Part-time jobs for students in the UK: hours and pay

Facts checked on 11 October 2026

How many hours you may work

UK and Irish students, and anyone with no visa restriction

There is no special limit for students. The general rule for adults applies: no more than 48 hours a week on average, unless you choose to opt out. If you are under 18 you cannot work more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. Your university may recommend a limit of its own in term time, but that is advice, not law.

International students on a Student visa

Your course	In term time	Outside term time
Degree level or above	Up to 20 hours a week	Full-time
Below degree level	Up to 10 hours a week	Full-time

A week runs from Monday to Sunday. You cannot average the hours over several weeks: 25 hours one week and 15 the next breaks the rule.
Term time is when your university expects you to be studying. Its published term dates decide this, and your employer will ask you for them. For many taught Master's students the summer dissertation period counts as term time.
You may not be self-employed, which includes freelancing and selling through apps, and you may not work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach, or as an entertainer. You may not take a permanent full-time job.
Part-time postgraduate students on a Student visa may not work at all.

Working more than your visa allows can cost you the visa. The condition printed on your visa is the one that counts. If anything here differs from it, follow the visa and ask your university's international student advice team.

What you must be paid

These are the legal minimum hourly rates from 1 April 2026. They usually change every April.

Your age	Minimum per hour
21 and over (National Living Wage)	£12.71
18 to 20	£10.85
Under 18	£8.00
Apprentice rate	£8.00

There is no lower rate for students. Tips do not count towards the minimum wage. If a job advert offers less than the rate for your age, it is either a mistake or a job to avoid.

Before your first shift

Proof of your right to work. British and Irish citizens show a passport, or a birth certificate together with an official document that shows their National Insurance number. Visa holders give the employer an online share code. If you are on a Student visa, the employer will also ask for your term dates.
A National Insurance number. If you do not have one, apply online. It can take up to four weeks, and you can start work before it arrives as long as you can prove your right to work.
A starter checklist. If you have no P45 from a previous job, your employer gives you HMRC's starter checklist so that you are put on the right tax code.
A UK bank account, since almost all employers pay by bank transfer.

Tax and National Insurance

Students are taxed like anyone else, through your employer's payroll (PAYE).

Income Tax: nothing on the first £12,570 you earn in the 2026 to 2027 tax year, which is the Personal Allowance. Spread over the year that is about £1,048 a month.
National Insurance: 8% on what you earn above £242 in a week.
Getting tax back: if you work only part of the year, for example over the summer, tax may be taken as though you earned that much all year. You can claim the excess back from HMRC.

Contracts you are likely to be offered

Much student work is on a zero-hours contract: the employer does not promise any hours and you do not have to accept the ones offered. These contracts are legal. You must still be paid at least the minimum wage, you build up paid holiday, and the employer cannot stop you working for someone else.

Paid holiday is 5.6 weeks a year for a full-time worker and the same proportion for part-timers. If your hours are irregular, holiday builds up at 12.07% of the hours you work.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 is changing some of this in stages. Statutory sick pay has been payable from the first day of illness since April 2026. A right to guaranteed hours and to reasonable notice of shifts for zero-hours workers is expected in 2027; the date had not been announced when we checked.

Where part-time jobs are advertised

Your university. The careers service and the students' union usually run a job shop with work on campus and nearby: bars, shops, libraries, open days, student ambassador roles. Campus employers understand timetables.
Find a job, the government's free job site for England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own, JobApplyNI.
Employers' own careers pages. Supermarkets, high-street shops, restaurant and coffee chains, cinemas, hotels, delivery firms and care providers recruit this way, and they are the biggest employers of students.
Job boards, which carry adverts from thousands of smaller employers.

Timing: Christmas temporary jobs are advertised from late summer and most hiring is done in October and November. Jobs near a university go quickly at the start of term in September, so look before you arrive if you can.

Finding them without checking every site

Jobofinder can do the looking. Set up one search:

Choose "Any part-time job", or type a job title such as barista or retail assistant.
Choose United Kingdom, type your town, and say how far you can travel.
Add the careers pages of employers near you that you would like to work for.

New jobs reach you every morning and evening with a link. On careers pages that Jobofinder can fill in, it can send your application for you. If you are limited to 20 hours a week, set the hours to part-time and read the advert before you accept: the limit is yours to keep, not the employer's.

Common questions

How many hours can an international student work in the UK?

On a Student visa for a course at degree level or above, up to 20 hours a week in term time. For a course below degree level the limit is 10 hours a week. Outside term time you may work full-time. Your visa and your university's term dates decide what applies to you.

What is the minimum wage for a student in the UK?

The same as for anyone else of your age. From 1 April 2026 it is £12.71 an hour if you are 21 or over, £10.85 if you are 18 to 20, and £8.00 if you are under 18. There is no lower student rate.

Do students pay tax on a part-time job?

Students are taxed like everyone else. You pay Income Tax only on earnings above the Personal Allowance, which is £12,570 for the 2026 to 2027 tax year, and National Insurance on earnings above £242 a week. If too much is taken, you can claim it back from HMRC.

Can I start work before my National Insurance number arrives?

Yes, if you can prove you have the right to work in the UK. Tell your employer you have applied and give them the number when it comes.

Official sources

Rules and rates change. These pages have the final word, and this guide is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice.

Part-time jobs for students in the United Kingdom