It is the one that fits your timetable, survives exam season, and still leaves you energy for study. Pick one idea from this list, test it for a month, and build from what actually works.
