Navigating Student Jobs at Arizona State University

For students at Arizona State University (ASU), working a part-time job can be a great way to manage expenses, gain valuable experience, and complement academic pursuits. ASU offers a variety of employment opportunities for students, both on and off campus. This article provides a comprehensive guide to understanding student employment at ASU, including wage scales, available positions, application processes, and important policies.

The Benefits of Working as a Student

Working while studying offers numerous advantages. Students may decide to work while they are a student, either to help with living and learning expenses or to gain additional experience to complement their education. The skills you obtain from employment can complement your academics and communicate to future employers your ability to succeed in a professional environment. Studies have shown that students who work do just as well if not better academically than non-employed students, and that grades improve as students work up to twenty hours per week.

Wage Scale and Pay Rates

Student Employment offers a wide range of positions, which require different degrees of skill or experience. The student wage scale starts at $14.35/hour and pay rates should not exceed $50.00/hour. ASU has established a standardized wage scale for student employees, ensuring fair compensation based on the job's complexity and required skills. Four wage levels with different pay ranges have been provided below. Federal Work-Study and Hourly employment share the same wage levels and pay ranges. Wage placement must be in relation to the type of duties performed and in consideration of other student worker wage rates in similar jobs.

Here's a breakdown of the FY2026 Student Employment Standard Wage Scale, effective July 1, 2025:

Job Code	Job Level Descriptions	Arizona Min Pay Rate	Arizona Max Pay Rate	California Min Pay Rate	California Max Pay Rate	District of Columbia Min Pay Rate	District of Columbia Max Pay Rate
I	Duties are of a routine and simple nature; entry level. Requires direct supervision with relatively specific instructions. Little or no training or experience is required.	$14.35	$15.05	$17.87	$18.72	$17.95	$18.81
II	Duties are varied and less routine and involve a moderate degree of responsibility and judgment. May lead or coordinate activities of other student employees. Requires previous knowledge or skill and/or equivalent experience or training.	$14.75	$16.22	$18.35	$20.14	$18.44	$20.25
III	Duties are technical and complex and involve a high degree of responsibility and judgment. May supervise or direct activities of other student employees. A significant amount of specialized training or experience is required.	$15.62	$18.62	$19.41	$23.04	$19.51	$23.19
IV	Duties are highly technical and/or complex and involve a significant degree of responsibility and judgment. This classification is limited to teaching/research aide type work or those positions requiring highly specialized skills and/or technical knowledge.	$17.40	$50.50	$21.57	$61.67	$21.69	$62.32

It's important to note that some locations may have higher minimum wage requirements than the state minimum. For instance, in Arizona, Flagstaff has a higher minimum wage. California has over 30 local/city minimums that exceed the current state minimum of $15.50 per hour. Students working in states/locations outside of Arizona may require pay rates above the Standard Wage Scale minimum. Please click here to see current State Minimum wage rates. If you have any questions on setting rates in situations like this, please reach out to an ASU Compensation Partner at cfo.asu.edu/compensation.

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Student pay rate amounts must stay within the student wage levels.

Types of Student Employment

ASU offers two primary types of student employment:

Hourly Employment: You may apply for hourly employment positions throughout the year. This encompasses a wide range of on-campus and off-campus jobs.
Federal Work-Study (FWS): Federal-Work Study is a federally funded campus-based program designed to create additional job opportunities for students eligible to participate in need-based financial aid programs. FWS is awarded as part of your financial aid package. To activate your FWS award, you still need to apply and be hired for an FWS job. As an incoming student for the fall semester, you may start working in an FWS position on the first day of fall classes. Once all the federal funds have been committed, the program closes.

The hiring department pays only a percentage of the student's wages; the federal government subsidizes the remaining portion. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student's course of study.

Finding Job Opportunities

Several resources are available to help ASU students find employment:

Handshake: Handshake is a valuable platform for current students and recent alumni to connect with employers who are specifically looking for ASU students/alumni. In addition you can use Handshake to find and register an internship for course credit, research employers, join career events such as a virtual career fair, and book a career advising session with Creative Career Services. All jobs and internships on Handshake have been vetted for the safety of students.
Workday: To apply for student jobs at ASU, visit Workday to explore current openings and submit your application. For help with the process, use this step-by-step job aid.
On-Campus Jobs: Looking for a part-time job that works around your class schedule?
Off-Campus Jobs:

Application Process

The application process can take up to 30 minutes. To speed up the process, have your resume, cover letter and three references completed before starting the process. Uploading your resume and cover letter is recommended.

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Please allow approximately two weeks to receive a response to your application.

Important Policies and Training

ASU prioritizes the safety and well-being of its students and the security of its information. Therefore, all student workers are required to complete mandatory training programs.

Enterprise Technology Security Training: ASU is committed to preserving the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of University information resources. Our responsibility is in securing the information of students, faculty, and staff. Whether data is on your workstation, phone or tablet - the ASU community, and each of us in it, plays an important role in securely storing, sharing, and protecting electronic information. The course includes necessary information on how to protect both personal and ASU information, back up files, maintain your operating system, respond to incidents, and encrypt laptops, desktops and mobile devices. To access the course, please visit ASU Information Security Training. The course will take about 22 minutes to complete. It includes a presentation and a quiz. For those of you familiar with this material, you can go directly to the quiz. You must answer 12 of 15 quiz questions correctly to earn credit for the course and you may re-take the quiz if necessary.
Preventing Harassment and Discrimination: The program is also intended to educate the university community about what constitutes appropriate behavior, and how to properly report concerns about inappropriate behavior. This training is mandatory for all student workers in all academic and administrative units. To access the course, please visit Preventing harassment and discrimination. The self-paced training includes an online module, quiz and resource guide with information and policies to review. You must score 80% or better on the required quiz at the end of the session to receive a certification of completion. You can retake the quiz if you do not receive a score of at least 80%. Your dean or director will be able to track your completion of the training via dashboard and routine reports that will be available for University administrators. Student workers must complete this training within 60 days of their hire date. If you experience any technical difficulty with the training, please call 1-855-278-5080.

Important Considerations for FWS Employees

An FWS award is not disbursed in a lump sum, but through biweekly paychecks for hours actually worked. Therefore, you must meet eligibility requirements throughout your period of employment.
An FWS award will NOT automatically credit your university charges.
As an FWS employee, you are limited to earning the amount of your FWS award. Once you reach your earning limitation, the employer has the option of continuing your employment under the Hourly Employment Program. Due to budget restrictions, there is no guarantee of an hourly continuation. You may need to seek other employment options.
Paychecks will be available in your department (or at the Cashier's Office on the Tempe campus for off-campus FWS jobs). You may also enroll in direct deposit through My ASU under the Employee Self Service and Payroll & Compensation section.
FWS earnings are considered taxable income by the IRS. When you complete your FAFSA for the next academic year, you need to deduct your FWS earnings from your reported income using Worksheet C.

Working Hour Limitations

US citizens or eligible noncitizens may not work more than an average of 25 hours a week (or 62.5% FTE) over a rolling 12 month period. If you are planning to work over the summer, you will need to enroll in summer classes. International students with an F-1 visa are allowed to work 20 hours a week during the academic year and may not work more than an average of 25 hours a week (62.5% FTE) over a rolling 12 month period. The maximum applies to the combined total of all jobs, including hours associated with stipends paid for services.

Avoiding Scams

Itâs not uncommon for scammers to take advantage of college students, especially international students or anyone looking for âquick cash.â Arizona State Universityâs Student Employment Office acts only as a referral service, advising individuals of employment opportunities submitted to the office. Arizona State University is not responsible for the safety, wages, working conditions, or other aspects of off-campus employment. Due to the volume of jobs received by the Student Employment Office, we are unable to research the integrity of every position listed. Therefore, students are urged to research positions and employers and conduct due diligence themselves. We encourage you to use common sense and caution when applying for positions, especially when applying for positions off-campus. Do not put yourself in a vulnerable situation. Carefully check any employer you are considering to be sure the job offered is legitimate. Watch the Federal Trade Commission's video on job scams. Arizona State University assumes no responsibility for the positions or employers listed through the Student Employment Office. Use common sense when applying for and engaging in off-campus employment. Due to the volume of off-campus hourly jobs posted, we are unable to verify the integrity of each employer listing a job through this program. Therefore, use caution and common sense when applying for a position with any organization or residence.