TENS of thousands of seasonal jobs are currently up for grabs as retailers once again prepare for the busy festive season.
Top Ten Best-Paying Christmas Temp Jobs
Most festive jobs are for part-time positions, allowing you to fit work around other commitments.
One in five Christmas temps go on to land a permanent job with their employer, so it’s a good option if you want to try out a new company, too.
Big businesses that are already hiring include John Lewis, Card Factory and Royal Mail.
We spoke to Andrew Hunter, co-founder at job search engine Adzuna, to find out exactly which temp jobs pay the most.
The highest-paying jobs on offer include Christmas nannies, florists and carol singers.
Some of the seasonal roles on offer even come with the potential to become permanent roles at the end of the season and most don't come with a requirement for specific qualifications.
Andrew said: "As Christmas season nears, retailers have started their festive hiring to gear up for the peak shopping month. Working over the holidays can be a joyful and rewarding experience as you’ll be surrounded by festive decorations all day, and you get to spread the holiday cheer to others. There are plenty of seasonal jobs paying way above the minimum wage."
What are the Pay Rates?
The National Minimum Wage (NMW) is the minimum pay per hour for workers under the age of 23.
Those aged 21-22 must earn at least £10.18 an hour and for 18 to 20-year-olds, the minimum wage is £7.49 an hour.
Meanwhile, the National Living Wage is the minimum wage for those over 23, and is slightly higher at £10.42 an hour.
Andrew said "On top of that, you get to snag exclusive staff perks and attend holiday staff parties. If you are tired of going to family Christmas dinners or simply want to earn extra cash, pick up a holiday job at your favourite shop and have an alternative Christmas this year."
Coming in at top spot is the job of a Christmas nanny which pays an average of £15.36 an hour.
Christmas florists earn a decent hourly wage too at £15.27 an hour on average.
The average Christmas carol singer can earn up to £15.26 an hour – that's £4.84 an hour more than the National Living Wage.
Those taking up temporary work as a Christmas delivery driver can expect to earn £15.04 an hour.
Christmas tour guides, tarot card readers and care assistants can expect to earn between £13.12 and £13.85 an hour on average.
Mail sorters, retail assistants and those helping out in grottos as Santa Claus can expect to be paid between £12.42 and £12.88 an hour on average.
What Rights Do I Have as a Temporary Worker?
Taking on a temporary job can be a great solution to make some extra cash. But how much pay are you entitled to and what other rights do you have?
You must be paid at least the national minimum wage for your age group:
- People aged 23 and over are entitled to at least £10.42 an hour.
- People aged 21 to 22 should get no less than £10.18.
- People aged 18 to 20 should get at least £7.49.
- People aged 16 and 17 are entitled to £5.28 per hour.
You're also entitled to a pay slip showing how much you’ve earned, how much national insurance (NI) you pay and what tax band you are on.
You will have a personal allowance of £12,570 for the current financial year – so contact the tax office once you stop working to ensure you get tax payments back.
If you learn less than £242 a week you don’t pay NI.
