How to Make Money As a Teen

How to Make Money As a Kid

Kids can make money in numerous ways, particularly in the digital economy. They can provide creative and gig work in addition to traditional jobs like babysitting, fast food service, and summer camp counselor roles. Gig jobs are paid per project, not per hour, and they might be ideal for tech-savvy teens.

All jobs hiring minors must meet federal and state laws regarding wages, working conditions, and other factors, however.

Benefits of Earning Money As a Kid

• Getting a job allows kids to earn money to spend and save.
• They can learn valuable money lessons that can serve them immediately and throughout their lives.
• Minors who earn money can help pay for their clothes, activities, and education or they can contribute to the financial needs of their households.
• Kids can get a head start learning about potential careers that fit their interests and skills.
• They can also make headway toward financial independence and begin saving for their financial future.
• They can start to develop a strong work ethic and positive work habits that might support the advancement of their careers later.
• Earning money with a job teaches young people time management. It hones their communication and negotiation skills and empowers them to understand their rights.
• These experiences plus the money they've saved can give them an advantage when they apply to and attend college, explore new employment opportunities, and make decisions about where they can afford to live.

Potential jobs range from traditional to those that are available online.

1. Babysitting

Minors can babysit children although some states have age restrictions. Babysitting is work that requires a teen to be responsible enough to keep another minor safe and able to engage well with children. Consider enrolling in a brief babysitting training program to gain the necessary preparation and qualifications for the role.

2. Car Care

Pumping gas, dispensing oil, and washing and hand-polishing cars are jobs that kids have done for generations. They can be physically demanding and they tend to have set hours if the minor works for a business.

But kids can also independently wash cars for money on their own. Older teens may want to formalize their business as a limited liability company (LLC) to take advantage of tax and employment benefits after they reach adulthood.

3. Farm Work

Minors as young as 12 can begin doing farm work outside of school hours, according to federal law. Those older than 16 can work any farm job at any time. Kids can work on farms owned or operated by their parents or someone standing in place of a parent. They can also work on farms that employ their parent(s) or that receive parental consent.

4. Food Service

Teens can perform kitchen work, including cleaning fruits and vegetables, washing dishes, cooking, and reheating food. Working in food service can also involve restaurant work like hosting and event management duties.

A food service job will teach teens about food preparation and time management skills that will benefit them over the long haul.

5. Internships

Internships are a great way to gain experience in a desired field while making some extra cash. Interns or students can receive compensation for their work if they're considered employees of a for-profit employer, according to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Not all internship positions are paid, however, so the minor should do some research into the role before relying on it as a source of money.

6. Knowledge Work

Intellectual or creative work such as tutoring, singing, playing an instrument, and teaching are options for kids to make money. Pursuing a job through knowledge work allows kids to apply their interests and skill sets and learn about the paid roles available for their hobbies and skills.

7. Lawn Care and Errands

Yard work, deliveries, and loading/unloading equipment can be performed by a minor. Lawn care and maintenance can also be physically demanding. These jobs can include working long hours in hot weather or lifting heavy items for extended periods.

This can be a fun work opportunity for kids who like getting their hands dirty, especially outside. Of course, teens who don't yet have a driver’s license can't take a job that requires driving a motor vehicle.

8. Lifeguard

Teens who are older than 15 can work as lifeguards at pools and amusement parks. A lifeguard job typically requires that they pass basic safety courses and complete specific training. This is a great job that teaches responsibility and safety skills that are valuable at any age. 

9. Paper Route

Minors younger than 14 are permitted to deliver newspapers because this type of work is exempt from Fair Labor Standards Act requirements. The newspaper industry is declining as more people turn to online news but teens who have the opportunity to take a newspaper route may find that it's a flexible job that can fit with their busy school schedule.

10. Retail

Minors as young as 14 can work in retail occupations under federal law, such as cashiering, stocking, price marking, and selling. There's often a wide range of retail positions available. Retail jobs have a set schedule and involve tasks that can teach teens what it’s like to work for a business.

11. Selling Recycled/Upcycled Goods

Crafty kids could earn money by hand-making items for resale or repurposing pre-loved items for new customers. This could entail areas like fashion, art, or furniture. Sales can be made in person, on consignment to a retail store, or online. All these options can teach valuable entrepreneurial sales skills.

12. Work in Parents’ Business

Minors can work for a business owned by their parents unless the job is in manufacturing, mining, or any of the other 17 occupations that the U.S. government considers hazardous for teens.

This option may not apply to all teens but it can be an easy way to make money without doing much job searching. It can also be a great learning experience for teens who are looking to follow in their parents’ footsteps.

13. Blogging or Vlogging

Making money online may be an even easier option for teens than a traditional job, according to Jack Wang, a wealth advisor at Innovative Advisory Group. Many teens possess computer skills and tech stamina that are highly sought after.

“Teens can certainly use their skills in social media or even just help parents sell stuff online from decluttering,” Wang says. Many of these jobs often offer remote work so teens can work from home.

Blogging or writing and vlogging or videoing are ways for teens to create an online community around something they already love. Writing or sharing videos on their own website can generate income through ads and affiliate links.

14. Design and Dropship

Print-on-demand fulfillment has made it easier for teens to design something cool whether it's creating their own books, T-shirts, or merchandise. They can put it on the web for sale through sites like Amazon, Etsy, Printify, and Printful. This option is great for teaching teens how to run their own businesses.

15. Freelance Work

Kids can be their own bosses with just the click of a button. Sites like Fiverr and Upwork can help connect them with clients around the world who are willing to pay them per project, not per hour, for work like writing or designing.

This option does provide flexibility in scheduling but prices can vary widely depending on the job and the skills required.

16. Influencing

Teens can safely create video or social media content connecting brands with online audiences. Platforms like Pinterest, Meta, TikTok, and YouTube offer ways to earn cash whenever a large audience tunes in, clicks, or buys. Becoming an influencer takes time, however, and it's not guaranteed to make money.

17. Programming, Coding, and Building Games

Kids may have coding, programming, or gaming skills that could earn them money. They can build and sell apps, websites, and games or they can test or review sites, apps, and games and receive compensation in return. This is a job option that can combine skills and hobbies to make profits.

18. Sell NFTs, Web3, and Metaverse Products

Teens are earning money in the online art market by creating and selling non-fungible tokens (NFTs). They often have a higher risk tolerance and are quick to learn about cryptocurrencies. They can curate everything from events to virtual reality experiences that could put money in their digital wallets.

19. Social Media Management

Many companies are looking for tech-savvy individuals who can assist with online marketing by posting regularly on social media platforms. Kids can help create captions, take photographs, curate online community groups, and monitor viral trends for the best marketing ideas.

20. Tutoring and Teaching

Teens might still be learning but they can be good educators, too. Young experts can use virtual platforms to tutor or teach students anywhere in the world whether it’s teaching lessons on how to cook, play an instrument, or improve in school-based subjects.

Teens can take on more students virtually without leaving their homes and make more money than they could if they were teaching only in person.

What to Do With the Money Earned

Teens might be tempted to spend all their money immediately, but they can begin to practice healthy financial habits like saving that can serve them for the long term if they learn essential money lessons from the start.

• Involve kids in decisions about where to bank and the types of deposit accounts available, such as checking and savings, to teach them about banking.
• Connect your teen with a reputable bank to set them up to build a solid banking relationship. Jennifer Sisson, a Utah mom of five, helped her older kids open checking accounts that she believes teaches them valuable financial lessons. “I feel like they’re getting a better grasp of how to manage money in a digital world,” she says. “They can track their spending, which holds them more accountable for what they spend.”
• Teens must consider income taxes. They're not typically required to file a tax return if their earned income from a job is under the standard deduction limit which is $14,600 for a single person in 2024 But they must file federal and possibly state tax returns if their income surpasses this amount or if the teen is self-employed.
• A minor who has a job working for others or who is self-employed may want to contribute to their own Roth individual retirement account (Roth IRA).

“Since the principal is always accessible, a Roth IRA can serve as a great college savings vehicle or for any large purchase, such as a house," according to wealth advisor Jack Wang.

Parents or guardians can help teens set aside a certain amount of savings for long-term goals like retirement. Starting early can help savings and investments grow their greatest amount due to the power of compounding.

Money-Making Tips for Kids

• Teens can start small by monetizing their talents. They can also turn to family and friends who own businesses for their first work experience.
• Sisson says her kids started getting paid minimum wage at ages 11 and 12. Her oldest kids started working in a family friend’s T-shirt business, occasionally helping to set up and take down events. Her oldest kids continue to work and her 12-year-old babysits.
• Kids can also look for opportunities to make money in their local communities. That's especially useful because young teens aren't permitted to drive as part of their employment.
• Local work can include jobs at a local retail store or restaurant, babysitting, tutoring neighbors, or doing yard work and odd jobs within walking or biking distance.
• Kids in farming communities might find seasonal opportunities where their parents, friends, or relatives already work.
• They can sell things they no longer want or need for fast cash but they won’t earn regular money this way as they would with wages. Kids can try to sell items like used games, toys, sports equipment, digital devices, and clothing through garage sales, trade-ins, swaps, or online sites.

Work Restrictions for Minors

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) enforces federal child labor laws to protect working minors against exploitation. The minimum age for employment is 14 for nonagricultural jobs. Young people under the age of 18 can't work in hazardous occupations under the terms of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Federal regulations for child labor apply to classifications of agricultural and nonagricultural work and specific ages. Legal work is largely limited to performance, babysitting, delivering papers, and working in a company owned by a parent for kids younger than 14.

Teens who are 14 and 15 can work in nonhazardous jobs outside of school hours. Federal regulations state that they can't work:

• More than three hours on a school day, including Friday
• More than 18 hours per week when school is in session
• More than eight hours per day when school is not in session
• More than 40 hours per week when school is not in session
• Before 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. but this is extended to 9:00 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day

Teens who are 16 or older can work unlimited hours in any occupation except those that are declared hazardous by the U.S. Secretary of Labor.

Additional standards apply for minor-aged employees who are full-time students, apprentices, or living with disabilities. States also have regulations that can affect a teen’s employment.

The Bottom Line

Getting a job is an exciting step in a young person’s life. Jobs can teach kids valuable life skills such as saving, budgeting, and time management in addition to balancing responsibility with independence,

Young people will find multiple opportunities to make money and learn valuable financial lessons with so many jobs available, whether it’s a traditional or online job.