Best Part Time Jobs and Where to Find Them

There are many different reasons why people search for the highest paid part time jobs in their area. Some are young people looking for their first employment, while others want the flexibility of having their 'weekend' fall mid-week.

For some people, part time work is a way to supplement their income. If this is you, you should make sure you understand the tax implications of working two jobs, especially if your job is likely to be quite highly paid.

In this article, we'll take a look at some of the highest paid part time jobs and how you can find vacancies in your area. We'll also give special attention to part time and weekend jobs for young people, and the rules that apply on issues like minimum wage for teenagers in the UK.

What is the UK National Minimum Wage for Under-18s

As of the 2020-21 financial year, the National Minimum Wage for under-18s was £4.55, up 20p from the previous year. For apprenticeships, the wage is a little lower at £4.15 per hour.

The NMW only applies to people who are over school-leaving age. In England, this is defined as turning 16 before the end of the school summer holidays. If you leave school aged under-18, you must start a traineeship or apprenticeship, or work (or volunteer) at least 20 hours per week while remaining in part-time education or training.

What can Under-16s get paid?

If you're under 16, you don't qualify for a legal minimum wage. You can be paid any amount by your employer, although of course you should agree to what you think is a reasonable rate of pay for any work you do.

You still qualify for the personal tax-free allowance, which means you can earn up to £12,500 without paying any Income Tax. That's over £1,000 a month, so if you're just working weekends, there's a good chance you won't exceed your Personal Allowance.

If you stay below the Personal Allowance threshold, and because under-16s also do not pay National Insurance contributions, your employer does not legally have to put you on their payroll, which might make it easier to find a job that pays 'cash in hand'.

Higher rates of National Minimum Wage

The National Minimum Wage starts to increase when you reach the age of 18, with bands for 18 to 20-year-olds, 21 to 24-year-olds, and 25-plus - this last band is referred to by the government as the National Living Wage.

As of 2020-21, the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage were as follows:

These rates are recalculated every April, so if you need to know the current minimum wage for under-18s, or for any of the higher age groups, you can always check the government's website for the latest information.

Best jobs for 14 year-olds

In England you can have a part-time job from the age of 13 and above. At 14, you're limited to a maximum of 12 hours per week during term time. You can't work during school hours, or before 7am, or after 7pm. You can't work more than one hour in the morning before school.

You can work up to 5 hours on Saturdays, and 2 hours on every other day of the week, including Sundays. During school holidays this increases to 5 hours Monday to Saturday (but still 2 hours on Sundays) and a total of 25 hours per week.

It's quite easy to see why weekend jobs are the popular option, as they avoid some of the restrictions that only apply to weekdays and school days.

Examples of the best jobs 14 year-olds can do include:

If you're talented or technically minded, there's nothing to stop you from launching a freelance career, as long as you comply with the rules for your age range. So for example, a 14-year-old with the right skills could work in the following disciplines too:

There are some surprising options open to young people in the UK from a very early age. If there's a skill or interest you're passionate about, and people will pay you for it, there's no reason why you shouldn't make good use of your weekends to earn an income aged 14.

Best jobs for 15 year-olds

Much of the guidance above still applies once you turn 15. However, 15-year-olds can work up to 8 hours on Saturdays (still limited to 12 hours total per week during term time). In the holidays, you can work up to 35 hours per week, limited to 2 hours on Sunday but up to 8 hours Monday to Saturday - that's basically a full-time job.

You still don't qualify for the National Minimum Wage. However, make sure your employer knows that once you reach school leaving age (according to the definition given above) you will be entitled to the legal minimum wage for 16 to 18-year-olds. If you ask, there's a good chance your employer will agree to pay you at least that rate even while you are still 15.

The list of part time jobs for 14-year-olds still applies, but at 15 you're more likely to get taken on for public-facing roles.

Examples of the best jobs 15 year-olds can do include:

You should not be given too much responsibility - and there are some things, such as selling alcohol, that you will not legally be allowed to do. But you can start to work in some more challenging roles that recognise your slightly older age.

Best jobs for 16 year-olds

At 16, the time restrictions still apply to you: 12 hours per week during term time and 35 hours per week in the holidays, with the same daily maximum working hours as when you were 15.

However, you may now qualify for the National Minimum Wage for workers over school leaving age. The variety of jobs open to you may increase too, even though you are just one year older.

Once you reach the age of 16, many employers start to treat you with more maturity. You might be offered part time work that has a certain amount of responsibility or independence. 

Examples of the best jobs 16 year-olds can do include:

If you're looking forwards to a career working in office jobs, there's no reason why at 16 you shouldn't make a start by getting an office assistant weekend job or another part-time admin role that fits within the working time restrictions.

Best jobs for 17 year-olds

Aged 17, some of the restrictions on working hours no longer apply to you. However, in England, you must be in some form of part-time education or workplace training until you turn 18. So your part time job should either go alongside your weekly studies, or include an appropriate level of on-the-job training.

There are some obvious restrictions on the jobs you can apply for aged 17. You can't work in an environment that is aimed at over-18s only, such as a betting shop or serving alcohol in a pub. You also should not work in an environment that is harmful to your health or damaging to your academic performance.

Part time jobs for 17 year-olds again offer more responsibilities and can see you move into sectors that were not open to you aged 14 to 16.

Examples of the best jobs 17 year-olds can do include:

Again, if you have an interest or hobby that you would like to earn an income from, look for opportunities in your area. If there's a local videogame developer, ask if they need teenagers to test their upcoming titles. Or work at a local TV studio or theatre if you'd like the chance to meet some famous faces from your town.

Best jobs for 18 year-olds

When you turn 18, you are an adult by almost all definitions in the UK, and there are very few jobs that are still unavailable to you. You also, at long last, move up to a higher band of the National Minimum Wage, which will then remain the same for you (other than annual adjustments) until you turn 21.

As an adult, you're free to work in an even wider range of roles, including some with considerable responsibility.

Examples of the best jobs 18 year-olds can do include:

You can also work in all kinds of admin roles and public-facing hospitality roles, or provide professional services like web design and online marketing. If conventional part time jobs don't appeal to you, look at the possibility of selling your creative services - there are even online marketplaces like Etsy where you can sell physical goods you have made by hand.

At 18, you're likely to be balancing your part time work with a busier social life, and you may face the upheaval of relocating to university many miles from home. If you've worked for a chain (e.g. the big fast-food chains) you might be able to transfer easily to a branch near your university term-time address, and might even be able to transfer back to your home branch during the holidays.

Best jobs for students

You're likely to be at university until you turn 21, and the National Minimum Wage band from the age of 18 covers that range, so you can have some confidence about how much you should be entitled to throughout a three-year university degree.

The best university jobs allow flexibility. For example, you might work in a fast-food franchise or a restaurant where you can pick up morning, evening and even night shifts to suit your availability. Or you might find work with a local retailer who has greater demand for employees over the weekend when more people are out shopping.

Examples of the best jobs for students include:

At university, you need to strike a balance between education, employment and enjoyment. There are a lot of social activities and special interest groups to participate in, so think carefully about how much of your weekend (or week) you want to devote to your job.

Your personal financial circumstances may have an impact on this decision too, so take a good look at your income, outgoings, and any student loans, grants or bursaries you might qualify for, and this could provide you with a more clearly defined path when applying for jobs at university.

How to find the highest paid part time jobs in your area

The amount paid for part time and weekend jobs in the UK varies dramatically according to age, location and the type of job being advertised. So it's important to know whether the rate of pay advertised is competitive or not.

You can use the National Minimum Wage as a good indicator, once you're past school leaving age. Even before you reach 16, if an employer is offering to pay more than the NMW to a 14 or 15-year-old, it's a good sign that they value your contribution and your hard work.

For deeper insight into the highest paid part time jobs in your area, set up job alerts for new local job ads that will come through to your emails. Even if you get a job, you might want to leave your alerts set up, as you never know when an even better opportunity might arise.

You can also look at salaries published on Glassdoor. Not all advertisements mention a specific salary or hourly rate, but at Glassdoor we collect and publish salaries anonymously submitted by thousands of users to give you an accurate insight into what you're likely to be paid for specific roles at different companies.

Your time - especially your evening and weekend time - really matters at all ages, so don't give it up too cheaply. By comparing jobs for people of your age, and understanding the legal minimum wage you are entitled to, you can make sure you get a good income for the hours you are legally allowed to work.