Earlier this year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it would not renew its temporary off-campus work hours measure.
Since 2022, international students have been permitted to work unlimited hours throughout the academic year. The reintroduction of a cap on work hours throughout the academic year means that international students across Canada must now maximize their employment opportunities to increase their income in the 24 hours a week they are permitted to work (as of September 2024).
Part of maximizing their available working hours is finding employment that allows them to earn as much money as possible.
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The following list, compiled after a review of reputable sources such as Indeed and the Government of Canada’s Job Bank, outlines five jobs that most international students across Canada can obtain to earn money in 2024 and beyond.
The occupations on this list of five part-time jobs could allow international students to earn more than the current minimum wage in any of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories.
Note: All salaries listed below are hourly figures taken from the Government of Canada’s Job Bank, unless otherwise noted.
Administrative Clerk
Median salary in Canada: $22.50
The job of an administrative clerk is described, according to the Government of Canada, as one that requires the worker to “perform general … duties” in an office environment. Examples of these duties include “[preparing] correspondence, reports, statements and other material, [operating] office equipment, [answering] telephones, and [processing] forms and documents.”
While this may seem like basic work for an international student, work as an administrative clerk is often simple, stable and less mentally taxing than other employment. This will allow students to earn good money while being able to still devote time and energy to their studies.
Additionally, administrative clerks are often in high demand, meaning that there is a good amount of need for people to work in this role.
Note: A median is the middle value in a set of sorted numbers. This means that, when the salaries of a particular occupation are listed and sorted in order, the median is the salary directly in the middle.
Teaching Assistant (TA)
Median salary in Canada: $25.48
TA jobs are an easy way for international students to obtain employment while pursuing their education. This is because TA jobs are a form of on-campus employment that is typically reserved for students. Additionally, these jobs, where students usually assist a professor with their research or other teaching needs, allow students to become deeply involved in their field of study while working closely with a specific professor or faculty.
As an added benefit, because these jobs are typically on-campus, international students who work as TAs can save themselves time by not having to commute to work.
Translator
Median salary in Canada: $30.77
For international students who are confident in their ability to speak multiple languages, working as a translator can be a good way to earn money while pursuing their education. This occupation allows international students to leverage language skills they already have, meaning that the job would be easy for capable students to perform.
Post-Secondary Tutor
Median salary in Canada: $20.00
Another way that international students can leverage their educational environment is by seeking employment as a tutor. At the post-secondary level, international students working as tutors can help other students learn about a subject matter that they are familiar with, allowing them to use their expertise to help other students in a similar position.
Freelancer
Average salary in Canada (Indeed, updated on July 25, 2024): $23.51
A freelancer is someone who, as defined by investopedia.com, “earns money on a per-task or per-job basis.” Freelancers can work in a variety of industries depending on their skills, such as digital marketing, coding or graphic design.
Although this job may not be as stable or consistent as the others on this list, working as a freelancer allows international students another way to leverage their existing skills. In addition, freelance work allows students to work on their own time. This means they can choose when they want to work, making it easier to balance school and their job.
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