Finding student jobs at the University of Toronto

The best paying, most interesting and most flexible student jobs are usually found right on the campus. Since most jobs at the University of Toronto are unionized (though there are some that are not), the pay is also quite good, almost always higher than minimum wage. These jobs are also great for students since it makes it easy to go from work to class and vice-versa.

Here are links to the best places to find student jobs at the University.

U of T Career Centre

Anybody can list a job here, so it can often be difficult to find something that matches your interests. There are often tutoring (especially for math and science) jobs advertised that typically pay quite well. If you have no job experience at all, you can also use this website to track down good volunteer opportunities. The website also lists summer jobs but you need to start looking around March or earlier; all the good positions will be gone otherwise.

University of Toronto Libraries

Working part time at the University library is probably one of the best on campus jobs you can find. Undergraduates are typically paid around $14 per hour while graduate students can earn $25 per hour. While the work can be boring (e.g. shelving books), it is quiet and relatively easy.

Work Study


In order to get access to most work study positions, you have to be receiving OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program, i.e. a government loan for education). These positions have the virtue of often being quite interesting (doing research for a professor is a common work study job), but the pay is poor. The pay is limited by the following conditions:

The rate of pay is $9.60 per hour plus 4% vacation pay for a total of approximately $9.98 per hour. Students are allowed to work a maximum of 180 hours and no more than 12 hours in any given week.

Find out more about whether you are permitted to get a U of T Work Study job here.

Other Opportunities

Many campus services also hire students. Examples include Hart House, Graduate House, the Inforum, the Trinity College Archives
and so forth. It is worth worth checking out the colleges affliated with the university such as St. Michael's College. Academic departments sometimes offer positions (e.g. jobs at the Department of Statistics); ask around at your department and see if there is a way for you to put your education to work right away. Pay varies here but don't expect to receive much more than $11 per hour. The University of Toronto Student Union also has some paid positions. You can also sometimes find employment at the Trinity Library, which has seperate hiring from the other libraries.

Many departments and faculties also hire students. Graduate students often can find job opportunities. Ask your supervisor or the department secretary for more information.

In addition to the career centre listings, you can sometimes find retail and restaurant jobs around the university. Tutoring high school students is a great option since it typically pays well and it looks better on a resume than serving coffee.

In addition to looking around campus, there are two websites that provide student job listings: Craigslist Toronto has part time job listings and Kijiji Toronto has jobs for students. While there are legitimate jobs listed in both places, it pays to be careful. If the employer promises very large earnings, make sure to ask questions about this. If it sounds too good to true, it probably is. I found an online job using Kijiji Toronto in 2007 and I have friends who have experienced success with Craigslist too.

If you have the option, on campus employment should be considered the first resort. Such positions understand the pressures of student life and they generally minimize disruption to your academic life.