The Student Room Group
Discovering Higher and Degree Apprenticeships with UWE Bristol, get free advice >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Discovering Higher and Degree Apprenticeships with UWE Bristol, get free advice >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

How much can a student earn?

Apologies if there's already a thread on this!

On average, how much would you say a full-time student can earn per week/month, with one or more jobs? I most likely won't be able to get a student loan (not necessarily a bad thing considering the amount of debt), so need to know what kind of rent I'll be able to afford for next autumn.
The amount of rent you will be able to afford will depend on the location of a uni, your maintenance loan and how much ur parents are willing to contribute and also what kind of course you are doing as heavy work courses would mean that you are not gonna be able to work as much.
Original post by Kinyonga
Apologies if there's already a thread on this!

On average, how much would you say a full-time student can earn per week/month, with one or more jobs? I most likely won't be able to get a student loan (not necessarily a bad thing considering the amount of debt), so need to know what kind of rent I'll be able to afford for next autumn.


How much a full time student can earn entirely depends on various factors, so its impossible for us to say. It depends on how many hours you do per week/month. It also depends on how much you get paid per hour- which varies and depends on where you work.
Try mcdonalds though. they take on a lot of students.
Reply 3
Avatar for Kinyonga
Kinyonga
OP
20
Original post by Emma:-)
How much a full time student can earn entirely depends on various factors, so its impossible for us to say. It depends on how many hours you do per week/month. It also depends on how much you get paid per hour- which varies and depends on where you work.
Try mcdonalds though. they take on a lot of students.

McDonalds is the last place I'd want to work I'm afraid! I wouldn''t mind working in a café, though, provided it was a nice environment. But any practical, outdoor jobs would be greatly preferred. I also do some freelance translation and photography.

But that aside, any idea what the rough national average could be?
Original post by Kinyonga
McDonalds is the last place I'd want to work I'm afraid! I wouldn''t mind working in a café, though, provided it was a nice environment. But any practical, outdoor jobs would be greatly preferred. I also do some freelance translation and photography.

But that aside, any idea what the rough national average could be?

Unfortunately i dont know a rough national average. It varies too much for me to say.
Theres nothing wrong with working at mcdonalds. I worked there for 9 years (i was also promoted to crew trainer in that time). Its not nearly as bad as people make out. The money isnt bad (above minimum wage), they are very flexible in terms of your availability. Theres the option of doing less hours round exam times etc. And theres also the option of working at one store while at uni and transferring to a store near home over christmas and in the summer when you go home.
In terms of what jobs you can get- you might have to not be too picky and take what you can get. Shops, supermarkets, cinemas, restaurants, cafes, fast food places, tourist attractions etc etc are all places where students tend to get jobs.
(edited 5 years ago)
Universities usually recommend that full time students work no more than 15/16 hours a week. So that's about £100pw at minimum wage (assuming that you're under 21) and earn below the tax/NI thresholds.
Reply 6
Avatar for Kinyonga
Kinyonga
OP
20
Original post by Emma:-)
Unfortunately i dont know a rough national average. It varies too much for me to say.
Theres nothing wrong with working at mcdonalds. I worked there for 9 years (i was also promoted to crew trainer in that time). Its not nearly as bad as people make out. The money isnt bad (above minimum wage), they are very flexible in terms of your availability. Theres the option of doing less hours round exam times etc. And theres also the option of working at one store while at uni and transferring to a store near home over christmas and in the summer when you go home.
In terms of what jobs you can get- you might have to not be too picky and take what you can get. Shops, supermarkets, cinemas, restaurants, cafes, fast food places, tourist attractions etc etc are all places where students tend to get jobs.

Oh, I don't doubt that McDonalds is a good and flexible employer, it's just that since I don't go there as a customer (not keen on fast food, and am a pescatarian), I wouldn't feel comfortable working there. Thanks for the info, though!
Try some hotels or bars in your area many are probably looking for workers for the summer months. Most students work in supermarkets, retail and other fast food outlets typically. You shouldn't be too picky though.
Original post by Kinyonga
Apologies if there's already a thread on this!

On average, how much would you say a full-time student can earn per week/month, with one or more jobs? I most likely won't be able to get a student loan (not necessarily a bad thing considering the amount of debt), so need to know what kind of rent I'll be able to afford for next autumn.


You won't be able to do justice to the cost of your degree woking more than 15 or so hours per week during term time and 30 or so outside. Say an average of 20 hours per week across the whole year. And unless you have some special skills, you will be lucky to get much more than minimum wage for your age. The sums should be easy to work out from there.

Don't forget you'll have to pay a deposit up front for privately rented accommodation
Original post by Kinyonga
Apologies if there's already a thread on this!

On average, how much would you say a full-time student can earn per week/month, with one or more jobs? I most likely won't be able to get a student loan (not necessarily a bad thing considering the amount of debt), so need to know what kind of rent I'll be able to afford for next autumn.


This is a highly subjective amount depending on how many hours you work, your age, your pay rate etc
Reply 10
Avatar for Bean12
Bean12
3
I'm 18 and not actually at uni so this may be slightly inaccurate. However, most of my colleagues at the bar I work at are students and earn the same amount as me. We work Friday and Saturday nights (10-15 hour shifts) and that manages to work out between 100-250 a week which is pretty decent if you ask me. The only downside is sleeping pattern gets a bit distorted but it's not too bad.
How does one survive then? Earning 100 a week? Acommodation is around 150 a week, so how about the food? I think I need to earn around 250 a week to survive then, how do people do that?
Original post by angelstoflyyx
How does one survive then? Earning 100 a week? Acommodation is around 150 a week, so how about the food? I think I need to earn around 250 a week to survive then, how do people do that?

Mostly on money from their parents that’s at least what happens with most students in my area. You could perhaps share an apartment with some other students to split the rent?
Original post by angelstoflyyx
How does one survive then? Earning 100 a week? Acommodation is around 150 a week, so how about the food? I think I need to earn around 250 a week to survive then, how do people do that?

They save up over the summer, have a student loan to cover most of the costs and some people have help from their universities or parents (or both)
You aren't going to be able to afford tuition, rent, and expenses on a part-time job. That'd be 13k minimum somewhere cheap, 17k minimum in a more expensive city.

It may just be possible if you work multiple part time jobs throughout the whole term, and full time jobs in the breaks. However, that assumes you can actually find all those sorts of jobs immediately, which is unrealistic. Plus, you seem somewhat picky, which will make it harder to get jobs also. Don't make the mistake of assuming there are boatloads of empty jobs everywhere, in busy student towns/cities it can take months to find 1 alone, more if you're picky.
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by DarthRoar
You aren't going to be able to afford tuition, rent, and expenses on a part-time job. That'd be 13k minimum somewhere cheap, 17k minimum in a more expensive city.

It may just be possible if you work multiple part time jobs throughout the whole term, and full time jobs in the breaks. However, that assumes you can actually find all those sorts of jobs immediately, which is unrealistic. Plus, you seem somewhat picky, which will make it harder to get jobs also. Don't make the mistake of assuming there are boatloads of empty jobs everywhere, in busy student towns/cities it can take months to find 1 alone, more if you're picky.

I’ll add that’s their also lots of competition from other students for jobs also and I tell you from experience, it took me a good few months to find a part time job.
Thank you for the replies, I'm going to work in the summer, but the problem is - I can't get the british student loan since I'm from Poland and my parents can't give me much - the offered to give me something monthly, but when I trasfer it to pounds it appears to be almost nothing. I know there are loads of people studying in England and not being from UK, how do they manage to live? Are all of these people rich or something? I calculated that if I work in McDonald's for 32 hours a week it gives me 188 pounds a week, which is accommodation + 43 pounds for me for food etc, can I live for this sum of money? Sorry for all these questions, but I have no idea how much one spend on living in UK.
Original post by angelstoflyyx
Thank you for the replies, I'm going to work in the summer, but the problem is - I can't get the british student loan since I'm from Poland and my parents can't give me much - the offered to give me something monthly, but when I trasfer it to pounds it appears to be almost nothing. I know there are loads of people studying in England and not being from UK, how do they manage to live? Are all of these people rich or something? I calculated that if I work in McDonald's for 32 hours a week it gives me 188 pounds a week, which is accommodation + 43 pounds for me for food etc, can I live for this sum of money? Sorry for all these questions, but I have no idea how much one spend on living in UK.

Most students live in groups and split the rent, it’s very hard to live on under £200 a week if your living on your own factor in the price of food plus electricity

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you