There are all sorts of jobs that might be good for students who are attending, or plan to attend trade school. The ones we list here in this article meet 3 basic requirements.
- Jobs with very little or no ‘off-the-clock’ responsibility.
- Jobs that have a decent hourly pay rate.
- Jobs where part-time employment is common.
We also kept this list to types of jobs that would likely be available just about anywhere across the U.S.
Other factors to think about when taking on a job while attending school could be how physically demanding it is and how close the workplace is to your home.
Good Jobs to Work While Going to School
Of course these aren’t the only types of jobs you could get to help pay for your skilled trade or college education, but they are good options.
Warehouse Jobs
While warehouse jobs take quite a bit of flak in the media, they do meet the 3 basic requirements for inclusion in this article.
If you’re not working in a managerial position, your warehouse job will include very little if any off-the-clock responsibility. When you clock out, you clock out. The pay is pretty good too, and a brief scroll through any salary website will show many warehouse jobs averaging between $15-20 dollars per hour.
A few common warehouse positions include:
Since the need for reliable warehouse workers is greater than the supply of them, part-time warehouse positions are generally plentiful.
Find a warehouse job:
Driving Jobs
Driving jobs, and in particular gig delivery driver jobs, definitely meet the 3 basic requirements for inclusion in this list of job ideas.
For jobs in personal transportation, grocery delivery, Amazon delivery, and even some local trucking jobs there will be very little off-the-clock responsibility. Though limited, the responsibility that comes along with a driving job includes keeping your insurance and licensing up to date.
As for pay, here’s a few examples of delivery driver pay:
- Amazon Delivery Partner – $18-25.00 per hour.
- Walmart Delivery Driver – Average of $18-19.00 per hour.
- Grocery Delivery Driver – Average of $16.00 per hour.
With gig work you can set your own hours, within reason. That’s the best possible scenario for someone who plans to go to school and work too. Even if the delivery driver job you’re interested in isn’t a ‘gig’, chances are you will still have flexible schedule options. Many companies make it a point to be helpful to their employees who are attending school, and managers will normally work with them when scheduling hours.
Find a driving job:
Retail Jobs
Jobs in the retail industry also meet the prerequisites for inclusion in this article. They have little off-the-clock responsibility and there are plenty of part-time positions available. The pay for a retail job averages a bit less than the jobs listed above, but it’s still respectable.
Types of retail positions:
Examples of retail job pay:
- Lowe’s Sales Specialist – Position pays $18.37/hour on average
- Trader Joe’s Crew Member – $15.00/hour
- Amazon Retail Sales – $15.00/hour
Find a retail job:
Pursuing a skilled trade career through trade school is a lot less expensive than going to college for 4 years, but it still costs a lot. If financial aid won’t cover all your school costs but you still want to learn a trade, one of the above listed jobs could be a good choice.
Reference and more reading:
- 10 of the Highest Paying Retail Jobs
- List of 14 Different Warehouse Jobs
- How Much Money Does Trade School Cost?
- Companies that Pay for All or Part of Your College Tuition
Please post a comment with any tips about your experience working your way through school!