Benefits of a student job: skills, salary and CV
Boost your skills and your salary
A student job gives you more than the figure on your payslip. You develop skills that employers will ask about later, you build a network, and you find out what kind of work suits you. In this blog you'll read about the benefits of a student job, what you earn as a minimum, and what rights you have, so you know exactly what you're getting into.
And you're not the only one doing it. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), in 2024 some 73.8 percent of young people in education had paid work alongside their studies. For most students, a side job is the rule rather than the exception.
What are the benefits of a student job?
- You develop soft skills that employers really look at: teamwork, planning, communicating and dealing with pressure.
- You expand your network with people who can later help you find an internship or a first job.
- You gain work experience, so your CV isn't empty when you graduate.
- You get more financial breathing room, which makes the month a lot more relaxed.
- You discover what kind of work you enjoy and what you don't enjoy.
- You stand a chance of moving up within the same company after your studies.
So with the right side job you don't just earn money, you also invest in what you'll do next.
What do you earn with a student job?
What you earn depends on the role, the sector and your employer's collective labour agreement (cao). What is fixed is the lower limit: the statutory minimum hourly wage. These are the gross amounts as of 1 July 2026 according to the Dutch government.
| Age | Gross per hour from July 1, 2026 |
| 21 and older | €14,99 |
| 20 years old | €11,99 |
| 19 years old | €8,99 |
| 18 years old | €7,50 |
| 17 years old | €5,92 |
| 16 years old | €5,17 |
| 15 years old | €4,50 |
For comparison: as of 1 January 2026 the minimum hourly wage for those aged 21 and over was still €14.71. The minimum wage is adjusted twice a year, on 1 January and 1 July. There is no statutory minimum youth wage for 13- and 14-year-olds.
In many collective labour agreements the hourly wage is higher than the minimum. So always check the vacancy or your payslip to see which wage and which cao apply to you.
Do you also get holiday pay and holiday days?
Yes, and many students forget to factor this in. You're entitled to holiday pay of at least 8 percent of your gross annual salary from the past year. The legal term for this is holiday allowance (vakantiebijslag). Your employer pays it out at least once a year; most employees receive it in May or June, and with flexible jobs you'll often see it on your payslip every month.
On top of that, you accrue holiday hours: each year you're entitled to 4 times the number of hours you work per week. This right applies to all employees, including those on an on-call or zero-hours contract. In that case you accrue holiday based on the hours you've actually worked.
Does earning extra affect your student finance?
No. DUO no longer applies an earnings limit, so your student finance won't be reduced because you work alongside your studies. Your income can, however, affect allowances such as the healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag), because these depend on your assessment income. Not sure? Work it out using the calculation tools from DUO and the Tax Administration (Belastingdienst).
Are you an international student? First check for yourself whether you're entitled to Dutch student finance at all, as many international students are not.
Good to know: if you take a job as an international student, you'll usually need Dutch basic health insurance.
What about your travel expenses?
Many employers reimburse your travel expenses. Since 2026, an employer may reimburse up to €0.25 per kilometer tax-free, regardless of which mode of transport you use. The government raised this amount from €0.23 to €0.25, with retroactive effect from 1 January 2026. A reimbursement isn't a right: when you apply, ask whether your employer reimburses travel expenses.
Which student jobs help you develop your skills?
Not every side job teaches you the same amount. These are roles in which you noticeably build something:
- A sales job. You learn to persuade, to deal with rejection and to steer the conversation.
- A job in customer service. You train your communication and learn to stay calm when someone else isn't.
- A logistics student job. You get better at planning, setting priorities and keeping up with the pace.
- A working-student role in marketing, communications, HR or finance. This builds experience that ties in directly with your field of study.
- A work-from-home job. You learn to work independently and organize your own day.
How does a student job help your professional development?
What you learn during your side job is what makes the difference at your first job application later on. Employers want entry-level candidates who already have experience, dare to take responsibility and know how a team works. That's exactly what you practise in a student job: communicating professionally, dealing with feedback, setting priorities and discovering where your talents lie.
And it continues more often than you'd think. Many students go on to work at the company where they started as a student after they graduate. Today's good student is tomorrow's permanent employee.
How do you combine working and studying without stress?
The key is flexibility. Choose work that adapts to your schedule, not the other way around. If you work through Recruit a Student, you set your own availability, so during an exam week you work less or take a break.
Three things that work best in practice:
1. Put your exams and deadlines in your calendar first and plan your shifts around them.
2. Report changes to your availability well in advance, so the schedule comes together more easily.
3. Be honest about how many hours you can handle. It's better to do a steady eight hours you can keep up with than sixteen hours you have to drop halfway through your semester.
How do you boost your CV without it being boring?
With a student job you show that you're motivated, reliable and independent, which is exactly what's missing from a CV that lists nothing but qualifications. Don't just describe what you did, but what you learned from it: how many customers you helped per shift, which system you learned to operate, what responsibility you were given.
Don't know yet what you want? Try different side jobs during your studies. You'll find out what suits you faster by doing it than by thinking about it. Want to talk through your options?
Frequently asked questions about student jobs
What are the best student jobs for developing skills?
Jobs where you work with people or are given responsibility deliver the most skills. Think of sales, customer service, hospitality, logistics and working-student roles in marketing, HR or finance. Choose one that fits your studies, and your experience will count double later on.
What is the minimum you earn with a side job?
With a side job you earn at least the statutory minimum hourly wage that applies to your age. Since July 1, 2026 that is €14,99 gross per hour for everyone aged 21 and over. A lower minimum wage applies to those aged 15 to 20. In many collective labor agreements the wage is higher.
How do you find a side job when you don't have any work experience yet?
Register for free with Recruit a Student, because we work together with hundreds of employers who deliberately work with entry-level candidates, so for many roles experience isn't a requirement.
Do you accrue holiday days on an on-call contract?
Yes, with a zero-hours or on-call contract you're still entitled to holiday and holiday pay. You accrue holiday hours based on the hours you've worked, usually as a percentage per hour worked. Your balance is shown on your payslip.
Does a side job reduce your student finance?
No, there's no earnings limit for student finance. Your income can, however, count towards allowances such as the healthcare allowance, because these depend on your assessment income.
Can you combine a side job with your studies without missing your credits?
Yes, provided you choose flexible work and coordinate your hours with your schedule. Report your availability in good time and scale back your hours during exam weeks. At Recruit a Student you decide for yourself when you work.
Does a side job also lead to a permanent job later on?
Yes, a side job regularly leads to a permanent job too. Many students stay on after graduating at the company where they started as a student, because they already know the organization and have proven themselves.
Are you ready to boost your skills and your bank balance?
At Recruit a Student you'll find flexible student jobs throughout the Netherlands. From healthcare and administration to marketing and logistics.
Row