Part-Time and Weekend Jobs in Dublin for Students 2027

Quick Answer

The easiest part-time and weekend jobs for students in Dublin are in events, hospitality, retail, cleaning and warehouse work. Most entry-level shifts pay the national minimum wage, which rises to €14.94 an hour on 1 January 2027. Christmas and the summer are the busiest times to get hired, and signing up with a temporary recruitment agency is often the quickest way to get regular shifts.

You won't be the only one looking. Ireland's universities and technological universities had 278,880 students in 2024/25, with 34,715 at UCD alone, according to HEA figures reported by Courses.ie. The HEA's Eurostudent survey found that more than half of full-time undergraduates (57%) work during term. This guide shows where the shifts are, what they pay and how to get yours booked first.

Which part-time jobs can students get in Dublin?

The jobs that suit students best are the ones built around shifts rather than a 9 to 5. They're paid by the hour, most need no experience, and you can often pick up extra hours around exams and holidays.

Event and hospitality work is the most flexible. Shifts are booked a week or two ahead, so you can work a busy weekend and skip one when assignments are due.

What do part-time jobs in Dublin pay in 2027?

Most entry-level student jobs in Dublin pay the national minimum wage. That's €14.15 an hour in 2026, rising to €14.94 an hour from 1 January 2027, as confirmed in Budget 2027.

We see this in our own job listings. Every entry-level shift role Total Solutions advertised in 2026 started at €14.15 an hour, from event staff and catering assistants to kitchen porters, cleaners and retail assistants. Roles that need a licence, a skill or night hours pay more. Our night shift forklift role in Dublin 24 pays €16.51 an hour, and relief chef shifts pay €18 to €20.

Here's what that means for a typical week at the 2027 rate, before tax:

Bar and floor jobs often add tips on top. Most students on part-time hours pay little or no income tax once their tax credits are applied, but only if the job is registered with Revenue (step 6 below shows how).

For pay rates across 16 sectors, see our Salary Guide Ireland 2026.

When is the best time to find student work in Dublin?

The best times are November to mid-January and June to September. That's when employers need the most extra staff and students have the most free time.

Apply four to six weeks before a busy period. Many employers set their Christmas rosters in November, so if you want Christmas work, the time to sign up is now.

Christmas jobs in Dublin for students

Christmas is the easiest time of year for a student to get hired in Dublin. Hotels, bars and venues run Christmas parties most nights from late November, shops open late, and warehouses ship online orders right up to Christmas Eve and handle returns into January.

• Event and party staff. Christmas parties, concerts and conferences need floor staff, bar staff and cloakroom cover, mostly evenings and weekends.

• Retail. Late-night opening and the January sales mean extra hours from late November to mid-January.

• Warehouse picking and packing. The longest blocks of hours, often days or nights through the break.

• Hospitality. Kitchens need extra porters and catering assistants for party bookings.

Sign up in November, before rosters are set. Tell the agency or employer you're free right through to mid-January, as that's when the post-Christmas returns and the sales keep the work going. Stamp 2 students can work up to 40 hours a week from 15 December to 15 January.

Student jobs near your college

Shifts close to campus are easier to fit between lectures and cheaper to get to. These are the main areas of work near Dublin's biggest colleges.

How do you get a part-time job in Dublin quickly?

The fastest route is a short CV built around your availability, a PPS number, and one registration with a temporary recruitment agency that books shifts with lots of employers.

1. Get your PPS number. You need one before your first payday. If you don't have one yet, apply through MyWelfare.

2. Write a one-page CV around your availability. Put the days and hours you can work near the top. Add any experience you have, even volunteering, sports clubs or helping out in a family business. Our CV templates give you a starting point.

3. Be exact about when you're free. "Saturdays and Sundays from 8am, Friday evenings after 5pm" gets you booked. "Flexible" doesn't.

4. Register with a temporary recruitment agency. One registration puts you forward for shifts with many employers, and the agency fits the work around your timetable. You can register for temporary work with Total Solutions online.

5. Pick up a quick certificate. Manual handling helps with warehouse and event work, and a Safe Pass is needed on any construction site. Our guide Do You Need a Safe Pass, CSCS or Manual Handling? explains which jobs need which. Our training division, Total Training, runs certified manual handling courses.

6. Register the job with Revenue. Log in to Revenue's myAccount, go to PAYE Services and choose Add Job or Pension Details. You'll need your employer's tax registration number. If you skip this step, you may pay emergency tax.

7. Reply quickly. Shifts are often offered to a few people at once, and the first to confirm gets them.

How many hours can international students work on a Stamp 2?

Full-time students with a Stamp 2 can work up to 20 hours a week during term and up to 40 hours a week during the holidays. The holiday periods are 1 June to 30 September and 15 December to 15 January, as set out in UCD's guide to working in Ireland.

• You need a valid IRP card showing Stamp 2 and a PPS number before you start.

• Students with a Stamp 2A can't work.

• A Stamp 2 doesn't allow self-employment, so look for employed roles rather than freelance or gig work.

• Tell your agency or employer which stamp you hold when you register, so your shifts are booked within your hours.

• If you have more than one job, keep a running total of your hours each week.

For employers: hiring students for weekend and seasonal cover

Students are one of the best sources of weekend, evening and holiday cover in Dublin, because their free time lines up with your busiest weeks.

• Plan around the college year. Students are most available from mid-December to mid-January and from June to September, and least available during exams in December and May. Book Christmas cover in November.

• Keep a returners list. A student who worked well at Christmas will often come back at Easter and for the summer, already trained. Ask them before they leave.

• Offer short, predictable shifts. Four to eight hour weekend shifts fit around lectures and are easier to fill than long midweek blocks.

• Check permissions on day one. For international students, see the IRP card, confirm it shows Stamp 2, and roster within 20 hours a week in term and 40 in the holiday periods.

• Use an agency for the peaks. Total Solutions supplies screened temporary staff for weekends, events and seasonal peaks across Dublin, for hospitality, warehousing and general temporary cover.

Key Takeaways

• Events, hospitality, retail, cleaning and warehouse work offer the most student-friendly shifts in Dublin.

• Most entry-level shifts pay the national minimum wage, €14.94 an hour from 1 January 2027. Night, licensed and skilled roles pay more.

• The busiest hiring periods are November to mid-January and June to September.

• Stamp 2 students can work up to 20 hours a week in term and 40 in the holiday periods.

• A PPS number, a CV built around your availability and one agency registration are the quickest way to your first shift.

• Employers who plan around the college year and keep a returners list get reliable cover every peak.

Dublin has more student-friendly work than most people expect, as long as you look in the right places at the right time. Events, hospitality, retail, cleaning and warehouse jobs all fit around lectures, and the busiest weeks of the year line up with your college breaks.

Get your PPS number sorted, build your CV around when you're free, and sign up for Christmas work this month before rosters fill. If you're an employer, plan your cover around the college year and keep the students who work well on a returners list.

Total Solutions fills temporary shifts across Dublin all year round. Register for temporary work to get started, or talk to us about temporary staff if you're hiring.

FAQs

Total Solutions is a recruitment agency based in Rosemount Business Park, Dublin 11, placing temporary and permanent staff across Ireland since 2019. We're ISO 9001:2015 certified and work with a database of over 85,000 candidates in hospitality, construction, warehousing, cleaning and more.

Looking for shifts? Register for temporary work or browse jobs by location. For pay rates by sector, see our Salary Guide Ireland 2026.