The job market in Europe and other countries can be a tough place even for an adult with experience, let alone a teenager. Yet, many teenagers are not shying away from taking a summer job or working during the weekends.
Teenagers usually seek out job opportunities either to help out their parents make ends meet, to gain some modicum of financial independence or just to spend their free time as constructively as possible.
Working as a teenager can have many benefits both from a financial and personal perspective:
- Having to undertake responsibilities early on in life builds character;
- Teenagers that work better understand the work their parents do to provide a living for their family;
- They can put money away for college or pay for clothes, travelling or entertainment.
Whatever your motivation, doing odd jobs as a teenager can be a great way to gain experience that will help you later on in life.
Thankfully, there are companies and individuals who will employ motivated teenagers for various gigs or even long-term. Let’s talk more ok this topic
- How to Make Money Online as a Teenager in Europe
- Where can I get Online Jobs as a Teenager?
- Tips to Get Jobs as a Teenager in Europe
- What is the Highest Paying Job for 14 year olds?
- How can a Teenager make $1000?
- Should you get a Job at 14?
How to Make Money Online as a Teenager in Europe
Here are at least 20 ways you can start making money as a teenager in Europe:
1. Babysitting
This may not be a job all teenagers can do, but it’s quite a common way to earn some cash while spending time with kids.
Read Also: Teens and Emergency Funds
Responsible teenagers who are good with kids often babysit during weeknights or in the summer when the kids are on holiday and parents are working. Offer to babysit for anyone in your family or your neighborhood who may need it.
2. Doing Yard Work
If you’re an active person and you don’t mind doing manual labor, you could do yard work like mowing the lawn, planting flowers, cleaning the pool, painting fences, etc.
You could offer to do yard work for the elderly or people who are too busy to do these works themselves. You could charge for these works by the hour or per task. Make sure you wear safety gear for any jobs that require it and you’re careful when handling sharp tools or objects.
3. Pet Sitting
If you don’t really get along with kids, pet sitting can be a fun and enjoyable way to spend time caring for a dog or a cat and earn some cash in the process.
Pet sitting involves not only keeping an eye on people’s furry friends, but also making sure they are well-fed and hydrated. If you’re allergic to cats and dogs, there are other pets you can take care of like birds or fish.
4. Dog Walking
Another great way to stay active and earn a few bucks is to walk people’s dogs. If you’re an experienced dog owner, you could walk more dogs at once.
You could ask your parents to ask around their friends if anyone needs dog walking services or make some leaflets and distribute it in your neighborhood or neighborhoods close by.
5. House Sitting
It’s not uncommon for friends and neighbors to ask each other to house sit while they’re away on vacation.
You may need to stay a few hours at a house or to live there the entire time, so make sure you’re clear on what the expectations are from you. Some house-sitting gigs involve watering the plants, sorting the mail, and taking care of any pets that are there.
6. Offer House-Cleaning Services
Cleaning houses is another way you can make money as a teenager. Traditional cleaning services can be costly, so people usually don’t give it a second thought to hire responsible teenagers to clean their houses.
If you’re a tidy and organized person, cleaning houses may be a good gig for you. Think about the services you want to offer (do you clean windows as well or wash the dishes?) and how much you want to charge per hour.
Make sure to ask for letters of recommendation from people that are happy with your services.
7. Washing Cars
Washing cars can be your favorite way to make some extra cash during the summer. Because you can go to people’s houses, they didn’t have to make a stop at a car wash and waste their time waiting around for their car to get ready.
To avoid any quarrels or conflict, make sure you ask what the expectations are, whether people have their own equipment, or they provide you with all necessary tools, etc.
Clearing up these aspects will also help you in deciding on your rate.
8. Organize Garages or Houses
If you have a knack for organizing things, you’ll be getting offers from left and right. People rarely have time to properly organize things in their garages or homes, and even when they do, they would rather pay someone else to do it for them.
Make sure you evaluate correctly the time you need to organize spaces, so you can charge an amount that makes it worthwhile for you to spend your time cleaning and organizing spaces.
9. Set up a Lemonade Stand
This one is a true classic in its category. If your city allows it, set up a lemonade stand in a busy park or at a fair. If lemonade is not your thing, you could sell cold bottled water, baked goods or snacks.
The profit you make from selling these goods should cover your expenses and leave you with money for the hours you’ve worked.
10. Set up a Farmer’s Market Stand
Farmer’s Market stands are a good opportunity to sell fresh fruit and vegetables or specialty foods.
Make sure to check your local food laws and whether you can set up a stand for free as a teenager. In some areas, Food Market’s will not charge for stands set up by teenagers.
11. Work at a Fast-Food Restaurant
Fast-food restaurant chains are always hiring cashiers. Check if any fast-food restaurants in your area are hiring. The advantages of working at a fast-food restaurant is that you’re guaranteed an hourly wage and you have a work schedule.
Alternatively, you could work as a waitress at a sit-down restaurant, where you can earn tips on top of your hourly wage.
12. Run Errands
People confined to their homes like the elderly or busy families often hire teenagers to run errands for them.
Whether picking up the dry cleaning, going to the post office, or drug store, you could be making money and helping out families who simply don’t have enough time to take care of everything.
13. Become a Parent’s Helper
It may sound like we are repeating myself with this suggestion, but a parent’s helper is not the same as being a babysitter.
As a mother or father’s helper you may be asked to run errands, fold laundry, do the dishes, prepare lunch, or even help kids with their homework.
It’s difficult for first-time parents to run the household while taking care of children, so offering your services in these families can help you earn money during your summer holidays or on weekends.
14. Consider a Job in Retail
Just like working at a restaurant, this job too has the benefit of a guaranteed hourly wage.
You can work the cash registers or keep shelves stocked at clothing or retail stores. You can work only during the summer or a few hours a week all year round.
15. Work at a Grocery Store
If you love working with customers, you can work as a grocery bagger or cashier. If you prefer not to interact with customers, you can work as stock person or cart handler.
Either way, a grocery store position can be a reliable way to make money as a teenager.
16. Become a Tutor for Kids
If you excel at certain school subjects like foreign languages or math, you can offer tutoring to kids of local parents.
Some kids may have trouble understanding certain school subjects, so if you’re able to help them through their struggles with certain subjects, parents will notice and recommend you to other parents as well.
17. Rent Out Your Stuff
If you have video games or books that you could rent out to friends for a small fee, you could earn some money passively. Rent out your stuff for a given period to friends and schoolmates and charge a late fee if they fail to return items on time.
You could also consider selling some items you no longer need if you’re offered a fair price for them.
18. Sell Your Old Stuff
Instead of renting out your things, you could sell your old stuff that you no longer need. Sell books, toys, clothes you’ve outgrown or no longer like and invest in new hobbies with the money you get for your old stuff.
You can sell your stuff on Facebook, Craigslist, or use apps like Letgo or Decluttr.
19. Work at a Movie Theater
If you’re a big fan of movies how better to combine work with a hobby than working at a movie theater? Ask around movie theaters in your area whether they’re looking for ticket sellers, ticket inspectors, or even janitors.
Some movie theatres will give you free tickets to see new releases.
20. Take a Lifeguard Certification
If you like the beach and the sun, and you’re also an experienced swimmer, a lifeguard position may be right up your alley.
If you don’t have a lifeguard certification, you can get one at an organization like the Red Cross, or other qualified organizations that have this certification program.
Where can I get Online Jobs as a Teenager?
Earning money online is a great way to either boost your income, or it can even lead to being able to work from home completely! It is very exciting and there are plenty of opportunities out there to earn some extra money.
However, finding opportunities that are open to people who are under 18 years old can be difficult. We have put together a list of 10 places with online jobs for a teenager in Europe.
1. ClixSense – over 16 years old
At ClixSense you can get paid for viewing adverts, completing surveys, taking up offers and completing short tasks, making is a great place to find online jobs for teens.
You can choose to upgrade your membership for just $17 a year – upgrading gives you some fantastic benefits including more chances to earn cash and a higher referral commission. Get paid via Paypal once your account hits $8, or $6 if you are a premium member.
2. Fiverr – over 13 years old
At Fiverr you can earn money for just about anything! You create a “gig” which includes a service you can provide – perhaps commenting on 10 blogs, creating some business citations for local SEO purposes, advertising on your social media, creating a YouTube video intro, writing a short article – the possibilities are endless! Each gig price starts at $5, making is a great place to earn money online under 18.
3. GlobalTestMarket – over 14 years old
Global Test Market is a survey website that lets you earn “Market Points” for completing surveys. These Market Points can then be used to redeem against a variety of rewards, including Amazon vouchers, Paypal and even Argos vouchers. You can also earn extra Market Points for referring your friends.
4. iPoll – over 14 years old
iPoll is both a smart phone app and a survey website that pays out in a variety of ways. You can complete missions using your smart phone or complete surveys from the comfort of your own home and earn decent cash.
5. MySurvey – 16 years old and over
MySurvey is a survey website that pays out once you reach just £3. Surveys tend to pay around 50 – 250 points. You can redeem your points for Amazon vouchers or Paypal cash.
6. Swagbucks – over 13 years old
Swagbucks is a great place to earn cash from watching videos, playing games, completing surveys and much more. You can easily expect to make £15+ a month from Swagbucks and have it paid in Paypal cash or Amazon vouchers – the Amazon vouchers are much better value than cash from Swagbucks.
7. Slice The Pie – over 17 years old
Slice The Pie pays you for reviewing music, fashion items and more. Every review needs to be at least 60 words long, with a higher rating given for providing more detailed reviews. Payout is made once you reach $10 (around £7) and you can refer friends to boost your earnings.
8. Online jobs for teens with Survey Savvy– over 13 years old
Survey Savvy is an American based survey website that allows users over the age of 13 to join and complete surveys. You can also download their software, SavvyConnect, to increase your chances of earning.
Payment is made via cheque and can take anything from 4 – 12 weeks to arrive – remember that most banks charge a fee for depositing cheques in a different currency, so you may find that completing surveys with Survey Savvy isn’t worth your time.
9. Valued Opinions – over 16 years old
Valued Opinions is a survey website that offers a variety of payment methods. Simply complete surveys to earn money and then redeem them for gift cards for places like Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer and more.
Tips to Get Jobs as a Teenager in Europe
As for the tips to land jobs as a teenager, here’s what you should do:
1. Be Friendly and Positive
If you’re willing to work, it means you’re willing to interact with people, and being friendly and optimistic can go a long way in making you more likeable to potential employers.
Having a good attitude and showing respect towards people of all walks of life is a good sign that you have a great personality and will do well at jobs that need you to interact with customers.
2. Accept Criticism & Learn from Mistakes
You’re young, you’re bound to make mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up if someone criticizes your work but take it as an opportunity to learn from mistakes and do better next time.
If you’re unsure if you’re performing a job well enough, always ask for feedback on what you could improve.
3. Don’t Be Late
Being on time is important. People don’t have enough time as it is, so waiting around for someone to show up at the time you both agreed on is something they simply hate.
Always being late from work will put you in a bad light, so make sure you get there on time, and if you’re running late for whatever reason, make sure to call ahead and let them know.
4. Be a Good Sport
It’s also important to be professional about certain things in your work environment. Like avoid partaking in office gossip, don’t hold grudges against people who made a mistake, and don’t criticize others.
Take your job seriously and appreciate your coworkers. Of course, there are going to be people who you won’t get along with but be friendly and avoid conflicts at the workplace.
5. Do Your Job Well
If you offer to clean the house, make sure you clean it thoroughly. Just like you probably don’t like to pay for things that are not good, other people don’t like to be disappointed either.
Once you offer to do something, do it right. Don’t rush, don’t give up halfway, and follow through your promises.
If your job comes with directions and instructions, make sure you understand them and ask questions if you’re unclear about some things.
6. Sell Quality Products
Quality is something to strive for not only in the services you offer but also in the products you sell. If you’re doing crafts and artwork, make sure you take the time to do them well and whenever possible, use quality products.
Even if you’re selling your old stuff, check to see if they’re in order and disclose any faults that the product may have.
This is especially important if you’re selling these products on certain platforms, where people can write positive or negative reviews about you.
7. Be Flexible & Organized
Flexibility is key in many fields of work, especially if you take on many jobs at once. Make sure you organize your schedule and don’t miss any appointments you have. Make sure to go above and beyond for clients, so that you can get positive reviews and recommendations for other jobs you may want to apply for.
If clients see that you’re organized and methodical about your job, they’ll be willing to ask you back for other jobs they may have or recommend you to their friends or neighbors.
8. Don’t Forget About Safety
There are many jobs in this list that require safety precautions.
If you’re walking someone’s dogs, make sure they are on a leash with the muzzle on. If you’re moving the lawn, make sure you don’t go over any small animals or you don’t hurt yourself. If you’re cleaning windows, make sure you don’t fall out.
Practice safety not only when it comes to your own safety, but the safety of any kids or elderly you may have under your supervision.
What is the Highest Paying Job for 14 year olds?
When you’re a teen, job opportunities are limited, so we took some of the guesswork out for you. Here are some of the best-paying jobs for teens today:
1. Caddy
If you love the outdoors and golf, this is a perfect job for you. You can make $50 to $100 in a day, sometimes in cash, and choose your own hours. Plus, all the walking and equipment lifting makes for a great workout! Who knows, you may end up carrying bags for the next Tiger Woods (maybe even Tiger Woods himself).
2. Tutor
Think your A+ in math or English is just a mark on the report card? You can apply your knowledge to tutoring youth or your peers. Look into any after-school or recreational programs at your school, other schools near you, or the local library. You can even tutor online! Tutors of any subject usually earn about $10 to $20/hour.
3. Babysitter
A babysitting role is ideal if you take care of younger siblings or cousins, or if you simply have a knack for entertaining children and keeping them safe. This private sector role can earn you around $12/hour!
4. Pet Sitter
If kids aren’t your thing but you absolutely love animals, then becoming a pet sitter may be your calling. Duties can vary—you may walk dogs or visit pets at their homes to feed them, clean up, and keep them company. You may even board the pet at your home, if possible.
Whatever you do, pet sitting is rewarding for animal lovers. It is financially rewarding for teens too, with an average pay of $12 to $15/hour.
5. Landscaper
Lawn care is another job suited for you if you love being outside. As a teenager, you won’t have to do anything fancy — just basic tasks like mowing grass, trimming plants, raking, and shoveling snow. For teenagers, average pay for landscaping is around $12/hour.
6. Lifeguard
Lifeguarding is a popular gig amongst teens – with good reason. After all, who doesn’t love hanging out by the pool or beach? Especially during the warm summer months. As a lifeguard, you get paid for it!
However, this role requires responsibility and you have to look out for dangerous situations. You will need a lifeguard certification from the American Red Cross, which can be completed at age 15. The average pay for an entry-level lifeguard is around $9/hour.
7. Product Merchandiser
These are the folks on the sales floor of a shop — restocking shelves, taking inventory, styling display mannequins, handing out samples, or demoing the latest lotion or fragrance. They usually don’t handle financial transactions, but they’re a huge part of the retail experience. Expect to make around $12.50/hour in this position.
8. Sales Associate
If product merchandisers are the people you see on the sales floor, sales associates are who you see once you’re ready to make a purchase. They’re also there to help if you have any questions about products. They make sure store operations are running smoothly.
This is one of the most popular roles for teens when they first join the workforce, and it’s a great way to build customer service skills. Sales associates earn an average of $11.84/hour when they are first starting out.
9. Pharmacy Associate
Working at a pharmacy is particularly interesting if you aspire to be a pharmacy technician post-college. If not, it’s another good opportunity to build customer service skills. However, because you’re dealing with sensitive information, your job duties can be limited.
You’ll mostly assist patients and perform sales transactions. However, if local and state laws allow, you can perform other duties like print labels or enter patient information into the database. You will likely start out at $10.74/hour.
10. Caretaker
You already read about taking care of children and pets — now let’s talk about taking care of the elderly and others in need. Teens can become caretakers even without a medical license.
You’ll be responsible for providing meals, giving medication, running errands for the patient, and keeping them company. This job is an excellent way to develop a bond with others. Average pay is about $10.39/hour.
How can a Teenager make $1000?
1. 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.
2. 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.
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!
3. 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.
4. 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. If you don’t yet, we suggest first taking a class online and building up a portfolio.
5. 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.
6. Sell at a Farmers Market Stand
Don’t be shy — just walk up to some and ask if they’re hiring at your local farmers market! Some might be interested in letting you work a shift or two throughout the day. If you have something to sell such as hand-made jewelry or lemonade, you could also go through the paperwork of setting up your own stand!
If you don’t have a farmer’s market in your area, another option is to cater at an event. Unlike a farmer’s market stand which is usually only happening certain times out of the year, catering can turn into a profitable business that can give you more flexibility in your schedule, and of course, has the possibility of growing much more than a traditional stand at a farmer’s market.
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. Sign up for Wag
Round up the neighborhood’s furry friends! Create a poster or online ad that lets the neighborhood know that you are available! You can sign up for Wag or ask your parents if they know anyone in need of a dog walker!
Should you get a Job at 14?
People may think 14 year olds should not have jobs. The positive aspects outnumber the negative. Fourteen year olds could learn life skills, work ethic, as well as time and money management. Students as young as 14 should be able to hold jobs because some kids need the money, kids can learn new skills, and they will become more responsible.
Boost your Finance
Students could use the money earned through work to pay for a car, support the family, or save for college. This could help kids get into college and eventually produce more jobs in the United States.
Read Also: Top 10 Online Income Sources in 2021
Times can be tough, but for kids and families learning some life skills, things can be different for kids. They would not have endure the same struggles of the past, and they could make a better life for themselves.
Learn life Skills
Also, it can teach kids life lessons and skills they would not get otherwise. Young people want and need to do things themselves to learn and to live. When people think about kids working they underestimate their abilities. It is not like they have no strengths at all, they do but most people weed them out by their number one weakness; being 14.
Handle Responsibilities
Responsibility is such an important factor in life because it is what people need to see. If they do not show it then all they are is, an untrustworthy and irresponsible candidate. “Most working teens are better employees as working adults or than adult employees that never worked as teens”(Smcopywrite). It is practice that makes perfect.
Conclusion
If you’re willing to work, there are plenty of jobs you can do as a teenager. Some of the jobs are more suitable for older teenagers, some can be done by 12-year-olds too.
Some jobs require that you do manual labor, others are less active jobs. But there are jobs for every personality, whether more outgoing or introvert.
Keep in mind that as a teenager, you may not get paid as much as a professional, but you could still earn enough to go on that concert or festival you’ve been wanting to go to or have enough money to afford the clothes you’d like to buy.
You should always discuss about payment details and the jobs you want to apply with your parents. They can make sure everything is in order and can help with any issue that you may have.