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How many hours can a student work in the UK?

April 19, 2022 |

As you grow older it’s only natural that you will need more money as you will start to experience the world more. You may have new hobbies, join new clubs, start eating out more and do a range of other activities that you have never done before.

All of this costs money, and for most of us our parents can only fund so much of it, for the rest you will more than likely need a job. Today we will be looking into some of the legalities of how many hours you can work as a student.

How many hours can a student work in the UK?

The biggest effect on the number of hours you can legally work in the UK as a young person or student is your age and if it’s term time. The older you are and out of term time the more hours you will be able to work.

The number of hours you can work as an international student

If you are an international student and want to work in the UK while studying at university you will have to have a look at your Visa. Your Visa will specify the number of hours you are legally allowed to work in the UK.

Typically as an international student you should be able to work a maximum of 20 hours a week during term time if you are studying at degree level and up to 10 hours a week if you are studying below degree level.

Jobs for students

When studying in university you will need a job at some point as all the partying will soon eat into any savings you may have had. Getting a part-time job will also give you some real-world experience and will also look good on your CV when you interview for any graduate jobs.

If you are living at university you may want to check with the student union if they have any jobs going or visit the local bars, restaurants and even cinemas to see if they are hiring.

Your university may also have a recruitment day so it’s worth visiting to see what job opportunities are out there. There are also job boards specifically for students which can be visited. You can check these out below:

Studying and working – Our tips

Having more money as a student is great, it helps with buying groceries, paying your bills and it even allows you to have more comforts such as Netflix. With that said, if you find working and studying is becoming too difficult and is stressing you out then you will need to prioritise your studying.  

A little bit of money seems great but don’t be tempted to finish your studying to work a part-time job. We have seen it happen many times and while this money seems like a lot now, in the future it won’t get you far when you have more bills to pay.

Prioritsie your study, even if it means that you lose your job or have to work less hours and take home less money. The struggle now will end up paying off in the future and you will thank yourself for it.

Being a student is difficult, balancing your money, education and social life is something that is new to you. At Urban Locker we will take some of that stress away from you by offering the best rates on storage for students. If you are leaving home for the first time and you are living at uni you may not realise how stressful moving can be. Hiring a storage locker can eliminate that stress, so if you would like to store your goods with us get in touch.

  • Delivering newspapers.
  • Working in an office.
  • Hairdressing.
  • Restaurant work (no kitchen work)
  • Hotel work.

What is the minimum wage for young people?

The national minimum wage as of April 2022 is:

  • £4.81 for an Apprentice.
  • £4.81 for Under 18’s.
  • £6.83 for 18 to 20 year olds.
  • £9.18 for 21 to 22 year olds.
  • £9.18 for 23 years and over.

You can read more about the national minimum wage on the government’s website.

What affects the number of hours you can work?

15 year old work experience

The biggest effect on the number of hours you can legally work in the UK as a young person or student is your age and if it’s term time. The older you are and out of term time the more hours you will be able to work.

The number of hours you can work as an international student

If you are an international student and want to work in the UK while studying at university you will have to have a look at your Visa. Your Visa will specify the number of hours you are legally allowed to work in the UK.

Typically as an international student you should be able to work a maximum of 20 hours a week during term time if you are studying at degree level and up to 10 hours a week if you are studying below degree level.

Jobs for students

When studying in university you will need a job at some point as all the partying will soon eat into any savings you may have had. Getting a part-time job will also give you some real-world experience and will also look good on your CV when you interview for any graduate jobs.

If you are living at university you may want to check with the student union if they have any jobs going or visit the local bars, restaurants and even cinemas to see if they are hiring.

Your university may also have a recruitment day so it’s worth visiting to see what job opportunities are out there. There are also job boards specifically for students which can be visited. You can check these out below:

Studying and working – Our tips

Having more money as a student is great, it helps with buying groceries, paying your bills and it even allows you to have more comforts such as Netflix. With that said, if you find working and studying is becoming too difficult and is stressing you out then you will need to prioritise your studying.  

A little bit of money seems great but don’t be tempted to finish your studying to work a part-time job. We have seen it happen many times and while this money seems like a lot now, in the future it won’t get you far when you have more bills to pay.

Prioritsie your study, even if it means that you lose your job or have to work less hours and take home less money. The struggle now will end up paying off in the future and you will thank yourself for it.

Being a student is difficult, balancing your money, education and social life is something that is new to you. At Urban Locker we will take some of that stress away from you by offering the best rates on storage for students. If you are leaving home for the first time and you are living at uni you may not realise how stressful moving can be. Hiring a storage locker can eliminate that stress, so if you would like to store your goods with us get in touch.

A 13 to 14-year-old student can work 2 hours per weekday and on a Sunday and up to 5 hours on a Saturday. A 15 to 16-year-old student can work up to 8 hours on a Saturday. Both age groups can not work before 7am or finish after 7pm.

13 – 14 year olds can work a maximum of 12 hours per week during term time. 15 – 16 year olds are also limited to 12 hours per week during term time.

During your school holidays, you are able to work more hours.

13 – 14 year olds can work up to 25 hours per week. 15 – 16 year olds can work up to 35 hours per week.

At what age can you start working?

A young person leaving school can get a light work job from the age of 14. A lightweight job is something that won’t interfere with their health and safety or interfere with their education.

Examples of a light weight job include:

  • Delivering newspapers.
  • Working in an office.
  • Hairdressing.
  • Restaurant work (no kitchen work)
  • Hotel work.

What is the minimum wage for young people?

The national minimum wage as of April 2022 is:

  • £4.81 for an Apprentice.
  • £4.81 for Under 18’s.
  • £6.83 for 18 to 20 year olds.
  • £9.18 for 21 to 22 year olds.
  • £9.18 for 23 years and over.

You can read more about the national minimum wage on the government’s website.

What affects the number of hours you can work?

15 year old work experience

The biggest effect on the number of hours you can legally work in the UK as a young person or student is your age and if it’s term time. The older you are and out of term time the more hours you will be able to work.

The number of hours you can work as an international student

If you are an international student and want to work in the UK while studying at university you will have to have a look at your Visa. Your Visa will specify the number of hours you are legally allowed to work in the UK.

Typically as an international student you should be able to work a maximum of 20 hours a week during term time if you are studying at degree level and up to 10 hours a week if you are studying below degree level.

Jobs for students

When studying in university you will need a job at some point as all the partying will soon eat into any savings you may have had. Getting a part-time job will also give you some real-world experience and will also look good on your CV when you interview for any graduate jobs.

If you are living at university you may want to check with the student union if they have any jobs going or visit the local bars, restaurants and even cinemas to see if they are hiring.

Your university may also have a recruitment day so it’s worth visiting to see what job opportunities are out there. There are also job boards specifically for students which can be visited. You can check these out below:

Studying and working – Our tips

Having more money as a student is great, it helps with buying groceries, paying your bills and it even allows you to have more comforts such as Netflix. With that said, if you find working and studying is becoming too difficult and is stressing you out then you will need to prioritise your studying.  

A little bit of money seems great but don’t be tempted to finish your studying to work a part-time job. We have seen it happen many times and while this money seems like a lot now, in the future it won’t get you far when you have more bills to pay.

Prioritsie your study, even if it means that you lose your job or have to work less hours and take home less money. The struggle now will end up paying off in the future and you will thank yourself for it.

Being a student is difficult, balancing your money, education and social life is something that is new to you. At Urban Locker we will take some of that stress away from you by offering the best rates on storage for students. If you are leaving home for the first time and you are living at uni you may not realise how stressful moving can be. Hiring a storage locker can eliminate that stress, so if you would like to store your goods with us get in touch.