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Let’s face it, an “allowance” from your parents just isn’t enough. Or you’ve aged out of that stage altogether. But, you want your own money! For clothes, video games or just hanging out with friends.
But, making money as a teenager can be tough. You’re in a place in life where you have no job experience and no resume. But you have to start somewhere right?
There are still many ways to earn money as a teen, even without a job. Especially in this day and age of online endeavors!
From side hustles, to part-time jobs, to your own business or online work, there’s no reason you have to be poor!
If you are asking yourself the question “How can I earn money as a teenager?” read on!
Ways to Earn Money as a Teen
If you want to know how to make money for teens, there are literally a ton of ways! You just need to figure out which way you would enjoy.
Or, you can try more than one and really increase how much money you earn. Think about what you want most.
Would you prefer to make money online? Or do you want to do something social and be around people? Maybe you want to try your hand at something entrepreneurial.
The point is, you have a gazillion options and can choose whatever you most want!
Here are a couple of things to ask yourself before figuring out the best way of making money:
- Do you want a regular and consistent paycheck?
- Are you interested in starting your own side business?
- Do you want to be around other people when working?
- What are you good at?
- Is online work more interesting to you?
- What do you most like doing?
- Do you want to work on your own schedule?
Below is a list of 45 different and creative ways to make money as a teen!
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How to Earn Money as a Teenager Online
These days you don’t have to resort to the usual babysitting or car-washing gigs to generate income as a teenager if you don’t want to.
There are much more creative ways to make an income online! From flipping items, to starting an ecommerce business selling products, to watching videos and ads, there are tons of options for you.
Here are some ways you can make money online as a teen.
Related reading: Apps that Give You Free Gift Cards
1. Resell items
A great way to create income is from selling items like clothing, collectibles or even furniture. You can go to local garage and estate sales or the Goodwill and find deeply discounted items.
You can then resell these items for a profit on sites like Ebay, Etsy, or even Facebook Marketplace. Shopping is a fun activity most teenagers like anyways, may as well turn that skill into a money maker!
If you are selling clothes online then you can try Poshmark. Reselling items is an excellent way to make money as a teenager without a job online.
You can even buy and resell big ticket items like cars for an even bigger profit in your pocket.
Here are 16 Sites and Apps like OfferUp where you can sell things.
2. Become a virtual assistant
If you don’t want the full responsibility of a blog, you can get paid from one that is already successful!
Many bloggers need virtual assistant help. Other businesses and websites need virtual assistants as well.
As a virtual assistant here are some things you might be doing:
- Opening and answering emails
- Answering phones via your computer
- Managing social media accounts
- Scheduling appointments and keeping track of calendars
- Making phone calls
- Writing blog posts
It’s an excellent online job for teens, but also it will help build up your resume with more professional-type work.
*Tip: Get organized with a planner to stay on top of whatever work you start doing!
Related reading: Best Jobs for 11 Year Olds
3. Start your own blog
Blogging can be a lucrative way to make money for teens!
It does require a lot of work and effort before you actually start making money however, so this may be more of a creative side hustle to try and work on over time for extra money.
And since it requires so much time, you do need to love it and you need the ability to write. You can earn from affiliate marketing, advertising revenue and sponsored blog posts or products sales.
Learn how to start your own blog.
4. Become a social media assistant
If you are like most teenagers, you probably already spend a lot of time on social media apps like Facebook, Instagram and SnapChat. So, why not make money on it??
There is a huge demand out there for help managing social media accounts of websites and businesses. You can help to write posts, create cool images or work to keep a schedule for companies of posts.
You can work on all social media platforms, or choose to focus on just one like Pinterest.There are a ton of digital tools out there now that can help you look like a pro!
Canva can help you easily create stunning social media graphics with text, and even animated graphics! It is actually fun to let your creative juices flow and make money at the same time.
You can promote yourself on sites like Upwork and Fiverr where you set up a profile to advertise your services.
Related reading: Passive Income Ideas for Students
5. Sell your crafts online
If you are a teen with a hobby or a passion around crafting or art then start using it to make extra money! It is quite literally, a creative way to make hard cash for a teenager.
You can sell homemade jewelry, artwork or even photos. Sites like Etsy and even Ebay are great places to start selling. You can also sell in person at local flea markets and craft fairs.
There are many types of arts and crafts to sell. Woodworking, knitting, artwork and more.
Here’s a list of 80 Trending crafts to make and sell online if you need some suggestions!
Start an Etsy Shop!
Etsy: Set up an online store on Etsy and sell products to make money!
6. Play games and Watch Videos
Did you know you can make money online on sites like Kashkick just for playing games or watching videos? You can even make money just for watching ads online.
Another site where you can earn for playing games and completing simple tasks is Survey Junkie. They are one of the highest paid survey sites out there.
Survey Junkie and Branded Surveys will also pay you to take online surveys. Paid online surveys can be done anytime as well!
Here are some other sites that will pay you for playing games:
- Mistplay lets you discover new games while earning rewards.
- App Station is another gaming app that pays in gift cards
- Coinpop is a free app that offers a lot of different types of games you can play for PayPal cash or gift cards.
You can even get paid to read emails.
Might as well make some extra cash while you are lounging on the couch!
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7. Create YouTube videos
Creating YouTube videos as a teenager is another great way to make money online. You can do make-up tutorials for instance. YouTubers get money from affiliate marketing and ads when they monetize their YouTube channel.
There are actually a lot of successful teenage YouTubers out there now. MattyBraps has over 10 million subscribers!!
You will need to be comfortable talking in front of a camera.
8. Search the Internet
You can surf the internet and earn with Swagbucks! You are probably already on the internet everyday, why not get money while you are online.
You can even earn free PayPal money instantly with many online activities.
9. Launch a podcast
A fun and creative way to make extra money is to create your own podcast. If you like talking, this is a great side hustle!
You can talk about something you might be an expert in, or be the next person to create a popular, documentary-style podcast. You just might make the next Up and Vanished!
Related reading: Side Hustles that Don’t Require a Lot of Time
10. Sell your own printables
There is a huge market out there for printables. Everything from yearly planners and calendars for anyone, to Pinterest template graphics for bloggers and businesses.
If you want to generate wealth as a teenager without a job, printables is an excellent option.
The point is you can create your own designs and printable products and sell them online. It is one of the best money-making side hustle for teens because it is passive income.
Once you have done the initial work to create the printable, you can then sell it over and over again without working again! People pay for it and then download and print it themselves.
Canva is a great tool to use to create your own sellable printable. To learn more about digital products you can sell online, read this tutorial.
11. Start an eCommerce Business
Just because you are a teenager, doesn’t mean you can’t have a thriving online business! You could sell anything from jewelry to clothing to planners or even technology products. You can make thousands of dollars as a teenager online with an eCommerce business.
Setting up a Shopify account is an easy way to start your own teenage online business. Read this Shopify Launch Checklist and see how to start your own website selling products.
Find out what the best products to sell online are before you start selling though!
Another option is to start an Amazon by Fulfillment business which is a type of drop shipping business.
This is probably a better choice of business for a teen since it involves less work and headache. You don’t have to manage inventory or shipping yourself.
You figure out what products to sell and then buy them from a wholesaler. You have the products shipped to Amazon and they handle fulfilling orders and shipping them out when someone buys your products.
You just get to pocket all the profit! Here is an in depth guide on how to get started selling on Amazon FBA.
Start an eCommerce Store
Shopify: You can easily and affordably start your own online business!
12. Work as a Freelancer
Whatever your skill is, you can earn money for it. If you are good at graphic design or know how to make a website then start doing that for money.
If you are a good writer, you can ghost write for bloggers, or even write marketing materials for big companies. And, if you don’t know how to create websites yet, take a local course and learn how!
You can advertise your services on sites like Upwork and Fiverr and get money as a freelance teenager. Plus, these are skills you can take with you into your career.
13. Become a Pinterest Virtual Assistant
Working as a social media assistant is a great way to make a few hundred dollars. You can even specialize in Pinterest. Many bloggers and online businesses need help with managing their Pinterest.
You can use the free design tool Canva to create pins and sell them. You can create pins, craft titles and post them for your clients.
Related reading: Data Entry Jobs Without Investment
14. Test WEbsites and Apps
You can get paid to test out apps and games. Scrambly is a site that will pay you for testing things. You test products on your phone and as you complete in game steps you are rewarded with coins.
You can exchange the coins for gift cards or PayPal cash. You can also earn for inviting other friends with a referral code.
You can also generate income from testing websites. You will have to answer specific questions and look for bugs or issues on websites.
You can earn as much as $15 for one test that only takes 20 minutes. Here are some companies that will pay you for website testing:
15. Video Editing
All companies use videos these days. Whether on their website or social media. If you can edit videos or put them together from stock videos you can make a full time income from home.
Not to mention you could turn this into an entire career once you are out of school.
16. Sell Photos
Have an interest in photography? You can sell your photos online. You can sell artistic prints of your photos on sites like Etsy.
Or, you can simply sell stock photos on sites like Shutterstock, Stocksy and Adobe stock. It is as simple as taking photos and uploading them to the sites.
17. Invest in the Stock Market
This is riskier and you should be careful doing this as you could lose money. But, if you educate yourself on how to do it safely, investing in stocks can generate some serious passive income.
You can trade for free on sites like eTrade and Robinhood. You will of course need some money up front in order to start investing.
And, you will need to try to educate yourself a little about it first. There are less risky things like exchange traded funds and mutual funds that you can invest your money in.
Motley Fool will give you insider information and tips on what stocks to buy.
VectorVest: Stock analysis to help you know what to buy and what to sell!
How to Make Money as a Teen without a Job
If you want to get money as a teenager but you aren’t interested in a physical job, there are a lot of options out there! You don’t have to work every week in the sample place to earn either.
18. Sell Your Stuff
There are so many sites now to sell things on! Facebook, Ebay and Poshmark are websites with a huge marketplace of buyers.
If you are looking for a way to get money as a teen, start in your own house. You can go through the clutter in your room and sell whatever you don’t need. Or go really old-school and have a garage sale!
You can also look for free stuff on sites like Nextdoor.com that you can try and resell for a small profit.
And, of course you can hit your parents up for anything they don’t want anymore that you can sell!
Which is better for selling, Mercari or Poshmark?
19. Babysit
Maybe a cliche way to start making money as a teenager, but it works! It is a flexible job and easy to find people who need babysitting services.
The average babysitter makes $15-20 per hour which is more than you could make at a part-time job! Plus, if they have more than one kid you can charge even more.
20. Mow Lawn
Another excellent way to earn cash is by mowing lawn for your neighbors. You can do it anytime and make a good chunk of change.
Many adults actually have entire landscaping businesses! Might as well start your own now. If you want to make cash as a teenager in the summer, this is the ideal choice.
21. Become a Tutor
If you are really good at a particular subject like math or English, put your skills to work. Helping tutor other kids can be lucrative and an easy way to make a few hundred dollars quickly as a teenager.
Figure out who at your school may need extra help! Most tutors make around $17 an hour.
22. Sell Baked Goods
Have a passion for baking? Start selling your treats!
You can sell baked goods at local markets or just to your neighbors. Selling baked goods is another way to make some dough. Literally and figuratively!
You can also start an Etsy shop selling baked goods that you ship to other places.
23. Rent a Car on Turo
You may want to buy a car for yourself and your freedom. But did you know you can rent cars on Turo and make a few hundred dollars or more a month?
It is like AirBnb for cars. You can rent your car on any days that you don’t need it. It is an excellent side business to start.
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How to Get Money as a Teenager with Pet-related Work
The pet industry is a huge market! Did you know that Americans actually spend more than $72 Billion on their pets each year? Tap into that market and use it to make money for yourself.
Here are a few ways teenagers can make money working with animals:
24. Start a Dog Walking Business
Spending time with dogs is proven to reduce your stress! So why not combine that therapy with making money. It may be one of the best ways to make money as a teen!
You can take multiple dogs on a walk each day and make a good income.
Advertise yourself and your dog walking services on sites like Rover or Nextdoor to find clients.
25. Start Pet sitting
Another great way to combine spending time with dogs and cats and making money is with pet sitting. You can pet sit for people when they need to go out of town, either at their house or by letting the dog stay at yours.
26. Start Selling Dog Treats
Tap into that market and use it to make money for yourself. You can actually bake your own dog treats and sell them at local fairs, to your neighbors or even local pet stores.
Here is an actual course teaching you how to make money creating dog treats! The course is taught by Kristen Larsen who actually created her own money-making side hustle making dog treats.
Odd Jobs for Teenagers to earn Money
Look around your neighborhood! It is probably a treasure-trove of money making opportunities for a teenager!
If you want to know how to make fast money, look around your own neighborhood. Your neighbors have many odd jobs they would probably love to pay you to help with. Just start asking!
Or better yet, create a flyer or postcard advertising your services and drop it in mailboxes.
Here are a few examples of ways you can earn money quickly in your own neighborhood:
27. Clean Houses
While it may not sound like the most fun money-making activity, cleaning houses can be lucrative. You can make as much as $150 for one house.
Try advertising on sites or just reach out to local neighbors.
28. Wash Cars
Organize a car wash for one day with signs. Or let your neighbors know you will wash their cars for a fee. You can make some extra spending money quickly.
29. Clean Out Garages
Many people need help cleaning out their garages. You can get paid to help do this or help someone organize things or their house. Sometimes people will pay for packing help when they are about to move as well.
30. Run Errands
Yep, you can actually make cash just for running errands for people! You can advertise this and many other odd jobs services on sites like Taskrabbit.
31. Painting
Painting can be a lucrative odd job you can do. Offer to paint for your neighbors or family friends. Or advertise your services on sites like Taskrabbit, Nextdoor and even Craigslist.
You might be able to find a job with a local painting company as well.
32. Shoveling Snow
In the winter you can make a little side dough shoveling snow for people.
33. Yard Cleanup
In addition to mowing yards, you can also get paid just for helping to clean up someone’s yard. Especially in the fall when the leaves have fallen.
34. gardening and landscaping
Another odd job that will generate income is gardening and landscaping. Landscaping for whatever reason is actually really expensive.
You can advertise lower prices and get a lot of work while still making good money.
Best part-time jobs for teenagers
How can you earn money as a teenager? Well, of course, the most obvious way for a teenager to make money is to get a part-time job.
My cousin had a job at TCBY for a couple of years that allowed her to make a good living in her teens.
The advantage of getting job when you are a teen is that it is consistent work and income. You can also work more hours to make more money if you want. There are many options when it comes to jobs for teens, but here are a few you can try.
35. Work at a Clothing Store
This one could be bad because you typically get a discount and may find yourself spending all you make on new clothes!
But it is definitely a fun way to make a few bucks, most teens love shopping anyways. You can get a job at any clothing or retail store you want.
36. Work at a Fast-Food Chain
Maybe not your first choice for making money, but it is easier to get a job at a fast-food restaurant when you are young and do not have a resume yet.
37. Deliver Food
If you have your own car, you can generate some excellent side income by delivering food. You can deliver groceries or food that people order from restaurants.
The average delivery driver makes about $17 an hour.
Here are some sites where you can sign up:
- Uber Eats: Uber has its own food delivery in addition to the rideshare program
- DoorDash: (read this guide on driving for DoorDash)
- Shipt: Deliver groceries from different grocery stores with Shipt
- Instacart: Another grocery company that will pay you for delivery
38. Work at a Restaurant
I waited tables for many years. It is an excellent skill to have as a fall back, there are almost always jobs in restaurants.
Plus, you can make a lot of money in tips! Find a job at a local restaurant as a hostess, a busier or a server. You will need some customer service skills though!
39. Become a Barista
Just a fancy way of saying get a job at Starbucks or your local coffee shop. The downside is you may have to get up super early to start your shift.
40. Become a Lifeguard
This is a fairly common job for teenagers for some reason. Maybe this makes it an easier one to get hired for!
You can work at a local neighborhood pool and make money while you work on your tan. Plus, you would just work this as a summer job while you are out of school.
41. Summer Camp Counselor
Another common summer job for teens is to be a camp counselor. Children go away to summer camps where they have outside activities and stay at the camp for a few weeks sometimes.
As a camp counselor you spend time with the kids and help take care of them and take them on activities. You will definitely need to like kids to have this job though!
42. Get a Paid Internship
This is a valuable summer job to take because not only will you get paid, but it will be fantastic on your resume. Both for going to college and for the career you might want someday.
Many companies will hire young people to be interns and help with just about anything around the office. Figure out what type of work you want to do and take an internship in that field.
Not only will you get paid but you will get some valuable experience and learn some profitable skills as well!
When thinking about how to make money as a teenager, keep in mind things that will help you get into college or the career you want!
43. Work as a Golf Caddy
Don’t worry, you won’t have to kill groundhogs like in the movie Caddyshack! But golf-caddying is not a bad way to get paid if you don’t mind carrying a bag of golf clubs.
Check out local country clubs and golf parks to see if they need extra help.
44. Work at a Theme Park
Another great summer job that is easy for teens to get is working at a them park like 6 Flags or a water park.
There is likely to be something like this near you. You can work over the summer at one.
45. Work at a Movie Theatre
If you want a fun way to make money as a teenager try a movie theatre.
Movie theatres are an excellent place to get a job. You can make a decent income and not really have to even work very hard! Plus, they are always looking for extra help.
Why Should You Make Money as a Teenager?
You might be wondering why you should even bother earning money when you are still living on your parent’s dime.
But the truth is, if you want to be wealthy someday, you should start now! Money can be used to make more money.
Even just from compounding interest. They say if you save as little as $100 a month into a compounding interest account you can be a millionaire by the time you are 30! So that by itself is a reason to start earning now.
Save up money to buy a real estate investment or start a business!
You can also learn some valuable social and real world skills by taking a job.
How to Make $1,000 as a Teenager
If you have a specific goal in mind of how much money you want to make, write it down. Keep track until you meet it.
If you want to make $1,000 as a teen, combine several of the options in this article and you should be able to make the money quickly.
Sell some of your things, babysit for your neighbors, and find some virtual assistant work. You will have $1,000 in no time!
What Should you do with the money you are making?
I know, you don’t need a lecture. But I would do so many things differently if I knew at your age what I know now!! Do spend your money on fun things, clothes and whatever else makes you happy.
Open a High Yield Savings Bank Account
As a teen, you might not have a bank account yet. But you don’t have to wait until you are an adult to have one.
With every dollar you make, you are at least saving some of it. Start a bank account with interest so that your money will grow.
CIT Bank is an excellent option of a high yield savings account. They are currently paying almost 5% in interest. Eventually when you have enough, you can use that money to make more money!
Stick to a Budget
One of the most helpful personal finance things you can learn is how to create and stick to a budget.
You don’t want to waste your money! Making a budget for yourself that includes how much money to save and how much to spend on entertainment will help you a lot.
Set a Savings Goal
It is always good to have a financial goal in mind. Figure out something you really want and start saving for that.
Maybe it is a car, or maybe you need to save money for college.
Use Your Money to Make More Money
Money is a tool. The more you have of it, the more you can make. Learning this young will help you in life. Save your money and then use it for investments.
You can invest it in the stock market, or a cd, or start your own business someday. You can start saving up for a house that you can rent for income.
The bottom line is saving money will only mean more money for you eventually. Be smart!
How to Start Making Money as a Teenager
You can make money as a teenager without a job, or with a job. There are so many options, choose one or a few of these and get started today.
Whatever you do, you can make money as a teen!
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