Public sector jobs for students

The public sector jobs that fit best around a degree are the ones with no fixed weekly hours: NHS bank shifts as a healthcare assistant or domestic, exam invigilation in schools and colleges, casual work at council leisure centres and libraries, and paid election work at polling stations and counts. Most pay at least the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, and NHS bank roles pay by Agenda for Change band. Applications go through the same official channels as permanent posts, with the same checks.

Jobs that work around a timetable

A contract with set weekday hours is hard to keep once exams or placements arrive, so most students end up on bank, casual or term-time arrangements.

Type of work	Where to look	How the hours work
Healthcare assistant or support worker on the staff bank	NHS Jobs, trust bank pages, NHS Professionals	Book shifts when free, nights and weekends included
Domestic, porter or catering assistant on the bank	NHS Jobs, trust bank pages	Shift booking as above
Exam invigilator	School and college websites, council school job boards	Busy in the main exam seasons, little work in between
Leisure centre assistant or lifeguard	Council or leisure trust job pages	Casual or relief contracts, often evenings and weekends
Library assistant on a relief contract	Council job pages	Cover for absence and busy periods
Polling station staff and count assistants	Council electoral services team	A few long days around each election

Many councils keep a casual or relief register. You apply once, pass the checks, and are then offered shifts as they come up. Leisure centres are often run by trusts or contractors on the council’s behalf, so the employer named on the advert may not be the council itself. The profiles for leisure centre assistants and lifeguards describe those jobs in more detail.

NHS bank work as a student

NHS staff banks have a lot of flexible work, since every trust needs cover for sickness, vacancies and busy periods. Healthcare assistant posts are usually Band 2 or Band 3, which in England from 1 April 2026 means £25,272 for Band 2 and £25,760 to £27,476 for Band 3, turned into an hourly rate by the trust. Nights, weekends and bank holidays carry unsocial hours enhancements, which is why many students book those shifts.

You will usually need care experience or to complete the trust’s induction and Care Certificate training before working on a ward. Some trusts recruit students in health courses (nursing, midwifery, paramedic science and similar) to their banks as healthcare support workers. You cannot work as a student nurse on bank shifts; you work in the support role you were recruited for. Placement hours and bank shifts must be kept separate, and your university may limit how much paid work you take on during placements. The NHS bank work guide covers rates, pension and holiday pay.

Invigilation and school work

Exam invigilators supervise candidates under the exam boards’ rules. Schools and colleges pay an hourly rate, usually on a low point of the local government pay spine or a casual rate, and the work is concentrated in the summer exam season with smaller sessions during the year. You do not need teaching qualifications, but you must turn up on time for every session and be comfortable standing in silence for long periods.

Because invigilators work on school premises, most schools ask for an enhanced DBS check and references under their safer recruitment rules. From 5 October 2026 an enhanced check in England and Wales costs £41.00, and schools normally pay for it. The exam invigilator profile covers the work and how schools recruit.

Pay rates by age

Every job here must pay at least the legal minimum for your age. The rates from 1 April 2026 are:

Age	Minimum hourly rate
21 and over (National Living Wage)	£12.71
18 to 20	£10.85
Under 18	£8.00

NHS bank pay and council pay spines already sit above these minimums for adult roles. Some councils are accredited Real Living Wage employers and pay at least £14.10 an hour, or £15.45 in London, though accredited employers have up to six months from the announcement to bring rates in.

Tax, National Insurance and holiday pay

Students pay tax like anyone else. Income Tax starts once your pay for the year goes above the £12,570 Personal Allowance, and employee National Insurance applies to earnings above £242 a week or £1,048 a month in any pay period. A student working casual shifts often earns below both, so pays little or nothing.

If you start without a P45, your employer may put you on an emergency code such as 1257L M1. That can take tax from a large month even if your yearly income is low. The overpayment is usually returned through payroll once HMRC has your details, or you can claim it back. The guide to tax in your first job explains what to fill in, and the take-home pay calculator shows what a given rate leaves after deductions.

Casual and bank workers are entitled to paid holiday. For irregular-hours workers, holiday can be worked out as 12.07 per cent of hours worked and paid as rolled-up holiday pay with each shift, shown separately on the payslip.

Visa conditions for international students

Student visa holders can usually work, but with a weekly limit on hours during term time and a ban on some kinds of work, including certain self-employed and permanent full-time roles. The exact limits depend on your course level and are set out on your visa. Employers must check your right to work and your term dates before you start, and booking extra bank shifts does not change your visa limit. If you are unsure, the university’s international student advice team or an OISC-registered adviser can help. The gov.uk student visa page lists the current rules.

Applying and getting through the checks

Use the same routes as permanent jobs: NHS Jobs for trust banks, council job pages for casual registers, and school websites or Teaching Vacancies for invigilation. Expect an application form, often a short interview, and then identity, right to work, references and DBS checks. Students with little work history can use volunteering, societies and course placements as evidence, and can name a tutor as a referee. The volunteering experience guide shows how to write that up. Checks can take several weeks, so apply well before the holiday or exam season you want to work in.