Types of positions

Student Assistant (undergraduate and graduate)

Student Assistant positions are offered and paid by Binghamton University departments and are open to any Binghamton student, regardless of their financial aid package, year in school or citizenship. Students in these positions may work a maximum of 29 hours a week (Thursday through Wednesday) among all positions.

This policy limits student assistant employees at all times, including semester breaks and during the summer, to a maximum of 29 hours per week combined across all assignments. It is the responsibility of the students to know their schedules and how many hours per week they are working. International students are limited per U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regulations to working no more than 20 hours per week while classes are in session. The complete policy may be found online.

Work-hour restrictions that are in place for all student employees:

  • According to Section 161 of the NYS Labor Law, between Sunday and Saturday a worker must have one consecutive 24-hour period of rest.

  • According to Section 162 of the NYS Labor Law, a worker must take a 30-minute break after working six consecutive hours. If students have more than one assignment, they still must take a 30-minute break if six hours of consecutive work was performed. Students must take into consideration the time it takes to go from one assignment to another when logging in their hours.

Student Assistants can be paid a minimum of $10.40 per hour and a maximum of $21.89 per hour (subject to change December 2018).

Federal Work-Study (undergraduate and graduate)

Federal Work-Study (FWS) positions are funded by the U.S. government and eligibility is determined by a student’s FAFSA through the Financial Aid office. The total number of hours a FWS student may work during the academic year is determined by the amount of their FWS award, the hourly wage paid to the student and the number of weeks the student intends to work. It is campus policy that FWS students may not work more than 20 hours per week.

  • Both the student and the supervisor should closely monitor FWS students’ award balances to ensure that the students do not work beyond their award eligibility. Students who exceed their allocated awards must be compensated through departmental funds.  

Federal Work-Study students can be paid a minimum of the current New York state minimum wage per hour and a maximum of $21.89 per hour, dependent on their financial aid award.

There are off-campus FWS jobs as well and they are posted in hireBING. Students must qualify for FWS to be offered one of these positions.

Federal Graduate Work-Study

Federal graduate work-study positions are available on campus for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents who qualify on the basis of financial need. Work-study participants earn an hourly wage and work 10 or 20 hours per week.

To apply for Federal Graduate Work Study, students must:

  1. Complete the https://www.binghamton.edu/financial-aid/fafsa/. Eligibility for Federal Work Study is dependent on a valid FAFSA being on file for the appropriate academic year.
  2. Apply for graduate-level positions on hireBING.

After reviewing applications and confirming eligibility, departments with work-study openings will contact the applicant directly if they wish to schedule an interview.

Questions? Email finaid@binghamton.edu.

Graduate/Teaching Assistantships (graduate only)

Binghamton University awards hundreds of assistantships every year to graduate students admitted to our master's and doctoral programs. Graduate programs award assistantships and tuition scholarships on a competitive basis, with academic merit as the primary criterion. These academic GA/TA positions do not need to be posted in hireBING.

Graduate/teaching assistantships that are not part of an admissions process, such as those in student affairs, advising offices, Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, etc., are required to be posted via hireBING. A job widget for accepted graduate students will be available on the student employment website to allow them to apply to posted GA/TA positions prior to enrollment. GAs/TAs are provided competitive stipends and, in some cases, tuition scholarships, in exchange for 10 to 20 hours of work per week during the semester. GAs/TAs perform research and/or provide administrative support within their graduate discipline or for a department or program.

Research Assistant (undergraduate and graduate)

Research Assistants are hired by faculty to assist in executing an academic research agenda. Depending on the department, a research assistant may work 20 or 29 hours a week during the school year and up to 40 hours over the summer.

Paid Research Assistant positions are expected to be posted in hireBING. They can also be posted through these two resources:

  • Binghamton University’s Undergraduate Research Center (URC) that encourages, supports and acknowledges student research. The goals of the center are to provide information to students on getting started with research, about funded research opportunities and to encourage undergraduate students to share their research.

  • Campus Research Opportunities Postings (CROP) benefits faculty, post-doctoral fellows and advanced graduate students seeking research assistance, as well as undergraduates looking to gain hands-on research experience. The resource provides a central location for faculty, post-doctoral fellows and advanced graduate students to post information on opportunities for research, scholarly or creative activity, and for undergraduates to identify and apply for these positions. Research opportunities may be paid, for-credit (i.e. independent study) or on a volunteer basis.

On-campus, part-time  (undergraduate and graduate)

Some organizations on the Binghamton University campus offer employment that is not paid directly by Binghamton University. Some of these organizations include the Binghamton University Research Foundation, Binghamton University Dining Services, Barnes & Noble College Bookstore and the Student Association. They do not require students to have FWS eligibility. See their specific websites for more information regarding hours and pay rate. Their positions are posted in hireBING for students to apply.  

Off-campus, part-time (undergraduate and graduate)

Off-campus employers, that are also specifically on the bus line, also post jobs through the hireBING website. These can range from restaurants to office settings to parks in the area. Check hireBING for a complete listing of available off-campus part-time jobs.