Good summer jobs range from outdoor gigs like lifeguarding and camp counseling to remote roles like tutoring and freelance work, with pay typically falling between $14 and $28 an hour depending on the position. The best pick depends on whether you want to maximize earnings, build your resume, or gain flexibility. Here’s a breakdown of the strongest options across several categories.
High-Paying Seasonal Jobs
If your main goal is earning as much as possible in a short window, certain summer roles pay well above minimum wage without requiring a degree or years of experience.
Swim instructor jobs at swim schools average around $28 an hour, making this one of the best-paying options available. You’ll typically need a lifeguard certification and some swimming ability, but formal teaching credentials aren’t usually required. Private lessons can push earnings even higher.
Summer tutor roles average $25 or more per hour, especially if you can help with SAT or ACT prep, math, or science. College students with strong grades in a particular subject can market themselves to families directly or sign up with a tutoring company.
Party helper positions, where you assist with event setup, serving, and cleanup for private parties and weddings, average about $22 an hour. These jobs often come through catering companies or event staffing agencies, and weekend availability is key.
Pool technician roles pay just under $20 an hour. The work involves cleaning, chemical balancing, and basic equipment maintenance for residential or commercial pools. It’s physical, but the hours are consistent and the demand peaks right when summer does.
Farmhand jobs average around $19 an hour. These are physically demanding, but farms and agricultural operations ramp up hiring in late spring and often need workers through early fall.
Classic Outdoor and Recreation Roles
Summer and the outdoors go together, and many of the most widely available jobs take advantage of that. These roles are especially common for high school and college students.
Lifeguard pay ranges from about $7 to $24 an hour depending on location, with some employers offering sign-on bonuses to fill positions. You’ll need a lifeguard certification, which involves a course in CPR, first aid, and water rescue that typically takes about a week. Pools, waterparks, and beaches all hire seasonally.
Camp counselor positions average $17 an hour at day camps. Resident camps (where you live on-site) sometimes pay less per hour but include room and board, which eliminates your living expenses for the summer. Beyond the paycheck, camp jobs build leadership and communication skills that look strong on a resume.
Referee or umpire work pays between $12 and $47 an hour, with the higher end going to experienced officials working competitive leagues. Youth recreational leagues are a good entry point, and most require only a short certification course through the sport’s governing body.
Yard work and landscaping through a lawn care company averages about $17 an hour. If you work independently, mowing lawns and doing garden maintenance, individual jobs can pay $50 to $250 depending on the property size.
Golf caddy jobs average $18 an hour before tips, and tips can be substantial at private clubs. The work is walking-intensive, and you’ll need to learn basic golf etiquette, but no prior experience is usually required.
Jobs You Can Do From Home
Remote summer work gives you schedule flexibility, eliminates commute time, and lets you work from anywhere with an internet connection. These roles suit students who are traveling, taking summer classes, or living somewhere with limited local job options.
Online tutoring is one of the most accessible remote options. Tutoring companies, nonprofit organizations, and local school districts hire college students to teach subjects like math, English, and test prep. Virtual summer instruction programs for younger students also need remote teachers to help build curriculum and lead lessons.
Freelance work covers a wide range of tasks: data entry, graphic design, user experience design, translation, and writing. Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr let you set your own rates and choose projects, though building a client base takes some initial effort.
Social media management is a growing category. Small businesses often hire students to create content, schedule posts, and manage their accounts on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. If you already spend time creating content, this turns a familiar skill into paid work.
Marketing and communications roles can include writing newsletters, drafting press releases, creating blog content, and managing email campaigns. These are often structured as internships and give you tangible portfolio pieces to show future employers.
Resume-Building Positions
Some summer jobs pay modestly but open doors to careers you’re considering. If you’re a college student thinking about your post-graduation plans, a summer spent in a professional environment can be more valuable than a higher-paying seasonal gig.
Research assistant positions let you work under a professor or within a company, handling data analysis, literature reviews, or lab work. These roles strengthen graduate school applications and give you a concrete project to discuss in interviews. Many involve online data sets and can be done remotely.
Office and administrative roles like receptionist or administrative assistant teach you software skills, professional communication, and workplace norms. Staffing agencies specialize in placing temporary summer workers in these positions, so they’re relatively easy to find even without connections.
Internships in your field of interest are the gold standard for resume building. Large tech companies recruit for summer interns as early as August through November the year before, while consulting and finance firms often start even earlier. Startups and smaller organizations tend to hire later, from January through March. Nonprofits and government agencies generally post summer positions between December and May. If you’re reading this in the spring and haven’t applied yet, smaller organizations and local businesses are your best bet.
Flexible Gig-Style Work
Not every good summer job comes with a set schedule. Several roles let you pick up work on your own terms, which is useful if you’re balancing summer classes, travel, or family commitments.
Babysitting averages about $18 an hour and scales up with the number of children. Families with school-age kids are especially eager to find reliable sitters during summer break when regular childcare arrangements end. Building a few steady clients can create a predictable income without a fixed schedule.
Pet sitting and dog walking average $17 an hour, with higher rates for overnight stays or caring for multiple animals. Apps and neighborhood platforms make it easy to find clients, and summer is peak season because families travel.
Personal assistant work, averaging $17 an hour, involves running errands, organizing, scheduling, and handling tasks that busy professionals don’t have time for. These positions often start through word of mouth or local job boards and can lead to ongoing work beyond the summer.
When to Start Looking
For most summer jobs, especially hourly and seasonal positions, applying in March through May gives you the best selection. Pools, camps, and resorts finalize their summer staff by late spring, so earlier is better. If you need a certification like lifeguarding or CPR, factor in an extra week or two for the training course.
Professional internships operate on a much earlier timeline. Large corporations in finance, tech, and consulting may close applications six to nine months before summer starts. Government agencies and nonprofits typically recruit three to six months ahead. If you missed those windows, local businesses, startups, and smaller organizations continue hiring into May and even June.
Whatever type of job you’re after, having a simple resume ready, even if your experience is limited, speeds up the process. List any volunteer work, school activities, or skills that relate to the position. For gig-style work like babysitting or pet sitting, a few references from people who know you personally can stand in for formal work history.