Want to Make Bank This Summer? Check Out These 15 High-Paying Jobs!

Attention young people and students looking for a fun and profitable way to spend your summer! Getting a summer job is a great way to make the most of the season and make extra cash. You’ll also gain valuable work experience and make some new friends along the way.

But not all summer jobs are created equal. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best summer jobs that pay well and are sure to keep you entertained. Whether you’re looking to work from the comfort of your own home or want to get out and explore, we’ve got you covered.

Your future self will thank you for making the most of your summer break.

What is the Best Paying Summer Job?

If you’re looking for a summer job that allows you to work from anywhere and earn big bucks, then online side hustles are where it’s at! Say goodbye to traditional summer jobs and hello to the freedom and flexibility of working remotely.

Imagine making a substantial income while lounging on the beach or exploring new cities. With online jobs like affiliate marketing and social media management, you can do just that.

However, there are also the tried-and-true summer jobs that are perfect for networking and testing out companies that you might want to work for in the future. 

What is the Average Pay for Summer Jobs?

Most summer jobs pay between $8 and $20 an hour, which is a pretty big range. It all depends on the role, the company you work for, and your level of experience. How much money you make is also up to how many hours you work.

For example, if you have a summer job that pays $15 per hour but is only 20 hours a week ($300), you’d make more money working 25 hours per week for $13 an hour ($325). 

Why Do You Need a Job Over the Summer?

Getting a summer job lets you use your free time to make money and learn new skills. If you’re going to college, making money over the summer will help you pay for your schooling.

But you don’t necessarily need a summer job. Instead, you can consider internships, volunteer work, or online courses to gain valuable experience and enhance your resume. Whatever option you choose, taking advantage of your free time during the summer can set you up for success in the future.

How To Find and Get a Summer Job

Before you look for a summer job, think about what kind of job would be best for you. Do you want a job that helps you become more creative and gives you skills? Or, do you want a job that won’t keep you too busy? 

Once you know what kind of summer job you want, start looking for opportunities in your area of interest. Look at the popular job sites and talk to recruiters and temporary staffing agencies; they may know of a job for you. 

It’s important to note that a lot of summer student jobs start recruiting in the late winter or early spring, so starting your search early will work to your advantage. 

15 Summer Jobs That Pay Well

1. Camp Counselor

This classic summer job is easy to do and pays well. A camp counselor’s main job is to ensure campers have fun in a safe and healthy environment. As a counselor, planning and running camp activities and programs would be up to you.

Some camps will run during weekdays, while others will require you to work overnight for a few weeks at a time. The good thing about this job is that it’s easy to find work during the summer when most people go camping.




Expect to make about $12 per hour. 

2. Landscaper

Landscaping is a good way for almost any young person to make money during the summer. Your job is to keep the outside of someone’s home or office looking nice. You do this by mowing lawns, watering plants, and trimming trees.

Depending on the client, you might have to put in decks, walkways, and lighting systems to make the area look better, if this is something you know how to do.

You can make up to $16.00 per hour as a landscaper.

3. Customer Service

You could work for a company as a customer service representative if you are good at talking to customers and helping them solve problems. Many of these jobs are over the phone, so you wouldn’t have to worry about being around people. You might also handle payments, but this will depend on the role.

This job pays an average of $16 per hour.

4. Swimming Teacher

Swim instructors teach kids and adults how to swim, which is an in-demand job in the summer. If you ‘re an experienced swimmer, this could be the perfect way to spend your summer.

You don’t have to work for an agency or get hired by a business. By giving private swimming lessons, you can find clients on your own and set your own schedule.

You can make $17 an hour or more. 

5. Virtual Assistant

Many small business owners are looking for virtual assistants to help them with simple tasks like answering emails, managing schedules, and making appointments.




One benefit of this job is that you would be able to work remotely. No more needing to leave the comfort of your home and ride the bus every day to get to work, as long as you have a good laptop and constant access to the internet.

You might need to go through some training to become qualified. There are a number of online courses and training programs that can teach you how to be a professional virtual assistant, so start there.

As a virtual assistant, you can make between $18 and $25 per hour. 

6. Social Media Manager

One common online job you can do over the summer is managing social media. You are likely qualified for the job if you spend a lot of time on social media and like to talk to people and read content there.

As a social media manager, it’s your job to help a business come up with interesting content and talk to potential customers on sites like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

This job can pay anywhere from $15 to $21 per hour, and if you work for more than one place, you can make a lot more.

Related: How Do People Make Thousands of Dollars on TikTok?

7. Freelance Writer

Many freelance writers work from home and make hundreds of dollars a week for their clients. If you can write interesting articles, blog posts, essays, website content, and even posts for social media, you can make money as a freelance writer.

You can make the journey easier by joining a freelance platform like Fiverr or Upwork, where you can easily find high-paying clients to work for.

The wage varies and depends on how quickly you can research and write, but $20 an hour is the average.

8. Dog Walker

Dog walking is a good summer job that doesn’t require experience to do it well. You’ll be fine if you like dogs and know how to treat them right. The most important things to do when walking a dog are:




  • Keeping the dog safe
  • Giving the dog enough food and water
  • Getting rid of the waste
  • Returning the dog home safely 

You can start by joining an agency or just looking around your neighborhood for dog owners who are too busy to take their dogs for a walk.

Dog walking can earn you $15 per hour per dog. If you’re able to walk multiple dogs at once, you’ll make a lot more.  

9. Watching children or pets

If you want to make more than average money this summer, think about babysitting or pet sitting.

As a babysitter, your job is to take care of kids when their parents aren’t home or available. You may also need to help the child with chores and make sure they have fun in a safe place.

Taking care of a pet is almost the same as taking care of a child. While the pet’s owner is away, you would feed it, make sure it gets enough exercise, and keep it company.

Up to $20 an hour can be made at this job.

10. Blogging

There are many ways to make money online, and blogging is one of them. But before you can start making money from your blog, you must consistently post good content and grow your readership.

You can write about any topic or niche that interests you. It could be about fashion, technology, business, money, marketing, or anything else. The best thing about having a blog is that it could be something you use for the rest of your life, as long as you keep adding new content and making your site bigger.

When your blog is fully monetized, an average blogger can make anywhere from $500 – $2,000 per month. 

11. Professional Editor

If you have an eye for detail and are good at finding mistakes in writing, you could make money by proofreading and editing other people’s articles, essays, stories, and almost any other type of writing. 

You can make anywhere from $7.50 to $20 per page of content you edit as a proofreader. How much you make depends on how much you work.

12. Sell On Amazon

Amazon FBA, the biggest online store in the world, gives business-minded people the chance to make money. This means that you can sell physical goods without having to have a store. Amazon FBA gives you an online store where you can put up your products, tell people about them, and start selling them.

Amazon would be in charge of shipping and packaging the items for the buyers. They will even help you deal with customer service. Once you know how this business works inside and out, you can continue working on it on the side when you’re back in class. 

13. Bartender

If you are of age, being a bartender is good for a smart, friendly young person who knows a lot about drinks. You will be in charge of making different kinds of drinks with and without alcohol at a bar, restaurant, or club. 

This job usually requires experience, and most bars won’t hire you if it’s your first time. Still, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find a place that will train you on the job.

Bartenders make about $15 per hour, but they also get tips, which can double this amount if you’re good at what you do. 

14. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is something that almost everyone online keeps hearing about, but many people still don’t know what it is. It’s a simple way to run a business in which you help other brands sell their products and get paid a commission for each successful sale.

This means that as an affiliate marketer, if you help someone sell a $100 product, you can earn between $20 and $50 in commission. Depending on how many items you can sell, you can make up to $3,000 in a month. 

15. Golf Course Attendant or Caddy

Serious golfers will give big tips to attendants and caddy’s that provide exceptional service and help them improve their game. A caddy who can offer expert advice on the course, read the greens accurately, and provide moral support throughout the game can earn a significant tip from a satisfied golfer. Similarly, attendants who keep the course in excellent condition, provide quick and efficient service, and anticipate the golfer’s needs are often rewarded with generous tips.

Attendants also make an average wage of $16 an hour. 

Related Articles

This article originally appeared on mylifeiguess.com.

Amanda Kay, the founder of My Life, I Guess, provides valuable career advice and support for anyone striving to make a living and, more importantly, make a life. Whether it's navigating job searches, learning new skills, overcoming unemployment, or dealing with debt, My Life, I Guess has been a go-to resource for career guidance and financial stability since 2013. Amanda's expertise and relatable approach have been featured in trusted publications such as MSN, Credit.com, Yahoo! Finance, the Ladders and Fairygodboss.




Leave a Comment