NIU’s Student Employment Office is there to fill holes in students’ pockets.

“We have an excellent response to all of our jobs,” said Celeste Latham, manager of the Student Employment Office.

Student employment and pay rates are arranged by job title and classification. Latham said there is no set formula for the pay a student receives.

“It’s actually up to the department, and they decide it based on the job description,” she said. “Most departments start [students] off at the bottom.”

Pay is affected by the budget and the student’s performance, Latham said.

Clerical positions range from $5.15 to $7 an hour. Duties include general office work, filing, photocopying and answering phones.

Paraprofessional Services employees can earn $6.50 to $12 an hour, and have a professional or trained skill. These tasks include being a personal trainer, assisting a human resources assistant or officer and assisting a payroll specialist.

Students hired under the technical, laboratory assistant or supervisor classification earn $5.45 to $15 an hour. These jobs include computer lab attendant, scientific lab worker, research assistant and trainer.

Service employees earn $5.15 to $12 an hour and can work in food service, library work, custodial and housing.

Positions in the recreation field earn $5.15 to $12 an hour, and employees generally work at the Campus Recreation Center. Duties can include being a trip leader and scheduling various intramural leagues.

Some students say the pay isn’t the deciding factor in whether they choose a job on campus.

Freshman undecided major Steve Welch works at the periodicals desk at Founders Memorial Library and said he could schedule the job around his classes.

“This job lets you get your homework done,” he said. “The pay is better off-campus, but on-campus there’s no class scheduling problems.”

Senior accountancy major Andrew Zablocki agreed.

Zablocki works as the night auditor at the hotel front desk in the Holmes Student Center.

“They work around our schedules, really,” he said.

Senior OMIS major Grace Carmichael works at the Neptune Hall Central front desk and said she just needed money and liked the central location.

Carmichael also said she would definitely rather work on-campus than off.

“Even though you don’t get the same pay … It’s easier.”