20 Best Paying Summer Jobs for College Students

Published on April 19, 2021 at 4:48 am by Manal Shahid in Lists, News

In this article we will take a look at the 20 best paying summer jobs for college students. You can skip our detailed analysis of the companies that offer jobs to learners and go directly to the 5 Best Paying Summer Jobs for College Students.

Summer jobs are an ideal way for college students to improve their resume and earn some extra money to keep up with their college expenses. However, the coronavirus pandemic became a major obstacle for many such students in finding work as worldwide lockdowns and emergency situations forced many companies to lay off employees. As a result, many college students who typically might have landed a summer job waiting tables or an in-person internship were left hanging last summer.

The Jobs Drought

U.S. employment is still 11 million below pre-pandemic levels. Most job losses were in service industries such as travel, restaurants, childcare, entertainment, and elective healthcare. On the contrary, as spending on goods is booming, employment is growing in industries related to transportation, storage, production, and e-commerce businesses. More companies are now shifting to remote work and are willing to hire virtual workers located anywhere in the world. By summer 2021, many companies have become accustomed to virtual work and are offering remote summer job opportunities for college students that are not only flexible, but also pay well.

Job openings in the US increased to 7.6 million in February 2020. Out of these, 233,000 openings were in the social assistance and health care sector while 104,000 job openings were in food services, accommodation, recreation, and entertainment sectors. According to IMF, approximately 6.8 million young people are set to enter the labor market to look for their first jobs.

College students looking for paid summer jobs have several options to choose from. As COVID-19 has changed the way businesses are conducted, many employers are recruiting college students for specific jobs. For example, information regarding internships and jobs can be found on the Apple website which states that they will provide students with a laptop and training and let them work from wherever they want. They will even accommodate the class schedule of students and let them pick their own timings. Similarly, in China, the growth in the e-commerce industry has led to an increase of 5.1 million social media-related jobs during the first half of 2020. Most tech companies like NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY), and Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) have increased their demand for freelance workers in web development, graphic designing, and content writing. College students work closely with mentors and gain real-world experience that helps to build their resume and skill set. Companies like HBO are finding ways to adapt to the virtual work environment and include college students as employees.

Tech companies are particularly using summer internship programs for hiring. They are offering highly competitive salaries. According to Glassdoor, interns are being paid the most at chipmaker Nvidia, followed by Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) and LinkedIn where the average monthly pay is more than $8000. Apart from the tech sector, the food service industry is also set to add summer jobs as over 300,000 restaurants are set to open for on-premise dining in 2021 according to the Market Researcher.

Online Summer Jobs

Other best paying summer jobs for college students in 2021 include blog writing, content writing, web development, search engine evaluator, transcriptionist, social media marketing, data entry, virtual assistants, remote call center agent, or online tutoring. Payment can vary widely from project to project, and students could take on freelance work in addition to a part-time job during the summer. A PayScale report found that online tutors make an average hourly wage of $19.57. Glassdoor reports the average hourly base pay for freelancer web designers is $26.99.

The job market is seeing an increasing demand for workers in STEM occupations and healthcare. These jobs also require a unique skill mix which college students can easily learn from online courses, on-the-job training or even YouTube tutorials. Online educational platforms such as Udemy and Coursera, Inc. (NYSE: COUR) provide online certifications which are being recognized by employers and are a great additional to a resume of a college student looking to find the best paying summer job. Due to COVID-19, there may also be virtual summer instruction programs for younger students in 2021 that need remote teachers to help create curriculum and lead instruction.

As companies are kicking off their summer internship and job programs for college students, some of these programs stand out more than others. In terms of salary, training, perks, and experience, students must choose that program which allows them to work on projects that will enhance their knowledge and skills and provide tangible professional experiences for their resumes.

Here is a list of the companies that are offering the 20 best paying summer jobs for college students. We mention the most notable companies that offer these kinds of jobs to college students so you could directly check the websites and LinkedIn pages of these companies and hunt for jobs.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Best Paying Summer Jobs for College Students

20. Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE: UA)

Under Armour, Inc. is a leading sports apparel and footwear retail company. It offers college students with different backgrounds a summer internship program that focuses on different departments such as art and sciences, design, engineering, technology, and business. The company has numerous locations throughout the U.S. and allows students to take part in a self-driven project that has real business implications. Interns are also assigned a mentor, get access to learning seminars, and participate in executive Q&A sessions. Under Armour summer interns can earn from $10 to $20 per hour, according to Glassdoor.

19. Bloomberg L.P.

Headquartered in New York City, Bloomberg operates as a media and data company that also sells financial software. The Bloomberg summer internship program is based in its offices in North America, Africa, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. This program lasts for 8 to 16 weeks and different areas of focus are offered to the interns such as corporate functions, industry verticals, global data, research, technology, news, and financial products. Students are involved in meaningful, hands-on projects and receive constructive feedback and advice about their future career decisions from their managers. According to Glassdoor, the hourly wage at Bloomberg for interns ranges from $25 to $45, depending on the area of focus.

18. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN)

Amazon has a year-round science internship program for college students. Most of these internships last between 12 to 16 weeks. Projects depends on the student’s area of interest and research. They are they assigned to a team and a mentor which helps guide their activities throughout the program. According to Glassdoor, Amazon interns have a median monthly salary of $7725 as of 2019 which makes it one of the best paying summer jobs for college students. Amazon offers opportunities for current undergraduate and graduate students in internship and full-time roles in a variety of departments, including software development engineers (SDEs), support engineers, product managers, operations managers, applied scientists, vendor managers, cloud support associates, sales specialists, financial analysts, and more. Students can work for teams across Amazon, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), consumer, devices, finance, legal, operations, and recruiting.

17. Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC)

Bank of America offers a range of internships and other programs for students at various points in their educations. For instance, those who have recently started their undergraduate program and are curious if banking, finance, operations, or research is right for them could benefit from Bank of America’s insight programs, which give a more holistic view of various departments and roles. Summer internships are directed toward juniors who will be entering the workforce within a year. Most of Bank of America’s new hires are sourced from their internship programs.

16. Deloitte Internships

Deloitte is one of the most prominent professional services networks in the world and specializes in audit, tax, advisory and consulting services. Students interested in these fields can apply for Deloitte’s internships and other leadership opportunities during the summer. Deloitte offers internships to undergraduates of all class standings, so green and seasoned students alike can gain top-notch professional experience while in school. The typical salary for a Deloitte intern is $28, according to Glassdoor.

15. Digitas

Digital is a global marketing and technology agency that transforms businesses for the digital age. For advertising and marketing students, the Digitas summer internship program is a great opportunity. Their summer internship program gives students hands-on experience in marketing along with guidance from experienced mentors. Interns can participate in staff events, community service projects, and outings. Approximately, interns at Digitas can earn $15 to $16 per hour, according to Glassdoor.

14. Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX)

Another best paying summer job for college students is working for the Starbucks Corporation. Starbucks has multiple locations worldwide and there is always an opening for a barista that pays well. Students don’t need any experience to work as a Starbucks barista as it provides on-the-job training. However, you must have the ability to engage with customers and learn quickly to do well at the job. Moreover, Starbucks also provide flexible work timings to its employees making it an ideal opportunity for college students who are looking to earn a little extra money. The average salary for a barista at Starbucks is reported to be $12 per hour, according to Glassdoor.

13. eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY)

eBay Inc. is a global commerce leader that connects millions of buyers and sellers around the world. Its portfolio of brands includes eBay Marketplace and eBay Classifieds Group, operating in 190 markets around the world. Interning at eBay means to participate in challenges created by the CEO, engaging with the top leadership, and working on projects that directly impact the company. For college students, the company has a strong program which includes social activities, speaker series and conferences, and university teams to ensure a fruitful learning experience. Interns at eBay can earn up to $40 per hour, as reported by Glassdoor.

12. Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL)

Oracle is a tech company that is involved in database software and technology, cloud engineering systems, and enterprise software products. It is headquartered in Redwood City, California and has offices located around the world. Every summer, Oracle hires 35-40 interns for product development, placing them primarily at their Redwood Shores, California campus, which includes a basketball court, swimming pool and marketplace. Unlike many programs, Oracle rarely rehires interns, and seeks to pass as many talented students as possible through the program. Glassdoor reports that the typical Oracle Intern salary is $25.

11. Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA)

Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area with office locations around the world, Tesla works to build an inclusive environment in which everyone can do their best work. It has one of the most sought-after internship programs in the US and is one of the best paying summer jobs for college students. Internships can range from 3 to 12-month work terms based on our hiring needs. Interns can work on a variety of projects to help advance the company’s mission. The recruitment process aims to match students with teams and projects that best fit their areas of interest and experiences. Assignments range based on the company’s current hiring needs, but most often include critical projects and hands-on involvement. Tesla Motors interns make a median monthly pay of $4,480 and SpaceX interns make a median monthly pay of $4,080, according to jobs website Glassdoor.

10. Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER)

Uber offers a wide range of internship programs for different subject areas. Uber’s data science, product, software engineering, and advanced technologies departments offer internship and co-op programs. Here, college students work closely with mentors and gain real-world experience that helps to build their resume and skill set. The internship program is designed specifically for university students looking to gain valuable work experience.

9. Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE: COF)

Capital One Financial Corporation is a bank holding company that specialized in credit cards, auto loans, banking, and saving accounts. It has a internship and co-op program that allows college students to tackle challenging products head-on with the support of their peers. The internship offers specialization in different areas such as analytics, design, finance, commercial banking, human resources, management, technology, and strategy. The typical Capital One Intern salary is $73,151 annually, according to Glassdoor.

8. salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE: CRM)

Another company that has an amazing summer program for students is salesforce where interns are paid approximately $28 per hour, according to Glassdoor. Interns at salesforce have many opportunities to collaborate with the salesforce team through guided learning paths. Apart from pay, interns receive 7 days of volunteer time off to devote to causes they believe in. The company also has an Executive Speaker Series program where interns are allowed unprecedented access to the Salesforce leadership team.

7. Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS)

Morgan Stanley is a financial services firms in the UK. The company offers a 10-week Investment Banking Summer Analyst Program which allows college students to take on some of the responsibilities of a full-time analyst during the summer. Summer Analysts are assigned to a specific group, building basic skills in financial analysis, accounting, and valuation, while working on a wide range of domestic and international transactions. It begins with a training period that starts in June. The Average Morgan Stanley intern hourly pay is $16.53, according to Indeed.

6. Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB)

The social media powerhouse Facebook has one of the best summer job and internship programs. According to CNBC insider look, interns at Facebook can earn up to $8000 per month along with several perks such as free housing, food, and transportation. Interns also take part in fun weekend activities like baseball games, beach days, and zoo visits. Facebook’s summer program offers a ton of activities that are meant to build the resumes of college students. They include special projects, weekly Q&A sessions with executives, information seminars, and mentorships.

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