Top 10 jobs for international students in the U.S.
Working in the U.S. as an international student can be a powerful way to build experience, strengthen your resume and ease financial stress. But it’s not always clear which jobs are legal or worth your time.
The good news? If you’re on an F-1 visa, there are several work options available to you both during and after your postgraduate studies. You just need to understand your visa rights, stay compliant and focus on jobs that align with your field or future goals.
Here’s a breakdown of high-value job options that are legal for international students under U.S. immigration guidelines – and that also tend to pay well.
On-campus employment: The easiest first step
Before diving into off-campus roles, don’t overlook the value of on-campus employment. This is often the first type of legal work available to international students under F-1 visa rules.
Popular roles include:
- Research assistant (RA) or teaching assistant (TA)
- Library staff
- Campus tech support
- Academic tutoring
- Administrative support
While wages vary, many of these roles pay between US$12–US$20 per hour. More importantly, these jobs build relationships with faculty and can lead to assistantship or curricular practical training (CPT) opportunities. If you’re considering these roles, remember that financial assistance for postgraduate students can ease living costs while you focus on building your U.S. experience.
Internships through curricular practical training
Curricular practical training (CPT) for international students allows you to pursue off-campus internships during your program, as long as the role is tied to your major and approved by your university.
Here are strong-paying internships that qualify under CPT:
- Data science intern
- Software engineering intern
- Business analyst intern
- Mechanical engineering intern
- UX/UI design intern
These internships are not only compliant with F1 visa requirements, but often serve as stepping stones to post-graduation jobs and STEM optional practical training (OPT) eligibility.
Optional practical training (OPT) after graduation
OPT gives students up to 12 months of full-time work in the U.S. after completing their postgraduate degree, with a 24-month extension for STEM fields. It’s the most important period for building U.S.-based work experience.
Top jobs for international students on OPT include:
- Software developer
- Financial analyst
- Electrical engineer
- Marketing data analyst
- Cybersecurity associate
These roles often lead to H-1B sponsorship if the employer is visa-friendly.
A few tips for maximizing your job prospects
- Use your university’s international student services office to stay compliant with work authorization.
- Leverage platforms like Interstride, GoinGlobal and Handshake to filter for CPT/OPT-eligible jobs.
- Start early – especially for summer internships or roles in finance, tech or consulting, which recruit months in advance.
- Network with professors and peers to uncover unlisted opportunities.
When you’re aiming for these top roles, knowing how to apply for F-1 visa extensions and work authorizations is critical to staying compliant.
How MPOWER Financing can help international students find and fund the right job
MPOWER Financing isn’t just a student education loan company – it also offers career support tailored for international students on F-1 visas.
Through its free Path2Successplatform, MPOWER students gain access to:
- A job search tool that filters for CPT, OPT and H-1B eligible roles
- A resume builder that aligns with U.S. recruiter expectations
- Career prep resources and employer lists targeting international applicants
Plus, MPOWER’s no-cosigner student loans are designed to support tuition and living expenses while students pursue legal job opportunities during or after their studies.
Explore Path2Success and learn how MPOWER can support your postgraduate goals – both in the classroom and in the workplace.
