The best nursing student jobs put you near patients while you study: certified nursing assistant (CNA), patient care tech, nurse extern, unit secretary, phlebotomist, and EMT. According to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, nursing assistants earned a median of $20.32 an hour nationwide, and most of these roles offer 8- or 12-hour shifts that can fit around clinicals.
This guide covers 14 nursing jobs for students, what each one involves, the training you need, typical pay from federal wage data, and how well the schedule fits a nursing program. It also covers how many hours you can realistically work and how to get hired.
The table below shows national hourly pay from the BLS May 2025 wage survey. The first number is the 10th percentile, a fair guide to starting pay, and the second is the median. Pay varies a lot by state and city, so check your local numbers before you negotiate.
| Job | Training Needed | Hourly Pay (10th Percentile to Median, May 2025) | Fit Around Clinicals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified nursing assistant (CNA) | State-approved program plus state competency exam | $16.32 to $20.32 | Strong: per diem and 12-hour weekend shifts are common |
| Patient care technician (PCT) | Usually CNA plus employer training in skills like EKGs or blood draws | Not tracked separately by BLS; closest category is nursing assistants | Strong in hospitals that hire students |
| Nurse extern | Enrollment in a nursing program and completed coursework set by the hospital | Paid; rate set by each hospital | Good: many programs run in summer |
| Unit secretary or health unit coordinator (HUC) | High school diploma plus medical terminology training | $17.27 to $22.08 (medical secretaries) | Good: evening and weekend shifts exist |
| Phlebotomist | Phlebotomy program, usually under a year; certification often preferred | $17.20 to $21.75 | Fair: early-morning hospital draws can clash with class |
| Emergency medical technician (EMT) | EMT course and state license | $16.41 to $21.38 | Mixed: some agencies use 12-, 18-, or 24-hour shifts |
| Patient sitter or safety companion | Employer training; some hospitals prefer CNA | Not tracked separately by BLS | Strong: night shifts leave time for study |
| Orderly or patient transporter | High school diploma; CPR or BLS may be required | $15.50 to $18.41 (orderlies) | Good: shift work in most hospitals |
| Psychiatric aide | High school diploma plus on-the-job training | $15.43 to $21.59 | Good: around-the-clock units |
| Medical assistant | Certificate program or on-the-job training | $17.33 to $21.97 | Weak in weekday clinics; better in urgent care |
| Pharmacy technician | Training usually under a year; most states regulate the job | $17.32 to $22.00 | Fair: retail evening and weekend shifts |
| Home health or personal care aide | Varies by state; some states require certification | $13.00 to $17.21 | Strong: flexible client visits |
| Medical scribe | Employer training in charting and terminology | Not tracked separately by BLS | Good: ER scribe shifts run nights and weekends |
| Tutor or resident assistant | Strong grades (tutor) or campus selection (RA) | $14.15 to $20.84 (tutors); RA pay varies by school | Strong: on campus and flexible |
Hospital jobs build the skills your clinical instructors grade you on: vital signs, safe transfers, charting, and talking with scared patients and families. They also put you in front of nurse managers who may hire new graduates from their own staff.
CNAs help patients bathe, dress, eat, and move, and they take vital signs and report changes to the nurse. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook says nursing assistants complete a state-approved program and pass their state's competency exam, after which they are placed on a state registry. Some states also require a background check or continuing education.
This is the most common nursing student job because so many facilities hire for it. Because care runs around the clock, nights, weekends, and holidays are normal, which is exactly what you need when weekdays belong to class. Ask your state's nurse aide registry whether any of your nursing coursework counts toward eligibility.
A PCT does CNA work plus extra tasks that vary by hospital, such as EKGs, blood draws, or point-of-care glucose checks. BLS does not track PCTs as a separate occupation, so there is no federal wage figure for the title. Training and duties vary by employer, so ask whether your hospital hires nursing students into PCT roles and what training it provides.
The unit secretary runs the front desk of a hospital unit: answering call lights and phones, entering orders, managing charts, and coordinating admissions and discharges. The BLS handbook notes that medical secretaries may train for several months and need to know medical terminology. You will learn how a unit actually runs, which helps when you start as a new nurse.
Sitters, sometimes called safety companions or patient safety attendants, stay with patients at risk of falls, self-harm, or pulling out lines. The work is mostly watching and reporting. Night sitter shifts are popular with students because quiet stretches can leave time to review notes, though you must put the patient first and follow your hospital's rules about studying on shift.
Orderlies move patients to imaging, surgery, and other units and help with lifting and positioning. BLS says orderlies generally need only a high school diploma, though employers may require CPR or basic life support. It is an easy entry point if you have not finished a CNA course yet.
Phlebotomists draw blood for tests and donations. BLS reports that phlebotomy programs usually take less than a year and that employers may prefer certified candidates. Hospital labs often schedule the heaviest draws in the early morning, so check that a shift will not collide with 7 a.m. clinicals.
Scribes document the visit in the electronic health record while a physician or advanced practice provider sees the patient. You learn assessment language and clinical reasoning quickly. Pay is set by the scribe company or hospital, and BLS does not publish a separate wage figure for the job.
A nurse extern is a nursing student hired by a hospital to work alongside RNs, usually under a preceptor, for a set period. Externs typically do more hands-on care than a CNA but cannot practice as a nurse. Rules come from each hospital and your state, so the exact tasks vary.
Eligibility usually depends on coursework. UNM Hospital requires externs to be in good standing in an accredited program and to have finished the basic nursing skills course and the first semester of an acute care clinical course. RWJBarnabas Health runs a paid 8- to 10-week summer externship for students who have completed at least two clinical nursing courses; applications for summer 2027 open November 1, 2026, and close December 1, 2026.
Summer externships are the easiest extern roles to fit around school because they run when classes are out. Apply early in the fall, since many programs fill their spots months ahead.
EMTs respond to emergency calls and give care before and during transport. The BLS handbook says all states require EMTs to be licensed and that EMT-Basic programs typically take less than a year. It also notes that some EMTs work 12-, 18-, or 24-hour shifts, which can work well if one long weekend shift is all you can give.
Aides help clients at home with daily tasks, and in some states with basic health care. Visit times can be flexible, but pay was the lowest in this list, with a May 2025 median of $17.21 an hour.
Psychiatric aides support patients on behavioral health units and see the de-escalation skills you will use in mental health clinicals. Medical assistants work in clinics, which mostly run on weekday hours, so the job fits best in summer or during an online semester. Pharmacy technicians learn drug names and dosing, which helps in pharmacology, but state rules for registration or certification vary.
If you are strong in anatomy, microbiology, or chemistry, your campus tutoring center may hire you, and the hours bend around exams. A resident assistant job is on campus and often fits around clinicals, but compensation varies widely by school, so ask your residence life office what the role pays and what hours it expects.
There is no national rule, but nursing programs do publish guidance. Greenfield Community College's 2026-27 nursing handbook says the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing found that students complete programs more successfully when outside work stays under 20 hours a week. The same handbook notes that working more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period increases the risk of error.
Check your own program's handbook, since some set limits or ban working the night before clinicals. A practical target for many students is one or two shifts a week during the semester and more hours in summer.
Say you work two 8-hour weekend shifts as a CNA at the national median of $20.32 an hour. That is 16 hours and $325.12 a week before taxes, or about $1,300 over four weeks. Two 12-hour shifts would raise that to $487.68 a week, but 24 hours sits above the 20-hour guidance above, so try it for a month and watch your grades and sleep.
If you find yourself falling behind, read our tips on how to manage college and work and the warning signs of academic burnout in college.
Subject: Nursing Student Interested in Per Diem CNA Work on 4 West
Hello Ms. Rivera, I am a second-year BSN student at State University and finished my clinical rotation on 4 West this fall. I hold a current CNA certification and BLS card. I am available for weekend and evening shifts and would love to work on your unit while I finish school. Could you tell me how to apply or who to contact? Thank you, Jordan Lee.
Shifts, clinicals, and care plans can pile up in the same week. If you need a tutor to explain pharmacology or support with a paper, AceMyHomework offers nursing homework help for students balancing work and school.
For most students, a CNA or patient care tech job is the best fit because it builds hands-on skills and offers weekend and per diem shifts. Nursing assistants earned a median of $20.32 an hour in May 2025, according to BLS. If you have finished the required coursework, a paid nurse externship gives even closer work with RNs.
To work as a certified nursing assistant you generally need to complete a state-approved program and pass your state's competency exam. Some states let nursing students qualify through their coursework, so check with your state's nurse aide registry. Without certification, roles like sitter, transporter, or unit secretary are options.
Many programs advise staying under 20 hours a week. Greenfield Community College's 2026-27 handbook cites a Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing finding that students do better below that level. Check your own handbook, since some schools set a lower recommendation.
Most hospital nurse externships are paid positions, though the rate is set by each employer. RWJBarnabas Health, for example, lists its summer extern role as a paid position. Ask the hospital's recruiter for the hourly rate before you accept.
Patient transporter, sitter, and unit secretary jobs are good starting points because they usually need only a high school diploma and on-the-job training. A tutoring job on campus is another option if you are strong in science courses. Once you finish a CNA course, you can move into direct patient care.
It is hard but common, especially with one or two shifts a week. The key is choosing a job with flexible scheduling and protecting the night before clinicals. If your grades slip, cut hours before the semester gets away from you.
Figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025 national estimates) and the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, plus the hospital and college pages linked above, as of Oct. 2026. Pay, certification rules, and program requirements change and vary by state, so confirm details with your employer, school, and state board.
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