The best-paying jobs for international students in the UK are tutoring through an agency, university research and ambassador roles, healthcare support shifts, night warehouse work and paid internships. Most of them pay between the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour and about £20 an hour, with a few specialist roles above that.
“High-paying” needs to be kept in proportion. On a Student visa you can normally work only 20 hours a week during term, so even a good hourly rate produces around £1,000 to £1,500 a month. That helps with rent and food. It will not pay tuition fees, and the Home Office expects you to have your maintenance funds before you arrive. The larger financial prize comes after graduation, through the Graduate visa and a sponsored Skilled Worker job.
How many hours can international students work?
Your exact conditions are shown on your eVisa record, and they are strict.
- Degree level and above: up to 20 hours a week in term time.
- Below degree level: usually up to 10 hours a week in term time.
- Official vacations: full-time work is allowed.
- After your course ends: full-time work is allowed until your visa expires.
The 20 hours is a limit for each week, running Monday to Sunday. You cannot average it over a month, and hours from two jobs are added together. Unpaid work and volunteering for an employer can count too.
Master’s students should take particular care. On a one-year taught master’s, the summer dissertation period is term time, not a vacation, so the 20-hour limit continues until your official course end date. Ask your university for a letter confirming your term dates, because employers need it for the right to work check.
Work you are not allowed to do
- Self-employment or freelancing, including app-based delivery riding and selling services online
- Running a business
- Work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach
- Work as an entertainer
- A permanent full-time job
Breaking these conditions can lead to your visa being cancelled and can damage future applications. If an employer asks you to work extra hours “off the books”, refuse.
Which part-time jobs pay the most?
The figures below are realistic ranges at the time of writing. London rates are usually at the upper end. Students aged 18 to 20 can legally be paid a lower minimum wage than the National Living Wage, which applies from age 21, although many large employers pay one rate to all adults. Check current rates on GOV.UK.
| Job | Typical hourly pay | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Tutor employed by a tutoring company | £15–£30 | Must be employment on a payroll, not freelance; maths, sciences and languages pay best |
| Graduate teaching or research assistant | £15–£20 | Mostly for postgraduates; advertised by your department |
| Student ambassador, library or residence assistant | £12.71–£15 | Flexible around lectures; employer understands visa limits |
| Healthcare assistant or support worker | £12.71–£15, more for nights and weekends | Requires DBS check and training; bank shifts are flexible |
| Warehouse operative on nights | £13–£16 | Physically demanding; watch that shift lengths do not breach 20 hours |
| Bilingual customer service | £13–£17 | Your first language can be an asset |
| Bar, restaurant and hotel work | £12.71–£13.50 plus tips | By law, tips must be passed to staff |
| Supermarket and retail assistant | £12.71–£14 | Some chains pay above the legal minimum |
| Exam invigilator or event steward | £12.71–£14 | Seasonal and occasional |
University jobs are often the best overall choice. They pay fairly, fit around your timetable, and the payroll team understands Student visa conditions.
Are internships and placements worth more than part-time work?
Usually, yes. Paid summer internships in finance, consulting, technology, engineering and law commonly pay the equivalent of a graduate starting salary for the weeks you work, and they are the main recruitment channel for graduate jobs with employers that hold a sponsor licence.
There are two ways to do them within the rules. You can work full-time during an official vacation. Or, if a work placement is an assessed, integral part of your course, such as a sandwich year, the placement does not count towards the 20-hour limit. Your university must confirm the arrangement.
Applications for summer internships at large employers open early, often in the autumn of the previous year. Use your university careers service, and ask each employer before applying whether it sponsors graduates for Skilled Worker visas.
What is the Graduate visa, and what is changing?
The Graduate visa lets you stay and work after successfully completing a UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD. You do not need a job offer or a sponsor, there is no minimum salary, and you can work in almost any job or be self-employed.
- It currently lasts two years, or three years after a PhD.
- For new applicants from 2027, the period for bachelor’s and master’s graduates is being shortened to 18 months.
- You must apply from inside the UK before your Student visa expires, after your university has reported that you completed the course.
- You pay an application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 for each year.
- It cannot be extended, and the government has indicated that settlement rules are being reformed, so check GOV.UK for how time on this route is treated.
Treat the Graduate visa as a period for finding an employer who will sponsor you, not as a destination. Eighteen months passes quickly.
How do you switch to a Skilled Worker visa?
This is where high pay becomes realistic. Since July 2025, new Skilled Worker sponsorship generally requires a job at graduate level (RQF level 6) and a salary of at least £41,700 or the occupation’s going rate, whichever is higher.
Recent graduates get a concession. If you are switching from a Student or Graduate visa, or are under 26, you may qualify as a “new entrant”. At the time of writing, that reduces the requirement to around £33,400 or 70% of the going rate, whichever is higher. The reduced rate lasts for a limited period, and time on the Graduate visa counts towards that limit. Confirm the current figures on GOV.UK.
Steps to a sponsored graduate job
- Check that the employer appears on the Register of Licensed Sponsors on GOV.UK.
- Check that the job’s occupation code is eligible and that the salary meets the threshold for that code.
- Apply through the employer’s official graduate scheme or careers page.
- Receive a Certificate of Sponsorship from the employer.
- Apply online, paying the visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge. A UK degree taught in English normally satisfies the English requirement.
- Do not start the new full-time role until you are permitted to, which for students generally means after course completion.
Software, engineering, finance, data and healthcare roles are the most likely to meet the salary rules. Our guide to iOS developer jobs in Scotland shows how this works for one tech role, and the overview of visa sponsorship jobs in Scotland compares sectors.
How do National Insurance and tax work for students?
Students are not exempt from tax. You pay it in the same way as any other employee, through PAYE.
- National Insurance number: apply online on GOV.UK. You can start work before it arrives, as long as you have passed the right to work check.
- Income tax: the standard Personal Allowance is £12,570 a year. Earnings below that are free of income tax.
- National Insurance: deducted when you earn above a weekly threshold, even if your annual income is below the Personal Allowance.
- Tax codes: a new employee is sometimes put on an emergency code and overtaxed. Give your employer your P45 or complete the starter checklist, and claim any refund from HMRC.
- Two jobs: your allowance is normally applied to one job, so the second may be taxed at 20% from the first pound.
Keep your payslips and P60. They show your earnings history if you later apply for a visa, a tenancy or a mortgage.
How far will a student income go?
Twenty hours at £12.71 is about £254 a week before deductions. A room in a shared house outside London commonly costs £450 to £700 a month, and considerably more in London. Part-time work therefore covers a share of living costs, not all of them.
Open a UK bank account early, because employers pay by bank transfer. A student account with no monthly fee is sufficient. Be careful with credit cards, overdrafts and buy-now-pay-later offers: missed payments damage a UK credit record you will need later. If family send money from abroad, compare international money transfer providers on exchange rate as well as fee. For accommodation, see our guide to cheap UK housing for immigrants. This article is general information, not financial or legal advice.
What misleading offers target international students?
- Sold sponsorship: genuine employers do not charge for job offers or Certificates of Sponsorship. Paying for one is illegal and can lead to refusal and removal.
- Money mule offers: “earn commission by receiving payments into your account” is money laundering. It can lead to a closed bank account and a criminal record.
- Cash-in-hand jobs: these usually pay below minimum wage and leave you with no payslips or protection.
- False visa officials: the Home Office does not phone students demanding fines by bank transfer.
- Unregulated advisers: immigration advice must come from an adviser registered with the Immigration Advice Authority or a regulated solicitor. Your university’s international student team advises free of charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work for Deliveroo or Uber Eats on a Student visa?
No. Riders on those platforms are generally self-employed, and self-employment is not permitted on a Student visa. Choose employed work where you receive a payslip.
Do my dependants have the same work limits?
No. Where dependants are permitted, which since 2024 is mainly for postgraduate research students, a dependant partner can usually work full-time in most jobs. Check the conditions on their own eVisa.
Can I work full-time while waiting for my Graduate visa decision?
Once your course has officially ended, you can work full-time under your Student visa conditions, and that continues while a Graduate visa application made in time is pending. The restrictions on self-employment remain until the Graduate visa is granted.
Will part-time work affect my studies or visa?
Working within your limit does not affect your visa. Poor attendance does, because your university must report it. Most students find 12 to 16 hours a week manageable alongside a full-time course.
Does a part-time job lead to sponsorship?
Rarely on its own. Retail, hospitality and warehouse roles are below the skill level for new sponsorship. Their value is income, UK references and experience, while internships and graduate schemes are the route to a sponsored job.
Bottom line
As an international student you can earn a useful income from well-chosen part-time work, provided you stay within 20 hours and avoid self-employment. The high pay comes later: use internships and your university careers service to reach licensed sponsors, plan around the shorter Graduate visa, and aim for a role that meets the new-entrant salary rules.