Thursday Sep 18th, 2025
It can be hard for single moms to find flexible and fulfilling part-time jobs. However, landing the right one can provide supplemental income, skill-building opportunities, and some social interaction. To help you make the best decision for your personal, professional, and financial goals, Gem City Cleaning Solutions has listed the eight best part-time jobs for single moms.
The Benefits of Part-Time Jobs for Single Moms
Part-time work has unique advantages that make it especially appealing for single moms.
Flexible scheduling makes balancing school drop-offs, homework time, and extracurricular activities easier. Supplemental income can help cover essentials and increase savings, which is critical for the 28% of single mothers who face significant economic insecurity. With shorter shifts, childcare costs may be lower as well.
Beyond finances, part-time jobs also offer personal benefits: opportunities to sharpen skills, stay socially connected, and enjoy a sense of fulfillment outside of parenting. With those benefits in mind, let's look at some of the best part-time jobs for single moms.
1. Professional Cleaner
Finding work without a college education can be frustrating and challenging, especially when 76% of single mothers haven’t had the opportunity to earn their bachelor’s degree. Thankfully, not all good part-time jobs require one.
A professional cleaning job is flexible, pays reliably, and doesn’t require a lot of training to get started. For single moms, the best part is that it often fits around school schedules or daycare. For instance, at Gem City Cleaning Solutions, you can count on steady work without it taking over your whole week.
2. Administrative/Virtual Assistant
Fifty-three percent of business owners believe they can grow their business by more than 20 percent if they delegate only 10 percent of their workload to someone else. With such a massive upside, many founders and C-suite executives are looking for part-time admin support. As an administrative/virtual assistant, you’ll be working on tasks such as scheduling, filing, and answering emails.
These jobs often come with relatively flexible daytime hours, which can line up nicely with school and daycare hours. If it’s your goal to ultimately find a full-time job, admin roles can often serve as a good stepping stone as well.
3. Customer Service Representative
According to CareerOneStop, a U.S. Department of Labor grantee, customer service representatives were among the top 10 jobs expected to have the most annual job openings for the 10 years of 2022 to 2032 (for states) or 2023 to 2033 (for national).
With so many positions to fill, many companies allow evening or weekend shifts, which can work around childcare. So, if you’re a people person with a calm voice and a whole lot of patience, a part-time customer service (often remote these days) can be a good fit.
4. Retail Salesperson
Retail salespeople are also featured in CareerOneStop’s top 10 jobs with the most annual openings. Retail typically offers flexible shifts, a casual and social work environment, and discounts that can be nice, too.
Please note that retail salespeople are often on their feet for their entire shift. If you’re a new mom, standing for long periods can be difficult and uncomfortable due to physical and hormonal changes like postpartum back pain, lingering foot swelling, and joint instability that come from having a baby.
5. Receptionist
Reception roles typically have less flexibility, but on the flip side, their daytime hours often align with school and daycare hours. Plus, the work is usually straightforward: answering phones, greeting clients, and keeping things organized. With a high school diploma or equivalent and good communication skills, receptionists make a median hourly wage of $17.90.
The employment of receptionists is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034, so this part-time job isn’t as abundantly available as other positions. But despite limited employment growth, about 128,500 openings for receptionists are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
6. Teacher’s Aide or School Support Staff
When it comes to the day-to-day hours, a teacher’s aide or support staff position doesn’t fit the part-time mold. But when your schedule lines up with the school calendar, you’re only working an average of 180 days a year.
Working at a school also means your schedule matches your child’s. As a bonus, you’ll have holidays, weekends, and summers off.
7. Delivery/Ridesharing Driver
Driving for companies such as Uber, Lyft, or food delivery apps can be a flexible way for single moms to earn extra income, generally paying an average of $15 -$20 per hour. The biggest benefit is control as you set your own schedule, work only when it fits around your kids’ routines, and stop whenever you need to. There’s no requirement for minimum hours, and surge pricing or promotions can boost earnings during peak times. Many drivers also enjoy instant payouts, making it easier to cover unexpected expenses quickly.
That said, rideshare work does come with trade-offs. You’re responsible for expenses like gas, car maintenance, insurance, and self-employment taxes, which can add up. Safety is another factor to weigh, though apps like Uber offer GPS tracking, emergency buttons, and the ability to rate passengers.
8. Childcare Provider
If you’re already in childcare mode, you may want to consider applying for an in-home daycare permit. Obtaining this permit allows you to offer daycare services in your home for up to 12 children. With so many parents preferring to hire someone with direct parenting experience, you can gain a real advantage over other childcare options.
Joining a Part-Time Team
Finding the right part-time job as a single mom can make all the difference when it offers flexibility, generates some extra income, and provides a chance to build skills, all while still putting family first. From roles in customer service and retail to opportunities in education or rideshare driving, there are plenty of options that can fit your lifestyle.
If you’re in the Erie County area and looking for dependable, family-friendly work that can align with school schedules and offers steady pay, consider joining the Gem City Cleaning Solutions team. We’re always looking for motivated, hardworking individuals, and we’d love to welcome you aboard. Apply today and see how professional cleaning could be the part-time job that works for you and your family.