If you’re a teen interested in earning some money of your own, you’re not alone. Many teenagers in the US are looking for ways they can make money to cover expenses.
If you check the internet, there are things to buy – clothes, entertainment costs, electronic gadgets. Plus, it is good to save up for cars, college costs and other big purchases.
If you are one of the many teens who need or want to earn money to cover these costs, read on. We’ve got a long list of ways for teens to make money. Choose the ones you think will work best for you, and start earning today!
There is an almost limitless number of ways that you can rake in some cash if you’re a teenager. From online jobs to money-earning apps to in-person work, the possibilities are many.
Young entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of the workforce. They can be the group that grows up to create businesses that will employ tens to hundreds to thousands of people looking for jobs.
- How to Make Money as a Teenager on The US
- How to Keep Your Clients Coming Back
- How a Teenager Can Earn $1000 in The US
How to Make Money as a Teenager on The US
Check out these ideas for making money under 18 in the US. See if you can use one or more to add some cushion to your savings account or to pay for items you want or need.
1. Sell Some of Your Items
Is your closet loaded with items you no longer need? Consider selling them at a garage sale or online.
For instance, do you have video games, DVDs or CDs lying around? See what you can get for them on a site like Decluttr, which makes it super easy to get rid of a lot of items quickly.
Read Also: How Teenagers Can Make Money Online
If you don’t want to the hassle of selling items one by one, then Decluttr can be a great option. You just scan the bar-codes of all the items, put them in a box, and put the free shipping label they provide.
To make the most money, selling your items one-by-one will get you the greatest amount of cash in hand.
The general rule for selling used stuff is to charge 10 percent of the retail cost. You could charge more for larger items such as gaming items, bicycles or other sports equipment. The better shape things are in, the more likely you are to get a higher price.
Want to help increase your earnings when you sell your unwanted stuff? Price your items fairly for a quicker sale, and be willing to haggle with customers.
Hint: you might be able to talk your parents into letting you sell some of their stuff. Work out a deal where you split the profit with them in exchange for doing the work of selling the items.
2. Babysit
Are there young kids in your neighborhood or extended family members who need child care? If so, you can offer babysitting services and earn some cash that way.
You can provide your babysitting services on nights and weekends during the school year. During the summer you could offer to nanny while parents are at work and kids are out of school.
It’s not uncommon for babysitting teens to make $10 an hour, $15 an hour or more. Babysitting is a great job for teens (even 14 and 15-year-olds) who are responsible, mature and enjoy being with kids.
If you want to look outside of your current circle of family, friends and neighbors for babysitting clients, check out Care.com which is a database listing available babysitters in specific areas. If you are under 18 years of age, you’ll have to have a parent or guardian’s permission to be listed on the site.
3. Pet Sit
Another great job for teens involves pet sitting. Some people might want pet care while they’re away at work if they don’t want the pet to be alone.
Others might need pet care while they’re on vacation. The amount of time it takes to pet sit depends on the type of pet.
Dogs will likely require constant care, either at your own home (get your parents’ permission first) or at the pet owner’s home. Other pets such as cats or fish may simply require that you just check in on them twice a day.
Decide ahead of time which types of pets you’ll sit for and which you won’t. Set your prices according to how much time you’ll spend each day caring for the pet.
Hint: We mentioned Care.com above. You can sign up for Care.com as a pet sitter too.
4. Dog Walking
If you’re looking to earn money by helping animals but want a less time-intensive job, you could offer dog walking services.
Many people don’t have time to walk their dogs but want their dogs to get exercise. These people will pay a decent hourly rate to have someone else walk their dog a few times a week.
Advertise your services with neighborhood flyers, on Facebook or at local pet stores. You can also consider signing up for Rover, where they will help connect you with people in your area that need a dog walker.
If you’re walking dogs that get along with other dogs, you can walk several at once and increase your income. An organized schedule will help you keep track of your dog walking job commitments.
5. House Sit
If you have a neighbor, friend or family member who is going on vacation, they may want to hire a house sitter to make sure their home isn’t vacant while they’re away.
Depending on what they want, house-sitting clients may ask you to be there for an hour or two a day. Or maybe they might just want to check in on the house every day. Some homeowners want a house sitter to live in the house for the entire time they’re gone.
Make sure you get clear instructions about what type of house sitting they’ll want before agreeing to take the job. Negotiate the pay you’ll receive with potential clients and get a signed contract.
6. Searching the Web
Swagbucks is a legit site where people get paid for browsing the Internet and more. The points you earn are put into a “bank” and can be redeemed for gift cards to be used on Amazon or at local and online stores such as Walmart, Target and Old Navy. You can also get gift cards for PayPal.
Swagbucks will pay you points to complete small tasks such as:
- Complete surveys
- Play games
- Search the Web
- Watch videos
- Shop online
Using your Swagbucks account in your spare time will allow you to make money to pay for the things you need or want. Best of all, it’s free to join.
Swagbucks has a Trustpilot ranking of 4.3/5 and on top of that, they have a $10 sign-up bonus.
7. Launch Your Own Blog
Blogging can be done either as a hobby or as a full-time business and you’re never too young to start. It often starts as a hobby, and as you grow it becomes a profitable side business leading into a brand-new, all-encompassing career.
Set up a blog that centers on just about any topic, but find something you’re passionate about: fashion, sports, personal health, your life or just about any topic you choose. You have to add content regularly, including articles, podcasts, and videos.
You can eventually make money by adding Google Adsense to your blog, and by participating in affiliate programs that offer services related to your blog. You can generally find whatever services and technical assistance you need online and free of charge.
8. Make YouTube Videos
If you’ve ever made a video on YouTube, you may be able to turn this into a steady revenue stream.
There are even videos that teach you how to make videos.
You create videos, set them up with Google AdSense, then earn income as people view your video, and click on the ads displayed.
You can even create videos that can provide you with affiliate income from various service providers.
The videos can be on any subject you can think of. It can be some sort of how-to video, or it can be about specific topics, like movie and music reviews. You can even create a portfolio of videos, each earning you a little bit of revenue every month.
9. Clean People’s Houses
Many people are eager to help keep their homes clean. However, traditional cleaning services can be costly. As a result, people may consider hiring teens who will clean their homes for a reasonable price.
If you like cleaning and are good at being detailed about it, a house cleaning business might be right for you. To get your business started, make a list of what types of cleaning you’ll do.
For example, will you clean bathrooms and kitchens? Will you dust? Vacuum? Will you clean windows? Make sure the jobs are ones you can do well.
Remember Safety
Remember to keep in mind the safety aspect too. For example, you might want to rule out cleaning window exteriors that require the need for a ladder.
Next, determine what your hourly rate is. Professional maid cleaning services typically charge between $25 and $35 an hour. Let’s say you decide you can do your work quickly, thoroughly, and charge $15 an hour. You’ve just given potential clients a reason to hire you over a traditional maid service.
You can get work by advertising your services with family, friends and neighbors
10. Rent Your Video Games
If you’ve got a lot of video games or books, you can rent them to friends for a small fee. Charge them a certain amount to rent the item for a week or two, and make sure to tell them there will be a late fee if the item isn’t returned to you on time.
Keep a notebook listing who has what items and when they’re due back so that you don’t lose track of your stuff.
11. Tutor Kids
Many parents are looking for reasonably priced tutors for their kids in specific school subjects. If you’re a teen who excels in a particular subject such as math, reading or a foreign language, you can offer your tutor services to local parents.
Ask neighborhood parents if they need a tutor. Or check local online sites such as Craigslist for parents looking for tutors. Make sure to involve your parents when meeting up with a potential customer for safety reasons.
12. Be a Call Center Representative
Many companies hire call center representatives to work from home instead of having to house them in a central commercial location. Call center reps perform duties such as scheduling appointments. They also often answer customer service questions and product information questions.
Many companies that are in need of customer service reps require applicants to be 18 years of age or older. However, some companies, such as U-Haul, allow teens as young as 16 to work as customer service reps.
Companies in need of customer service reps provide all training for employees. Online customer service reps usually train via an online service manual. They’ll send you the manual and you can read to learn about the company and its services and products.
If you are polite and like working with people, this job could be a great way for you to earn money.
13. Movie Theater Worker
If you love people and like movies, you might enjoy a job as a movie theater worker. Movie theaters offer several different job positions such as ticket sellers, ticket takers, concession stand workers and janitorial positions.
Check with your local theater management to see about putting in an application. Note that you may have to keep late working hours if you work at a theater.
14. Sell Your Products
Are you gifted at making crafts, jewelry, artwork, woodworking or other items? If so, you can open an Etsy shop and sell your products.
You can also sell your products on sites such as Craigslist or eBay, or sell them at local fairs and events. Be sure to charge prices that cover your materials as well as your time.
15. Sell Your Designs
One way to make money that costs very little money out-of-pocket is to create designs for t-shirts and other things. You make the design, and then upload the design to sites such as Redbubble or Cafepress, Redbubble or CafePress will print ordered designs on items such as t-shirts, tote bags and iPad covers.
They even take care of shipping and returns. When someone orders an item with your design or saying on it, you get paid commission from the sale.
16. Grocery Store Employee
Grocery stores have many different job positions available for teens. You could be a cashier, a grocery bagger, a cart handler or a stock person.
Grocery stores offer jobs that require customer interaction and ones that don’t need customer interaction. Therefore, grocery store work could be a good choice for you whether you love working with customers or would rather work behind the scenes.
17. Lifeguard
If you’re a good swimmer and like hanging out at the beach, a lifeguard position might be right for you.
Most lifeguard jobs require workers to have or get lifeguard certification through a qualified organization such as the Red Cross. Talk with local beach managers about what the qualifications are.
Then see about local lifeguard certification class offerings if you’re interested in pursuing a job as a lifeguard. If you’re responsible and like being outside, this could be a good job choice for you.
18. Turn Your Hobbies into Cash
Do you have a hobby that you can make money with? Are you good at drawing people or animals? Do you know how to make great videos? Are you gifted at creating logos for businesses?
Are you great at writing stories or poems?
Make a list of the talents you have and offer to hire out for them. You can advertise via local ads or on websites such as Fiverr. Fiverr allows you to list job offerings (or search out jobs needed) for pay from $5 on up.
The key to success with sites like Fiverr is to charge an attractive price to potential clients while making sure you are getting paid at a fair rate.
You might start out making less than you’d like to with Fiverr. However, if people like your work and your services become more in demand, you’ll be able to raise your rates.
19. Hold a Class at Your Home
If you have a talent such as drawing, painting or dancing, you could hold classes for neighborhood kids in your yard or home. The lessons can be one-time deals or can be held for several days in a row.
For example, you could hold a day camp where kids come to participate in scavenger hunts or other activities.
If you’re going to teach a class to neighborhood kids, you’ll need to create an itinerary. The itinerary should include teaching them and keeping them busy for the entire class time.
Be sure to charge a class fee that makes it worth your time and is affordable for parents.
20. Paint Fences
Wooden fences need to be painted or stained every few years to protect the wood from deteriorating. If you like to paint and have neighbors who have wooden fences that need to be re-coated, ask if they’ll hire you to do the job.
You’ll likely need to do some research on how to properly prepare wooden surfaces for painting. Also, you’ll need to know what types of paints are best to use on outdoor wood surfaces before you start.
How to Keep Your Clients Coming Back
Anyone can do a job, but it takes certain skills to keep clients coming back. Here are some things you can do to help maximize the amount of money you can make at the jobs you do.
Be on Time
Timeliness is a big deal in the working world. Show your clients or the manager at the job you’re working that you appreciate the work by being on time, every time. Show up early if you have to, but avoid being late.
Have a Great Attitude
Workers and business owners with friendly, positive attitudes will go a lot further, work a lot longer and earn a lot more money than those with a downtrodden demeanor and a negative attitude.
Choose to be positive in your work environment and spread happiness to others with a cheerful outlook.
Be Professional
A professional employee or business owner possesses certain characteristics. For instance, they work well with others, avoid office gossip and take their job seriously.
Make sure to have a professional attitude about whatever-money making ventures you participate in.
Do Your Job Really Well
To keep clients coming back for more business and help make sure your manager wants to keep you as an employee, be sure to do your job to the best of your ability.
Do what is asked of you and follow any directions as stated.
Provide Quality Products
If you’re working to make money by selling things you make or own, be sure to provide quality products.
Take the time to do your best work when selling things you make, such as jewelry or artwork. And when you’re selling products you own, be sure to clean them up and have them in good working order.
Go the Extra Mile
Going the extra mile is especially important when you’re running a business, such as a car washing or house cleaning business. One way to help ensure clients keep asking you to do more work for them is to go above and beyond.
For instance, if you’re doing a house cleaning job, organize a small closet as a bonus. If you’re cleaning cars, scrub out a carpet stain for free.
Make sure your “extra mile” added jobs don’t take up too much of your time but will benefit the customer. The added effort you give will help provide them with a reason to use your services again.
Practice Safety While Working
Always put safeguards in place as you work. It might mean keeping cleaning chemicals out of the reach of small children or pets while you’re doing a cleaning job, or having a parent escort you to meet a new client or work for someone you don’t know very well.
Safety at work is good for clients and for you.
How a Teenager Can Earn $1000 in The US
There are many ways of making money while in high school that aren’t taught to the majority of teenagers, so we have taken it upon ourself to research how to make money when under 18. This is what we found on all the ways teens (who are serious and driven) can make extra money while still in school.
1. Make an App
This one might sound impossible — but it’s not. Some people did exactly that and are earning income per month passively from a simple multiplication app on the iOS app store. They might not even have much technical experience, but they can be motivated to take a course on Udemy (the exact course listed below) and build an app when they are still in high school. You too can have an app built in under 3 months following a tutorial like the ones below.
- The Complete iOS App Development Bootcamp
- The Complete Android N Developer Course
If you find a certain need and market it well, you could charge $1 for every download and/or make money from in-app ads.
2. Tutor Friends
Are you really good at math? Did you score really well on the PSAT? You could be a tutor and get paid $20 or more per hour! Not only does it help the person you’re tutoring and let you earn money, but it also gives you a refresher on an old subject so that you can do better in your current classes. If you tutor a subject that you love, it doesn’t even need to feel like work!
To find someone to tutor, just ask your parents or friends’ parents if they know anyone who needs help. Often, students are embarrassed and won’t admit they need a tutor, and that’s why it’s important to talk to parents.
3. Get Paid for your Design Skills
Tons of people are looking online right now on UpWork for creative people to help them design their logos/websites/media etc. You can sign up for a freelancer account and submit your cover letter/resume for available job openings.
This should only be for people who already have experience in graphic design and/or art.
4. Make Money Organizing Events
Put those good leadership skills to work and help adults organize events! You could be paid as an assistant or even find people who need to have an event organized.
One idea is organizing birthday parties for small children. It’s often a headache for parents with little time and kids with high expectations. You can take that responsibility off their plates to organize an amazing birthday party with fun games and cute decorations.
If one kid goes to an amazing party you organized, they’ll tell their parents they want you to organize their birthday as well. That’s where you can turn this idea into a business.
5. Photograph an Event
You only need one client to start a business! See if one of your parents or parents’ friends are hosting an event where you can charge for your photography skills!
If you don’t have a nice camera, you can rent one and take a photography class online. Once you take pictures at one event, you can get a referral to start photographing other events!
Senior pictures are also a great opportunity to use your photography skills! Put your name out there — talk to parents, fellow students — and get your first job.
6. Get a Music Gig
Are you a good singer? Do you know anyone who would want to be in a band? You could reach out to some restaurants/café and send them recordings of your songs and/or covers.
Read Also: How College Students Can Make Money Online
If they like your music, they might agree to hire you to perform in their restaurant or café (especially if it’s a local, family-run place). Gigs like this are how Taylor Swift started her career when she was a teenager.
7. Start a Computer/Phone Service Company
Before you count yourself out as someone who doesn’t know much about computers — remember how much more you know as a millennial about phones/computers than your grandparents or even your parents.
You wouldn’t necessarily realize it now, but as a teen, you’re likely more tech-savvy than you realize. And if there’s something you don’t know how to do, I’m betting you’d do a lot better following a tutorial online than your older client would.
All you need is one client or family member to pay for your help setting up their phone, fixing their iTunes account, or installing some software, etc., and you’re off to the races. Ask around your neighborhood to see if anyone needs help. You only need one person to hire you to start your business.
8. Lifeguard at Your Local Pool
Lifeguarding isn’t always a summer activity! Visit your local pool or gym and apply to become a lifeguard. Most (if not all) pools or gyms will let teens (over the age of 15 in most places) train to become a lifeguard. *Tip: learning CPR beforehand is extremely helpful and often a requirement!
9. Referee Sports Games
Do you know a certain sport really well? Did you grow up playing a sport? I know some friends who earn $100 for reffing one soccer game. That’s not bad at all for a 90-minute game. You can search for reffing opportunities in your community or ask a local high school/club coach.
Usually, there’s a training you need to take before getting your first game, but after that, you can decide which times/games work best with your schedule. It does help if you’re able to drive yourself because games can sometimes be far away.
10. Grow an Instagram Account
This could be a personal account to grow your personal brand or a completely separate, niche account that focuses on viral content. If you grow an account to 40,000 followers, you can start charging money to post content on your account.
Practically every large account does this. If you’re not convinced, follow twenty large meme or niche accounts and take notice to what they post. Often the paid posts will only be live for a few hours.
Niche accounts on Instagram (excluding influencers and personal brands) can charge anywhere from $30 to $300+ for one post. The number of followers and engagement rates are important in determining how much can be charged for a post/story.
You can also become an affiliate and recommend a product in your bio/story links that you can earn a commission from.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve learned a bit about how to make money as a teenager, you’re done the easy part.
What’s the hard part?
Taking action and actually making money as a teenager.
Here’s what we recommend you do:
- Pick a hustle on this list and try it out
- If you don’t like it, come back to this list and move on to the next hustle
- Keep going until you find something you enjoy/are good at
You’ve got your entire life ahead of you so you have time to test out different things. Doing this will give you an idea of what you might want to do for the rest of your life.
