15 High-Paying Summer Jobs

Summertime opens up a variety of seasonal jobs that provide adults and young adults with opportunities for more income. If you're looking for a job over the summer, it may be useful to know which opportunities offer more competitive wages.

In this article, we explore 15 high-paying summer jobs, including a look at their job duties and the average salary you can expect to earn.

Benefits of summer jobs

Summer jobs have many benefits for adults, college students and young adults because of their flexible and short-term nature. Adults looking to explore new ventures or make money on the side may find a temporary, part-time position beneficial to their creativity and income.

For college students, summer jobs can provide job experience more specific to their field of study, turn into a full-time job after graduation, or provide extra income to save up for a car or help pay for school. Summer jobs offer young adults work experience to help them prepare for adult life by teaching responsibility and money management. It may also pique their interest in a specific career.

Related: 20 Side Jobs To Generate Additional Income

15 high-paying summer jobs

If you are interested in seasonal work this summer, you might consider these 15 summer jobs. For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, click on the salary link for each job title below:

1. Lifeguard

National average salary: $14.41 per hour

Primary duties: A lifeguard monitors and supervises activities at indoor and outdoor pools to ensure the safety of all children and adults. They are in charge of upholding security and safety standards to avoid accidents or injuries. They are also responsible for quickly responding to emergencies.

2. Camp counselor

National average salary: $15.24 per hour

Primary duties: A camp counselor supervises campers to provide a fun, healthy and safe summer camp environment. Counselors are usually responsible for planning and implementing activities and camp programs, as well as providing leadership and development opportunities for campers.

3. Bartender

National average salary: $16.00 per hour

Primary duties: A bartender is responsible for accurately and efficiently making a wide variety of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. They also interact with customers to ensure they have a positive experience and may be required to take meal orders at the bar depending on the establishment.

4. Landscaper

National average salary: $17.09 per hour

Primary duties: A landscaper is responsible for maintaining the outer appearance of a client's business or home. They are generally responsible for mowing lawns, trimming shrubbery and trees, and watering plants. Depending on the job, they may also help install patios, decks and walkways, or set up lighting systems.

5. Customer service representative

National average salary: $17.30 per hour

Primary duties: Customer service representatives work for companies, handling complaints, answering questions and providing information on services and products over the phone. They may be required to take payments and process returns.

6. Dog walker

National average salary: $15.63 per hour

Primary duties: A dog walker provides clients' dogs with physical exercise, normally on a daily basis. They are generally responsible for picking up and disposing of any waste, checking on the dog's food and water supply based on the client's instructions, keeping the dogs safe during walks and completing other services the client may request.

7. Construction worker

National average salary: $18.04 per hour (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Primary duties: Construction workers perform tasks that require physical labor to help construct or repair buildings, roads and other structures, using blueprints provided by the client. They may be responsible for removing debris, loading and unloading building materials and operating heavy equipment.

8. Babysitter/nanny

National average salary: $18.81 per hour

Primary duties: A nanny or babysitter provides competent childcare for families. Responsibilities include creating safe, stimulating environments for children, providing educational activities, and may include bathing, dressing, changing diapers and planning/preparing meals. Nannies sometimes live in-home and provide 24/7 care, while babysitters normally provide services only during set days and times.

9. Virtual assistant

National average salary: $20.43 per hour

Primary duties: A virtual assistant provides services to businesses or entrepreneurs from a remote location. A virtual assistant may be responsible for social media management, managing calendars, appointments and emails, and other administrative tasks required by the client. They may also complete personal tasks like running errands or booking hotels.

10. Event planner

National average salary: $22.21 per hour

Primary duties: An event planner coordinates event services like securing a location, catering, entertainment, decoration, lodging and transportation based on the needs of the client. During the event, they generally handle the guest registry and organize the facility to ensure all audio and visual equipment is ready, decorations are up and catering services are in place.

11. Tour guide

National average salary: $22.58 per hour

Primary duties: A tour guide provides information about the history of religious and historical sites, museums and other significant locations, to individuals or groups of travelers. Tour guides are responsible for memorizing information, confidently speaking to small and large group sizes and having great interpersonal skills.

12. Tutor

National average salary: $23.92 per hour

Primary duties: A tutor is usually hired through an agency and helps kids and young adults learn school subjects they have trouble understanding. They are normally responsible for reviewing school assignments, discussing the content and assisting with homework. They also may help students prepare for the SATs or ACTs.

13. Freelance writer

National average salary: $25.07 per hour

Primary duties: A freelance writer usually works through an agency or directly for a client, where they write a variety of content based on client instruction. They apply advanced writing skills, style guides provided by the client and their expertise on topics to produce content in the style of blogs, articles, white papers or other formats.

14. Fitness instructor

National average salary: $26.29 per hour

Primary duties: A fitness instructor is responsible for leading, instructing and motivating exercise activities for individual clients or groups. They demonstrate exercises for clients and modify them for varying fitness levels. They monitor clients during exercise to maintain their safety and provide general fitness and health information.

15. Swim instructor

National average salary: $26.85 per hour

Primary duties: Swim instructors teach both children and adults proper swimming techniques. Instructors are responsible for creating and delivering lesson plans appropriate for the age and level of each class or person. They may also provide individual lessons, coach swim teams or help more advanced swimmers refine their technique.

For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, click on the link(s) provided.