How Much Can a Student Earn in the UK Per Month?

The Big Question Students Ask

One of the most common questions we hear at Erudmite is simple but important:
“How much can I earn every month while studying in the UK?”

For families in the UAE, India, Nigeria, Egypt, Turkey, and Sri Lanka, this question isn’t just about pocket money. It’s about managing living costs, supporting family expectations, and sometimes even paying back loans.

The answer depends on how you choose to work: through part-time jobs or career-focused internships. Let’s break it down.

1. The Work Rules for International Students

International students on a UK Student Route visa (formerly Tier 4) have clear work limits:

• During term time: Up to 20 hours per week.
  
• During holidays: Full-time, usually 40 hours per week. This includes official university breaks such as summer holidays, Christmas, and Easter. Many students use these longer breaks to double their working hours and boost their savings.
  
• On-campus roles: Often flexible and sometimes easier to balance with studies.
  

Anything beyond this is considered a breach of visa conditions — and that can risk your degree and your future career.

2. Typical Part-Time Jobs and Earnings

Most students find part-time jobs in:

• Retail (shops, supermarkets)
  
• Hospitality (restaurants, cafés, hotels)
  
• Delivery and gig economy
  
• On-campus jobs (student ambassador, library assistant)
  

Average Hourly Pay (2025)

• National Minimum Wage (ages 21+): £11.44/hour
  
• Retail/hospitality: £10–£12/hour
  
• On-campus jobs: £11–£14/hour
  
• Tutoring / specialised part-time: up to £20/hour
  

Monthly Earnings

• During term time (20 hrs/week): ~£800–£1,000/month
  
• During holidays (40 hrs/week): ~£1,600–£2,000/month
  

👉 Enough to cover living costs, especially outside London. But here’s the reality: these jobs don’t help your long-term career.

3. Why Relying Only on Part-Time Work Is Short-Sighted

We understand why students grab part-time jobs quickly: the money is immediate, the process is simple, and the demand is high. But here’s the problem:

• Zero career link – Working in a café won’t make your CV stand out in AI, Cybersecurity, or Finance.
  
• Wasted Graduate Route window – The 18-month stay-back option after graduation is meant to build your career, not just pay bills.
  
• Missed sponsorship chances – Employers don’t sponsor student visas for survival jobs. They sponsor for skills.
  

This is where a shift in thinking is needed.

4. Why Internships Are the Smarter Move

At Erudmite, we strongly recommend that students prioritise paid internships or placements over casual part-time jobs.

Benefits of Internships

1. Relevant Work Experience
   
   • Your degree in Cyber Security, AI, FinTech, Cloud Computing, Luxury Branding, or Health & Social Care connects directly to your role.
     
2. Networking and Mentorship
   
   • You work with professionals who can recommend you for full-time roles.
     
3. Tier 2 Sponsorship Pathways
   
   • Employers who see your value during an internship are far more likely to sponsor you when your Graduate Route period ends.
     
4. Stronger CV
   
   • Instead of “barista in London,” your CV says “Data Analyst Intern at a FinTech start-up.” That difference opens doors globally.
     

Internship Pay in the UK

• Paid internships: £1,200–£2,500/month (depending on sector and company).
  
• Tech and finance roles: often at the higher end.
  
• Even unpaid or partially paid internships sometimes provide future sponsorship opportunities that outweigh short-term pay.
  

5. Linking It to the 18-Month Graduate Route

Until recently, international students had 2 years of stay-back under the Graduate Route. In 2025, this was revised to 18 months.

That 18 months is your career window:

• Build experience in your field.
  
• Secure Tier 2 sponsorship if you want to stay longer.
  
• Add “UK work experience” to your CV even if you plan to return home.
  

👉 If you spend your time only on part-time jobs, you risk losing this golden opportunity. But if you’ve already built internship experience during your studies, you’ll be ready to step into skilled roles during your Graduate Route.

6. What About Living Costs?

• London: £1,300–£1,600/month (rent, food, transport).
  
• Outside London: £900–£1,200/month.
  

Part-time earnings (~£800–£1,000/month) cover basic living expenses, but rarely more. That’s why UKVI requires students to show financial proof before arrival — they don’t expect you to fund tuition through part-time jobs.

Internships, on the other hand, can:

• Cover your living costs, and
  
• Add long-term career value at the same time.
  

7. Career-Aligned Work Across UWS London Courses

Let’s connect this with real programmes at UWS London — and the career-aligned internships students should seek.

BEng (Hons) Cyber Security

• Part-time job: IT support desk (£10–£12/hr).
  
• Internship: Cybersecurity analyst intern (£1,500–£2,200/month).
  

BSc (Hons) Collaborative Health and Social Care

• Part-time job: Care assistant (£11/hr).
  
• Internship: Health project coordinator intern (~£1,200–£1,600/month).
  

BSc (Hons) Data Science and Artificial Intelligence

• Part-time job: Retail assistant (£11/hr).
  
• Internship: Machine learning intern (£1,800–£2,500/month).
  

MBA with Luxury Branding

• Part-time job: Retail staff in a boutique (£11/hr + commission).
  
• Internship: Luxury marketing intern at a global brand (£1,500–£2,300/month).
  

MSc IT with Financial Technologies

• Part-time job: Café server (£10–£11/hr).
  
• Internship: FinTech analyst intern (£1,800–£2,400/month).
  

MSc IT with Cloud Computing

• Part-time job: Warehouse assistant (£11/hr).
  
• Internship: Cloud solutions intern (£1,800–£2,200/month).
  

👉 The difference is obvious. Internships pay more and lead to sponsorship.

8. Erudmite’s Guidance for Students

At Erudmite, we prepare students not just for admissions, but for career outcomes:

• One-on-one counselling in Dubai – Mapping courses to career-aligned internships.
  
• Scholarship advice – Helping reduce upfront costs (UWS London offers up to 40% bursary).
  
• Internship strategies – How to find and secure paid internships during your degree.
  
• Alumni network access – Learning from graduates who turned internships into sponsorships.
  

Because our goal is not just to send students abroad — it’s to ensure they succeed while they’re there, and long after they graduate.

9. The Real Answer: How Much Can You Earn Per Month?

• Part-time jobs (term time): ~£800–£1,000/month.
  
• Part-time jobs (holidays): ~£1,600–£2,000/month.
  
• Paid internships: ~£1,200–£2,500/month.
  
• Graduate Route jobs: £25,000–£40,000/year (£2,000–£3,300/month).
  

So yes, you can survive on part-time jobs. But if your goal is a career, not just survival, internships are the smarter choice.

Conclusion:

International students often arrive in the UK thinking part-time jobs are the only option. They aren’t.

Yes, you’ll likely work in retail or hospitality at first — and that’s fine. But your goal should be to transition into internships that connect to your degree. That’s where the real value lies:

• Higher monthly pay.
  
• Better career prospects.
  
• Sponsorship opportunities after the 18-month Graduate Route.
  

At Erudmite, our advice is simple: don’t just count the pounds you earn each month. Count the opportunities you’re building for your future.

FAQs

1. Can international students cover tuition with part-time work?
No. Part-time work can only cover living costs. Tuition must be prepaid or shown in your bank balance.

2. Do all internships in the UK pay?
Not all, but many in tech, finance, and business fields are well-paid. Even unpaid internships may provide long-term value through sponsorship potential.

3. What’s the best strategy for students in the UK?
Start with part-time jobs if necessary, but transition into internships in your field as soon as possible.

4. How does the Graduate Route help?
It gives you 18 months to gain skilled work experience and secure Tier 2 sponsorship. Internships make this much easier.

5. Why does Erudmite emphasize internships?
Because we believe education is not just about survival abroad, but about building a career that lasts.