Working While in Nursing School: 25 Ways to Make Money as a Nursing Student
Working while in nursing school is a great way to earn extra income and set the stage for a successful nursing career. The right job is flexible, allowing you to keep up with your studies while also gaining experience directly related to your future role as a nurse.
From medical assistant roles to community health positions, we’ll explore some of the best work opportunities for nursing students. These roles can help you build essential skills, explore different specialties, and make professional connections that will benefit you long after graduation.
How to Make Money As a Nursing Student: Key Considerations
Can you work while in nursing school? Yes, but not every job is a good fit for a nursing student. The curriculum is demanding. Exams, clinical rotations, and simulation labs must remain a priority — so the right student nurse job needs to be flexible. It should also provide relevant experience for your future career.
While clinical roles are ideal, other jobs — like customer service, front desk work, or even babysitting — can be surprisingly valuable too. That’s because nursing isn’t just about medical knowledge; soft skills like communication, empathy, and teamwork are just as important.
Here are some additional factors to consider as you think about working while in nursing school:
- Manageable workload: Look for positions that aren’t overwhelming and allow you to dedicate enough time and mental energy to your studies.
- Exposure to healthcare environments: Consider whether your job gives you the chance to assist healthcare professionals, even indirectly, so you can learn about real-world patient care and medical facilities’ operations.
- Downtime for studying: Look for roles with natural downtime, such as night shifts in residential care facilities, where you can check on patients, and if everyone is safe and sleeping, you can review class material.
- Professional growth opportunities: Look for roles that offer pathways to continue working with the employer after graduation.
- Networking potential: Look for positions that help you meet nurses, doctors, and healthcare administrators — even a nonclinical role like a hospital front desk worker can expand your professional network.
- Supportive work environment: Ensure your workplace respects your academic obligations and allows swapping shifts, taking time off, or working part-time in nursing school.
Working While in Nursing School: 25 Roles to Consider
1. Administrative Assistant in a Healthcare Setting
Description: Assist healthcare staff with day-to-day office tasks such as scheduling appointments, handling patient billing inquiries, and updating patients’ charts.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll learn how healthcare facilities operate, build professional networks, and polish your customer service skills.
Salary: The average salary for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in the U.S. is $45,580 a year, or $21.91 an hour.
2. Babysitter
Description: Care for children — either medically stable children or those with special needs or congenital conditions. Duties may include assisting with feeding, changing diapers, providing incontinence care, and preparing meals.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll learn the basics of childcare and also build essential soft skills, such as patience and therapeutic communication, making it a great option for nursing students who want to become pediatric nurses.
Salary: The average salary for childcare workers in the U.S. is $33,140 a year, or $15.93 an hour.
3. Caregiver
Description: Provide in-home or facility-based care for seniors or individuals with disabilities. Duties may include assisting with activities of daily living (ADL), such as bathing, dressing, feeding, monitoring vital signs, and providing companionship.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll gain hands-on experience with patient care, as well as communication and time management skills — valuable experience for any future nursing role.
Salary: The average salary for personal care aides in the U.S. is $34,990 per year, or $16.82 per hour.
Find the latest caregiver jobs.
4. Certified Nursing Assistant
Description: Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) assist nurses and other healthcare staff members in hospitals, nursing homes, or long-term care facilities. Duties may include taking vital signs, assisting patients with ADLs, and documenting care provided.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll gain a detailed glimpse into all aspects of your future nursing role, including performing basic medical procedures, documenting patient care, prioritizing patient needs, and communicating with other healthcare professionals. Because some states allow nursing students to work as CNAs, it can be a great summer job.
Salary: The average salary for a CNA in the U.S. is $41,270 per year, or $19.84 per hour.
Find the latest CNA jobs.
5. Crisis Hotline Representative
Description: Provide immediate support to individuals experiencing emotional distress, mental health crises, or other urgent personal issues. Duties may include answering calls, assessing risk, and connecting callers with appropriate resources.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll strengthen your active listening skills while learning to recognize mental health emergencies — all invaluable for future psychiatric nurses.
Salary: The average salary for a crisis hotline representative in the U.S. is $65,000 per year, or $32 per hour.
6. Customer Service Representative
Description: Provide assistance to customers by answering questions, resolving complaints, and processing requests. Aim for positions in healthcare-related fields, like medical offices, clinics, pharmacies, or insurance companies.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll develop strong communication and problem-solving skills, making this one of the most effective options for working while in nursing school if you want to build soft skills.
Salary: The average salary for a customer service representative in the U.S. is $45,380 per year, or $21.82 per hour.
7. Emergency Medical Technician
Description: EMTs, also known as paramedics, respond to emergency calls, provide basic life support, assess patients’ conditions, administer first aid, and transport patients safely to medical facilities.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll gain hands-on experience in high-pressure medical situations, develop critical thinking and decision-making skills, practice performing life-saving medical procedures, and learn how to work efficiently as part of a team.
Salary: The average salary for an emergency medical technician in the U.S. is $44,790 per year, or $21.54 per hour.
8. Home Health Aide
Description: Provide in-home care for patients who are elderly, disabled, or recovering from illness. Duties may include assisting with feeding, helping with transfer and mobility, and reporting any changes in patient condition to healthcare professionals.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll gain hands-on experience with patient care in a home setting, demonstrating to future employers that you can independently manage many aspects of patient care.
Salary: The average salary for home health aides in the U.S. is $34,990 per year, or $16.82 per hour.
Find the latest home health aide jobs.
9. Lab Assistant
Description: Support laboratory staff in hospitals, clinics, or research facilities by preparing samples, labeling specimens, cleaning lab equipment, and recording results accurately.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll build hands-on lab skills, sharpen your attention to detail, and learn how test results guide clinical decisions — great for students considering careers in research or clinical trial settings.
Salary: The average salary for a laboratory assistant in the U.S. is approximately $57,887 per year, or $28 an hour.
10. Medical Assistant
Description: Support clinical teams by performing administrative and basic clinical duties, such as taking vital signs, providing basic wound care, and assisting with intakes and discharges. They commonly work in outpatient clinics, doctors’ offices, or hospitals.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll gain a strong understanding of clinical workflows and patient interaction, so you’ll be able to use your time working while in nursing school to learn about hospital settings.
Salary: The average CMA salary in the U.S. is $44,720 per year, or $21.50 per hour.
Find the latest CMA jobs.
11. Medical Billing Assistant
Description: Manage and process healthcare claims by assigning correct diagnostic and procedural codes, verifying insurance information, and ensuring accurate medical billing. This role typically takes place in hospitals, clinics, or insurance companies.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll gain valuable insight into healthcare documentation, insurance procedures, and reimbursement systems — all of which are especially handy for future nurse coders.
Salary: The average salary for medical billing assistants in the U.S. is about $43,000 per year, or $21 an hour.
12. Medical Interpreter
Description: Help bridge language barriers in healthcare by translating conversations between patients and providers. Responsibilities include providing live interpretation during patient-provider interactions, translating medical documents, and explaining care instructions to ensure patients understand their treatment plans. Fluency in another language is essential.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll develop strong communication skills and gain experience working with diverse patient populations — all essential aspects of culturally congruent care.
Salary: The average salary for a medical interpreter in the U.S. is about $52,000 per year, or $21 an hour.
13. Medical Scribe
Description: Assist healthcare providers by entering clinical information — such as patient histories, lab results, and physician notes — in electronic health record (EHR) systems while observing patient visits.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll develop a strong understanding of medical documentation and charting systems while observing physician-patient interactions.
Salary: The average salary for medical scribes in the U.S. is about $41,000 per year, or $20 an hour.
14. Medical Transcriptionist
Description: Listen to recorded dictations from physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, then accurately transcribe them into written reports or electronic health records.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll strengthen your medical terminology knowledge, improve attention to detail, and gain familiarity with documentation standards.
Salary: The average salary for a medical transcriptionist in the U.S. is $39,210 per year, or $18.85 an hour.
15. Mental Health Technician
Description: Work alongside mental health professionals in psychiatric hospitals, mental health clinics, or residential treatment centers. Duties may include monitoring patients, leading therapeutic or recreational activities, and intervening during mental health emergencies when necessary.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll develop strong therapeutic communication and crisis management skills, making it one of the best options for future psychiatric nurses.
Salary: The average salary for a psychiatric technician in the U.S. is $45,000 per year, or $21.64 an hour.
16. Nurse Scheduler
Description: Coordinate and manage healthcare staff members’ schedules in hospitals, clinics, or long-term care facilities. Duties may include assigning shifts, tracking time-off requests, and communicating schedule changes.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll gain insight into workforce management, staffing logistics, and the administrative side of nursing.
Salary: The average salary for a nurse scheduler in the U.S. is about $39,000 per year, or $19 an hour.
17. Nursing Teacher Assistant
Description: Assist nursing instructors in classroom and clinical teaching activities, such as preparing lesson materials, leading small group discussions, and providing feedback on assignments or practical exercises.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll strengthen your understanding of clinical concepts and practice explaining them clearly — skills that come in handy when teaching patients at the bedside.
Salary: The average salary for a teacher assistant in the U.S. is about $47,560 per year.
18. Patient Care Technician
Description: Provide hands-on, direct care to patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings. Duties include assisting patients with ADLs, taking vital signs, performing EKGs, and transporting patients to various departments within healthcare facilities.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll gain direct patient care experience and observe common clinical procedures such as wound care, blood draws, and IV therapies. This is one of the most practical options for working while in nursing school if you’re looking to strengthen your clinical skills.
Salary: The average salary for a patient care technician in the U.S. is about $36,000 per year, or $17 an hour.
19. Peer Recovery Specialist
Description: Guide and mentor individuals recovering from substance use disorders, helping them navigate treatment options, build coping skills, and connect with supportive resources, such as halfway houses or 12-step programs.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll develop deep insight into addiction treatment protocols and the social and psychological factors that affect patient outcomes — a great starting point for a career in substance abuse nursing.
Salary: The average salary for peer recovery specialists is about $41,000 per year, or $20 per hour.
20. Phlebotomist
Description: Collect blood samples from patients for laboratory testing, ensuring proper labeling, handling, and storage of specimens.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll gain hands-on experience with venipuncture — critical skills for any clinical nursing role, but especially for infusion nursing and hematology care.
Salary: The average phlebotomist salary in the U.S. is $44,390, or $21.34 per hour.
21. Research Assistant
Description: Support clinical or academic research teams by managing participant records, collecting data, and helping prepare research reports or publications. Opportunities may be available through your nursing school or affiliated university research programs.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll gain exposure to evidence-based practice, learn how clinical research informs patient care, and develop skills in data collection and analysis — so you can use your time working while in nursing school to explore what it’s like to work as a research nurse or nurse scientist.
Salary: The average salary for a clinical research associate in the U.S. is about $61,000 per year, or $29 per hour.
22. Restaurant Server or Host
Description: Greet and seat guests, take and deliver food and drink orders, handle customer inquiries, and facilitate a positive dining experience.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll strengthen communication, time management, and teamwork skills, while learning to stay calm under pressure — all of which are transferable to fast-paced healthcare environments.
Salary: The average salary for a server in the U.S. is about $38,360 per year, or $18.44 per hour.
23. Retail Associate
Description: Assist customers with purchases, answer questions, restock merchandise, and handle cash or card transactions. Aim for positions in stores that sell health-related products.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll develop strong customer service skills, as well as the ability to stay organized in busy environments — all useful in nursing.
Salary: The average salary for a retail salesperson in the U.S. is about $37,150 per year, or $17.86 per hour.
24. School Nurse Assistant
Description: Support school nurses in caring for students by administering first aid, monitoring chronic conditions (like asthma or diabetes), and maintaining health records.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll gain hands-on experience in pediatric care and develop solid communication skills with parents and school staff. If you’re interested in school nursing careers, consider this role when working while in nursing school.
Salary: The average salary for a school nurse assistant in the U.S. is about $45,000 per year, or $22 per hour.
25. Student Tutor
What you’ll do: Provide one-on-one or group tutoring for students taking prerequisite classes or preparing for nursing school entrance exams such as the HESI or TEAS.
Benefits for nursing students: You’ll develop mentoring and leadership abilities by guiding fellow future nurses through difficult science classes or exam preparation.
How much you’d earn: The average student tutor salary is about $47,780 per year, or $22.97 per hour.
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