The best side hustles for teens depend on your age, but there are good options at every stage.
Younger teens can start with babysitting, dog walking, or lawn care in their own neighborhood. Once you turn 14, part-time jobs and gigs like golf caddying open up. And if you need cash fast, you can start by selling stuff you already own.
Some teens build real businesses, too. Harrison Nott started his e-commerce store at 13 and grew it into a $100,000 business, and Jack Leimbach built a window washing business that brought in around $10,000 a month by college.
Below are 30 realistic ways to make money as a teenager, starting with a quick guide to what works best at each age.
Best Side Hustles for Teens by Age
Ages 13 and Under
Federal child labor rules don’t apply to casual work like babysitting or odd jobs for neighbors, so younger teens can start a small service business right away:
- Mother’s helper, babysitting, and kids’ party helper
- Pet sitting, dog walking, and pet waste removal
- Lawn care and snow shoveling
- Tech help for seniors
- Making crafts or selling stuff you already own (with a parent’s help on sites like Etsy)
- Survey apps like Swagbucks, which accept users 13 and up
Ages 14–15
At 14, most employers can hire you. Under federal law, 14- and 15-year-olds can work up to 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week, with more hours allowed in summer. Good options include:
- Part-time jobs at restaurants, movie theaters, and gyms
- Golf caddying
- Refereeing youth sports
- Tutoring younger students
- Lifeguarding, once you turn 15
Ages 16–17
Federal hour limits end at 16, so you can take on bigger gigs and more hours:
- Summer camp counselor
- Car detailing, exterior cleaning, and house cleaning
- Social media management for local businesses
- Freelance writing
- Brand ambassador gigs through apps like Oppizi (16+)
States can set stricter rules than federal law, so check your state’s labor department for the details where you live.
1. Start a Lawn Care Side Hustle
Lawn care is among the most popular way for teens and high schoolers to make money in the summer months (as long as you don’t mind working in the heat).
With this side hustle, you’ll gain business skills that can be a great asset to carry with you in the future.
You’ll need some equipment to get started, but these items can usually be purchased for less than $1,000. For example, you’ll need a lawnmower, trimmer, and blower at minimum. Gas cans, trimmer line, and other supplies will also be vital. As your business grows, you can always purchase more equipment to meet your needs.
How much you can earn depends on your location and the amount of work it takes to complete the job. For a simple mowing, trim, and blow, it’s common to charge between $30 and $70. This could take as little as 30 minutes to complete!
For landscaping work, hourly rates can reach over $50 per hour.
2. Walk Dogs
Walking dogs is a great way to make money for many teens, and it can be a lot of fun too!
With this side hustle, you could easily make $15-$20 for a simple 30-minute walk. If you have more than one dog, or if you can walk multiple dogs at once, you could make even more!
Check out sites like Rover.com to scout the local competition and set up a profile of your own.
Rover
4.4
- Strong income potential
- Reputable platform and protection
- Flexible schedule
- Potentially difficult pets (and owners)
- Limited to local demand
3. Pet Sitting
If you love animals and want to make extra money, pet sitting could be the perfect option for you.
With pet sitting, you’ll get paid to watch over animals while their owners are away. The amount of money you can make will depend on the number of animals you’re watching and the duration of the work.
It’s possible to make $200+ a week pet sitting — just make sure to ask mom and dad first if you’re still living at home!
4. Take Online Surveys
There are plenty of paid survey sites you can use to make additional income in your free time.
While you’re not going to become a millionaire with this method, it’s a great way to earn a few dollars here and there.
Swagbucks allows users age 13 and up to earn money for completing short surveys and other assignments, like watching advertiser videos.
Swagbucks
4.4
Swagbucks has paid out over $650 million to users over the last 10+ years.
- Quick and easy to use
- Lots of ways to earn
- $10 sign-up bonus
- Surveys don’t pay much
As a bonus, many survey sites and apps will offer a welcome bonus that’s essentially free money.
5. Babysitting
Babysitting is another excellent way for teens to make extra cash nights and weekends.
The amount of money you can make babysitting will depend on how long you are working and the number of children you’re watching. It’s common to work around 5 hours and make $100 or more for your time. Not bad!
Sites like Babysits.com accept teens as young as 14.
6. Mother’s Helper
Not quite old enough to babysit on your own? Being a mother’s helper is a great way to start.
You’ll watch and play with younger kids while a parent is still home, which lets them cook, work, or catch up on chores. It’s lower pressure than solo babysitting, and it’s a great way to build experience and references.
To stand out with parents, consider taking the American Red Cross Babysitter’s Training course. It covers basic first aid and child care skills, and it makes it easier to move into paid babysitting later.
7. Kids’ Party Helper
Birthday parties are a lot of work, and busy parents will happily pay for an extra set of hands.
As a party helper, you might run games, help with crafts, serve food, or clean up afterward. If you have a talent like face painting, balloon animals, or magic tricks, you can charge even more.
Start by offering your services to families you already babysit for, since one party can lead to bookings from every parent who attends.
8. Lifeguarding
Lifeguarding is an excellent summer job to make money for teens 15 and up. While the pay is nothing insane, it’s a solid way to get paid to be in the sun.
It’s worth noting that you’ll need to get your lifeguard certification to get started with this job. This will typically cost around $250.
May lifeguarding jobs will pay around $15 to $20+ per hour but it’s a more laid back and low-stress job.
9. Summer Camp Counselor
If you love being outside and working with kids, a summer camp job can be a blast.
Many day camps and sleepaway camps hire counselors 16 and up, and some offer counselor-in-training programs for younger teens. You’ll lead activities, supervise campers, and maybe even teach a skill like swimming, archery, or arts and crafts.
Start your search early, since camps often hire in the winter and spring. Check with local YMCAs, parks and recreation departments, and camps in your area.
10. Golf Caddie
If you live near a golf course, caddying is one of the best-kept secrets for teens.
Many clubs hire caddies as young as 14, and the pay can be surprisingly good. In Kentucky, for example, a youth caddie program pays junior caddies $70 per loop. At high-end private clubs, experienced caddies can earn $100–150 per bag.
The biggest perk might be the scholarship. The Evans Scholars Foundation awards full tuition and housing college scholarships to caddies. To qualify, you’ll need to have caddied for at least two years, maintain better than a B average, and show financial need.
11. Referee
Refereeing is a fun way for teenagers to make money on nights and weekends.
Typically, referees are paid between $20 and $30 per game or more for youth baseball, basketball, and soccer games. As you gain more experience you can move up to high school officiating to make even more.
12. Play Video Games
There are many popular video game streamers that make money playing video games.
While this side hustle might sound too good to be true, it’s a completely valid way to make money as a teen.
Platforms like Twitch allow users 13 and older to create an account and stream your gameplay. You can earn money from ads, merch, or donations viewers send you.
However, not everyone will be successful with this fun side hustle. You’ll need to be entertaining and skilled at the games you stream if you want to make a serious income.
A more viable path might be video game coaching. On sites like Metafy, you can set your own rates (typically $30/hour and up) and availability.
13. Tutoring
If you’re a smart student and want to earn extra money, why not consider tutoring? With this side gig, you can help other students with their homework and earn a nice income in the process.
Your income will depend on your level of expertise in the subject and the difficulty of the subject.
Some tutors can make over $50 per hour for their time – which is an awesome income for most teenagers.
14. Car Detailing
Car detailing is an excellent way for teenagers to make money in their spare time. This is a popular summer side hustle when the weather turns nice.
With car detailing, you can make $50-$100 for a few hours of work depending on the level of detail and current condition of the vehicle.
For vehicles in poor condition, it can take a few hours to complete your work.
With this side hustle, you will need some equipment and supplies to get started, all of which can be purchased for less than $500.
15. Exterior Cleaning Services
Cleaning windows, trash bins, and driveways is low-tech work with surprisingly high earning potential.
Jack Leimbach started his window washing business with a $200 cleaning kit from Amazon, borrowed from his dad. The very first door he knocked on turned into a $220 job, and by college, his side hustle was bringing in around $10,000 a month.
Trash bin cleaning and pressure washing work the same way. Customers can see the before-and-after results right away, which makes it easy to win repeat business and referrals.
16. Sell Stuff You Already Own
The fastest way to make money as a teen might be sitting in your closet.
Clothes you’ve outgrown, old video games, sports equipment, and electronics can all be sold for cash. Hold a yard sale, or sell online with a parent’s help, since many resale apps require users to be 18 or older.
Once you’ve cleared out your own stuff, you can turn it into a real business by buying low and reselling. Keely Stawicki made $270,000 in sales reselling vintage items she found while thrifting.
17. Tech Help for Seniors
Growing up with smartphones gives you a skill a lot of older adults would gladly pay for.
Many seniors want help setting up a new phone, connecting a smart TV, joining a video call with the grandkids, or figuring out a new app. You can offer one-on-one help at their home, and you don’t need anything to get started except patience.
Spread the word through family friends, local churches, senior centers, or neighborhood apps like Nextdoor. Happy customers will recommend you to their friends.
18. Snow Shoveling
If you live in the northern part of the country (or anywhere where there is common snowfall) shoveling snow can be a great method to increase your income as a teen.
It’s possible to earn over $25 per hour with this side hustle. As a bonus, this method requires little to no money to get started. You’ll just need a snow shovel (and maybe some salt) to get started.
19. Clean Homes
While cleaning homes might not be the most attractive way for teens to make money, it can be a good method to bring in some extra cash if you have the hustle.
To clean homes you’ll need to be equipped with some basic supplies that cost less than $500. For example, a vacuum, cleaning supplies, and dusters are some of the basics that every cleaner needs.
Depending on the size of the home and the detail of your cleaning, it’s possible to earn $25-40 an hour.
Alternatively, you could set up a “drop servicing” business, where you go out and connect with customers while contracting with other cleaners to fulfill the work.
20. Start a YouTube Channel
YouTube has become one of the most popular search engines in the last few years giving teens a massive opportunity to cash in.
To make money from YouTube you’ll need to create videos that are high quality and interesting to watch.
Just like with other forms of content creation, it can take some time to get started and start profiting from your efforts, but over time it can be a very lucrative venture.
(Lately I’ve been earning around $500 a month from my YouTube channel.)
Once you’ve built up a following, you can monetize your videos by including ads. You’ll need to reach some criteria before you’ll be accepted into YouTube’s ad platform.
You can learn more about YouTube’s monetization features here.
Some YouTubers make millions from their content!
21. Freelance Writing
Freelance writing is a great way for teens to make money online. As a freelance writer, you can write about a variety of topics to make extra money.
The amount of money you can make will vary depending on your experience. For new writers, it’s common to charge $50-150 per article. As you become more experienced, those rates increase.
Depending on your writing speed, this can be a great income for many teens.
22. Start a Podcast
Starting a podcast is a fun way to make money and discuss your thoughts and opinions with the world.
To start a podcast, you’ll need some basic audio equipment, a topic to discuss, and a platform to host your podcast.
Once you have these items, it’s time to start recording your content. To monetize your podcast, you can include advertising or sell sponsorships.
The amount of money you can make will depend on the number of listeners you’re able to attract. Some of the most popular podcasts can make millions of dollars each month. Just ask Joe Rogan!
23. Flipping
There are many kinds of flipping that teens can do to make some extra cash.
For example, furniture flipping can be an easy way to make an extra few hundred dollars each month.
Flipping is a great side hustle for teens because it doesn’t require any special skills to get started. You’ll need a little bit of money and time to make money flipping.
24. Part-Time Jobs
Picking up a part-time job at your local restaurant or movie theater is common for many teens.
While these jobs are usually low-paying, they can be a good way to get your foot in the door and obtain real life experience in the workforce.
Here are some good job ideas for teens:
- Movie theater
- Local gyms
- Daycares
- Restaurants — the restaurant I worked at as a teen came with the added benefit of unlimited free food!
- Camp counselor
- Brand ambassador
For example, Oppizi connects teens 16 and up with local brand ambassador gigs:
25. Work as a Social Media Manager
Nobody understands social media better than teenagers. Why not profit from your knowledge?
Working as a social media manager allows you to be on your phone or computer all day and you can set your own hours.
The pay fluctuates depending on your experience and the amount of work requested but in many cases you can make over $30 per hour with this side gig.
26. Sell Printables
Digital products are very similar to online courses, except they are much simpler to create and sell.
These digital assets can be things like checklists, cheat sheets, planners, and other small assets that can be purchased online.
You can sell your digital products through sites like Etsy or your own website.
The amount of money you can make will depend on the price you set for your products and the number of products you can sell.
It’s possible to make an extra $1,000 a month with this side hustle.
27. Make Crafts to Sell
Making and selling crafts can be a fun and creative way to make a profit as a teenager.
If you have a knack for arts and crafts, this could be the perfect side hustle for you.
You can sell your crafts at local craft fairs or online through sites like Etsy.
The amount of money you can make will depend on your profit margins and the number of products you can sell each month but it’s completely possible to make over $1,000 a month from this side gig.
28. Start an E-Commerce Store
Starting at just 13 years old, Harrison Nott built CoolTowel into a $100,000 business.
The spark came from a simple problem: getting overheated playing squash. To drive traffic and sales, Harrison posted TikTok videos showcasing different uses for the product. Then he’d recruit friends and family to help fulfill orders!
29. Pet Waste Removal
As a 13 year-old, Kyle Graham founded Call of Doodie Pet Waste Removal in Jacksonville, FL. At its peak, Kyle reported earning about $250 a week from his pooper scooping business.
Obviously, it’s not the most glamorous gig in the world, but it is one that’s well-suited for recurring revenue. Set customers up on a weekly payment plan and keep people’s yards clean.
30. Earn Scholarships or College Credit
One of my most lucrative teenage side hustles was taking AP classes that let me graduate from college early, saving a bunch of tuition in the process. On top of that, I applied for several local scholarships that helped reduce my education cost.
Sometimes you’ll find these $1,000+ scholarships that don’t take a ton of time to apply for, which works out to be a pretty good hourly rate!
How to Make Money as a Teenager: Final Thoughts
There are plenty of ways to make money as a teenager – but some are easier than others. It’s best to try out a few methods and see which ones you prefer.
Between working as a lifeguard, tutoring other students, or starting an online business – there’s sure to be an option that suits your interests.
Remember, your teenage years can be some of the best of your life, so be sure to enjoy them before they’re over.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How can a 13-year-old make money?
Most employers can’t hire you until 14, so the best options at 13 are small service businesses for neighbors and family. Babysitting, being a mother’s helper, dog walking, lawn care, and snow shoveling are all good places to start. Survey apps like Swagbucks also accept users 13 and up.
How can a teenager make money online for free?
Several online side hustles cost nothing to start. You can tutor younger students over video calls, start a YouTube channel, or do freelance writing. Online surveys pay small amounts but are free to join. Many platforms set a minimum age, often 13 or 18, so check the rules and get a parent’s help where needed.
How can a teen make money with no job?
Start your own side hustle instead of waiting for an employer. The fastest option is selling things you already own, like clothes, games, or sports gear. From there, offer a service people in your neighborhood need, such as pet sitting, car washing, exterior cleaning, or tech help for seniors.
What jobs can a 14-year-old get?
At 14, you can work at many restaurants, movie theaters, gyms, and retail stores, though federal law limits you to 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week. Golf caddying and refereeing youth sports are also popular options. Some states have stricter rules or require a work permit, so check your state’s labor department.
Do teens have to pay taxes on side hustle income?
Possibly, even if your parents claim you as a dependent. If you’re self-employed, like most teens running a side hustle, and your net earnings are $400 or more for the year, you’ll generally owe self-employment tax and need to file a return. Keep track of what you earn and spend. One bonus for parents: any teen with earned income can contribute to a custodial Roth IRA, up to the amount they earned that year, which is a great way to get a head start on retirement savings.
