10 Part-Time Jobs With the Best Pay

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- For all the improvements in the labor market, many workers are still stuck working part-time jobs when they'd prefer to be working full-time.

More than 8 million Americans worked part-time jobs in February because of economic reasons beyond their control, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That's close to 1 million fewer than the number of involuntary part-time workers at the peak of the recession in 2009, but it's still nearly twice the number who did so before the recession began in 2007.

If you're looking for a part-time job that really pays the bills, these are good bets in everything from driving a school bus to teaching yoga.

But just because you are working a part-time job doesn't mean you can't still earn full-time pay -- or close to it. The salary comparison Web site PayScale.com provided us with a list of the best-paying jobs for workers who put in less than 30 hours a week, based on salary surveys from the previous 12 months. While the average salary for part-time jobs in this period was just $11.90, PayScale found several positions that pay more than $20 and some that pay close to $30 an hour.

What's more, several of these positions could easily serve as steppingstones to full-time careers in industries such as teaching and health care. After all, even if your first priority is making money, you should always keep in mind how your current position can help advance your career.

10. School bus driver
Median hourly pay: $14.50
Median hours worked: 26

9. Makeup artist
Median hourly pay: $17.70
Median hours worked: 20

8. Tutor
Median hourly pay: $19.90
Median hours worked: eight