As long as businesses need to run at night, there will always be a demand for people who will work night jobs.
The so-called “3rd shift” is often tough for employers to find qualified, skilled people to work, because most people work during the day.
For people who like working at night, that presents an opportunity to find a great job.
In this post we’ll talk about night work and the benefits and risks that come with it.
We’ll share 11 jobs that are perfect for people who want (or need) to work at night.
Some are work-at-home job opportunities, others are classic, in-person jobs that require your presence.
All are great opportunities for people who work late.
The Best Overnight Jobs (Overview)
We’ve included an overview of our top picks below. For detailed information on each pick, scroll down.
- Night Auditor
- Medical Center Work
- Call Center
- Warehouse Worker
- Custodial Night Crew
- Delivery Driver
- Nighttime Sales Associate
- Data Entry
- Dispatcher
- Night Stocker
- Overnight Gym Staffer
Working at Night
There are plenty of reasons why someone would want to work at night.
Some people are looking for a way to pick up some work on top of a full-time job, and a night gig will allow them to maximize their earnings.
Others need to take care of a loved one during the daytime, or split up childcare duties with a partner who works during the day.
Some people just like working at night — they might classify themselves night owls, and find that they work best during the evening hours.
Being able to work a flexible schedule, especially as someone who’s unafraid of a night shift, can be hugely beneficial when it comes to work finding work.
Tons of businesses need qualified people to work overnight shifts, and a willingness to do so can open you up to well-paying part-time night jobs or full-time night jobs.
Avoiding Burnout
One of the benefits of working an overnight shift is the ability to make extra cash, though we have to warn that you should be honest with yourself about the work schedule, and your ability to work well at night.
Overnight work is often in demand because the vast majority of people don’t love working late nights, and there’s often opportunities for extra work, and overtime hours, if you can do it.
But burnout is a real worry, even if your late-night job isn’t a second job.
Most peoples’ internal clocks have them awake and alert during daytime hours, making it difficult to switch their body to being alert at night.
Even people who think of themselves as night owls can struggle to adapt to overnight work.
If you have a great opportunity, go for it.
Just make sure you’re ready to adapt to overnight work.
Talk with your family about the hours it will require and your new personal schedule that will result if you take on overnight shifts.
11 Jobs That Can Be Done Overnight
We’ve talked about overnight work, and covered the benefits (and risks) of working late.
Let’s get to some actual night shift jobs that can be done for people who need to work in the evenings.
1. Night Auditor
A night auditor is someone who works the overnight shifts, usually in hotels or inns.
The job is usually a twofold one — the night auditor will usually keep an eye on the front desk, checking in any overnight arrivals, as well as providing auditing duties to account for that day’s business.
In large hotels or resorts, the auditor might solely focus on the accounting portion of the work, but in smaller establishments they usually pull double duty.
If you have experience in bookkeeping or in accounting, it could be a good job to check out.
2. Medical Center Work
Emergency rooms need to be open all the time to deal with, you guessed it, emergencies.
If you’re a registered nurse, you can find work consistently, no matter where you are, if you’re willing to work overnight shifts.
Not a licensed medical practitioner?
You can still find overnight front desk work at hospitals and many medical centers.
3. Call Center
Call centers are always looking for customer service representatives with excellent communication skills, and if you’re willing to work overnight shifts, even better.
For companies that provide 24/7 customer support, you can often find jobs that pay fairly.
See some listings for overnight call center jobs on Indeed.
4. Warehouse Worker
If you’re trained on operating a forklift, or have any experience working in a warehouse setting, there will often be overnight shifts there for the taking.
Letting potential employers know that you’re comfortable, or even prefer, night shifts can be a way to stand out and land a job.
5. Custodial Night Crew
Businesses, universities, restaurants — you name it, odds are they are often looking for people with a custodial background who can come in and keep their space clean.
See listings near you via Indeed.
6. Delivery Driver
As more and more people do their shopping online, there is an ever-growing demand for qualified delivery drivers.
Some of these delivery jobs, like for late night delivery, will just require a standard driver’s license.
Commercial truck driver jobs will often require a CDL (commercial driver’s license).
Either way there is work out there for people who are comfortable behind the wheel and don’t mind working late nights.
7. Nighttime Sales Associate
Every 24-hour store needs reliable customer care professionals to help run their businesses.
Pharmacies, chain department stores, fast food restaurants, and more are often listing for nighttime sales associate positions, or managers who can act as an overnight closer.
See some listings here from Indeed.
8. Data Entry
Data entry is the process of taking analog data — notes, medical records, accounting information — and entering that into a clean digital form that can be processed and analyzed.
If you take comfort in routine, data entry can be a great gig.
And the best part: As long as you hit deadlines, most employers don’t care when you do the work.
Learn more in our guide to data entry.
9. Dispatcher
If a logistics company is a football team, the dispatcher is a bit like an offensive coordinator — standing back and making sure everyone is on the same page, and executing on the game plan.
Dispatchers answer calls and communicate with mobile vehicles to ensure the appropriate response happens.
Whether in the trucking industry, taxi industry, or emergency services field, dispatchers are vital.
10. Night Stocker
Grocery stores are often open for long hours, but still need to be ready, with their shelves fully stocked, each morning for a new day.
Chains like Kroger’s are often hiring for night stock clerks (sometimes called overnight stockers) to come in at the end of the night and make sure the shelves are full and late-night (or early morning) deliveries are handled.
11. Overnight Gym Staffer
Gyms across the country are trying to stand out from the crowd by offering 24-hour workouts to anyone who wants to get a lift in, at any time.
Those gyms need staffers.
Even if they’re there late at night, members at gyms like Planet Fitness still need to be safe, secure, and have someone there to answer any question.
If you’ve got a gym near you, check to see if they’re looking for someone to take on overnight hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
By this point, you should be getting some different ideas about ways to make money working at night.
We’ve talked about the risk of burnout, and shared some jobs you might want to look into.
Let’s get to some FAQs.
1. Are there any good job boards for overnight jobs?
Absolutely.
If you need help with your job search, you can try any number of job boards, including Indeed, Snag, and FlexJobs.
All three will let you search and filter for results near you, and let you review:
– Job title
– Job description
– Job summary
– If they offer health care
– If they’re accepting applications
– And more
All three will also let you set job alerts to get an email whenever new job postings you may be interested in go up on their site.
2. Are there laws limiting work that can be done overnight?
In the United States, companies aren’t required to pay you more for working at night.
Via the Department of Labor, “The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require extra pay for night work.
However, the FLSA does require that covered, non-exempt workers be paid not less than time and one-half the employee’s regular rate for time worked over 40 hours in a workweek.”
For overnight driving jobs, there are limits on the number of hours you can work in a row.
Most states require that you are at least 18 years of age before you can get your CDL.
3. Do I need to know anything about taxes if I work overnight?
Overnight jobs and daytime jobs have the same tax laws.
That being said, if your overnight job is a part-time one and your employer classifies you as an independent contractor, American tax law requires you file your own taxes at the end of the year.
Many independent contractors prefer to file taxes quarterly to avoid having to pay a huge amount at the end of the year.
Read our guide to filing taxes as an independent contractor to learn more.
Working Overnight Jobs
If you need flexible hours, or are simply looking for a way to make money with a second job, overnight work could be a great opportunity for you.
While you should be careful to avoid burnout, and make sure that night work is right for you, there are often openings for people who are willing to work late.
With the above job descriptions, and the sites mentioned above where you can review job opportunities, you can get a great start finding the perfect overnight job.
Now get after it.
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