Student athletes typically have extra busy schedules along with the usual college expenses. Between classes, course work, practices, and games or competitions, finding the time for a job to make some money can be tough.
Fortunately, there are many ways for college athletes to make money — through coaching, training gigs, remote work options, and more. With a little creativity, it’s possible to earn some cash doing what an athlete does best: playing to your strengths.
Here, you’ll learn more about how college athletes can make money while working on their degree.
Rising Cost of College
There’s no doubt that college is a big-ticket item: In the 2023-2024 school year, the average cost of tuition and fees at a public college was $11,260 for in-state residents, and $29,150 for out-of-state residents. For private college, the average cost was $41,540.
Between 1963 and 2021, the average cost of an undergraduate degree went up by more than 135%.
Even if you’ve been awarded a scholarship, student athletes still need money for everyday expenses and all those protein bars. If you’re wondering how to make ends meet, read on to learn how you can make money as a college athlete.
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12 Smart Ways to Make Money as a Student Athlete
If you need to balance athletics and academics, there are an array of part-time job opportunities well-suited for the student athlete.
Here are 12 ways you can use your skills and talents to add to your college bank account.
1. Working for the Athletics Department
Landing a job in your school’s athletics department can be a convenient way to earn money while figuring out how to get involved at college and meet other students. Many college athletic departments can provide part-time gigs — in the office or the locker room.
Try asking your coach or athletic director about money-making opportunities. Athletic departments often need the support and, since they’ll be helping out a student athlete, the arrangement can be a real win-win.
2. Training Younger Athletes
Your athletic talents can help nurture the next generation. You could earn an hourly wage working in an after-school sports program for kids — either directly at a school, with a private league/program, or with an organization such as the YMCA.
Parents are often looking for role models to coach and train their children. Some college athletes offer their expertise in a private one-on-one or small group setting for an hourly rate — often between $20 and $25.
Your coach or athletic director may have insight on opportunities for working with children. Bonus: Running around with those energetic kids can help keep you in shape.
Recommended: 15 Low-Cost Side Hustles
3. Personal Training
Still curious about how a college athlete can earn money? Think about all those hours spent training, whether your sport is baseball or gymnastics. You can parlay your workout know-how into income. As a personal trainer, you could make a $20-plus an hour working with a client, and schedule sessions around your availability.
However, some clients (definitely gyms) may require you to have a personal trainer certificate from an accredited program, which could take time and money to acquire.
4. Managing Social Media
In addition to hours in the weight room, college athletes, like most young people, have likely spent a lot of time on social media. Why not turn those hours of screen time into cash?
Some small businesses don’t have a social media presence. You could check with your campus pizza joint, a local fitness center, or your team’s favorite coffee bar and see if they might hire you to set up or maintain their social media accounts. You could arrange for an hourly rate or flat monthly fee.
Recommended: Finding Jobs That Pay Off Student Loans
5. Vlogging
Some student athletes start their own YouTube vlog relating their experiences or testing sports equipment. If you’re able to grow your audience, you may be able to eventually monetize it by using income-producing programs such as Google Adsense.
The flexibility of vlogging can be great for a busy college athlete’s schedule, but it might take a while for you to learn how to get paid for social media and start bringing in income.
6. Writing Sports Articles
You might be able to make some extra dough by writing about your experiences as a college athlete, such as personal stories or articles about your triumphs and challenges, or perhaps an insider’s scoop on the big match.
Check with local newspapers or online sports publications for submission requirements and pay scale.
7. Working Seasonal Jobs
Many college athletes may have more hours for a job during the off-season. If the bulk of your athletic commitments are in the spring, you might consider an easy way to make money in the winter, whether shoveling driveways or ski detailing in a sporting goods store.
If your sport primarily takes place in the winter, you might have free time for an athletic summer job, such as being a lifeguard or a counselor at a sports camp.
8. Selling Old Sports Gear
Student athletes can clean out their closets and earn extra money by selling their gently used sports equipment, apparel, and footwear. Online marketplaces such as SidelineSwap and Geartrade deal specifically in used sports products. Or you can always list your items on Ebay, Facebook Marketplace, and/or Craigslist.
9. Selling Sports Cards
Like many college athletes, you may have spent your childhood collecting trading cards of your sports heroes. Now your hobby could really pay off. There are many websites and antique stores that might be interested in buying individual cards or your whole collection.
Only one problem: Some of your sports cards may have high sentimental value. You may not be able to part with them!
10. Starting an Online Business
Being your own boss can be a great way to ensure a flexible schedule for a college athlete, so think about tapping your entrepreneurial instincts and off-the-field talents. The possibilities are endless — editing services, translation services, online T-shirt sales with a unique logo for your team. You might also hire your teammates to help out.
11. Modeling
Yet another way student athletes can make extra money on the side: Many are physically fit, which might make them good candidates for modeling work. You could submit photos to a local talent/modeling agency and mention your athletic skills as a plus. A photo shoot for a print ad or an on-camera commercial can yield good money for a few hours of work.
12. Cashing in on Endorsements
In 2021, college athletes earned the legal right to profit off of their names, images, and likeness (NIL). Essentially, NIL allows college athletes to market their personal brands in a variety of ways. including endorsements, sponsorships, social media posts, and more. While some student athletes have raked in six-figure (and higher) endorsement deals, the average income from NIL deals for student-athletes ranges from $1,000 to $10,000.
While the ruling may be controversial, for some, it’s an easy way to benefit from your years of hard work and dedication to your sport.
The Takeaway
Many student-athletes are able to leverage their years of training and discipline into finding a part-time job. You may be able to channel your sports knowledge and work ethic into coaching, personal training, vlogging, writing sports articles, or launching an online business.
It may take some time, effort, and creative thinking, but you can likely find an income source that is financially rewarding and won’t put your studies or athletic performance in the penalty box.
Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.
FAQ
Is it legal for student athletes to make money?
Student athletes are allowed to hold on-campus and off-campus jobs.
How many hours are student athletes able to work?
The NCAA dictates that student athletes are limited to participate in school athletic activities for a maximum of four hours a day, or 20 hours a week. Depending on a student’s course load, that leaves a few hours a day for a part-time job.
Do student athletes get paid?
Student athletes don’t receive salaries from colleges. However, they are allowed to monetize their name, image, and likeness, and benefit financially from commercial endorsements.
Photo credit: iStock/GCShutter
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