One job pays more per hour. Another pays less but is close to home. Choosing seems easy until you consider the trip, the schedule and what each job leaves you able to do afterward.
Your time has more than one location
In an illustrative comparison, a three-hour job pays $18 an hour: $54. If travel adds two hours, five hours of your day are committed. A nearby three-hour job paying $15 an hour brings in $45. If there is no additional travel time, it uses three hours.
The first job still pays more money in total. The second leaves more time available. Before any expenses or taxes, the first produces $10.80 per total hour committed; the second produces $15. That is a personal comparison of time use, not a substitute for the employer’s wage calculation.
What is the extra money asking of you?
The choice could be different on a free Saturday and during exam week. Transportation costs, fatigue and reliable travel can change the picture too.
A student does not need to assign a price to every minute of life. It is enough to notice when a money decision quietly consumes time needed for something else. Youth work also needs to comply with applicable employment rules.1
Sometimes the higher-paying job is the right choice. Sometimes the closer one is. The useful question is what each option costs you in the circumstances you actually face.
Sources & further reading
Examples are illustrative. Financial and employment references relate to the United States.