40 Clever Ways to Make Money as a Teen

If you’re a teen interested in earning some money of your own, you’re not alone. Many teens are looking for ways they can make money to cover expenses.

I mean, 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!

In This Article

Ways Teens Can Earn Cash

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.

Check out these ideas for making money under 18. 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. 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!

2. 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.

Safety Counts

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.

3. Make Money Sharing Your Opinion

Companies such as Survey Junkie will help you get paid for your opinion. Brands want to get your feedback and they are willing to pay for it.

They have over 10 million members and you can take surveys if you’re at least 13 years old.

If you like to give your opinion about things – why not get paid for it?

4. Sell Your Stuff

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.

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.

5. Run a Farmer’s Market Stand

Many local farmer’s markets charge money when adults set up a stand, but allow kids to do so for free. If you’ve got a small area in your yard, you could grow vegetables to sell at a farmer’s market. You could also sell baked goods or specialty foods at a farmer’s market.

Farmer’s Market vendors sell a variety of things besides fresh fruits and vegetables. Some sell dessert bread, cookies or muffins. While others sell canned jellies, pickles and other items they canned from their own fruits or vegetables.

Make Some Extra Cash by Taking Surveys

Taking surveys in your spare time can be a great way to earn some extra dough fast. Check out Survey Junkie which will pay you instantly with cash via PayPal. They have over 10,000,000 members and have an 4.5/5 rating on Trust Pilot.

There was a group of teens at our local farmer’s market that used to make brick oven pizzas and bread at the local farmer’s market.

It’s important to check your state’s laws about farmer’s market foods before selling baked goods or specialty foods. However, many states’ food laws don’t apply to farmer’s market booths.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

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.

9. 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.

10. Wash Cars

Busy adults often don’t have time to wash their cars, but you can make some serious cash doing it for them. You’ll need equipment such as a bucket, soap and rags to wash with and towels for drying.

If you’re cleaning the interior of the cars as well, you’ll want to get some window cleaner and paper towels. A portable hand-held vacuum can be a great accessory as well.

Most clients will let you use their hose and water to wash the exterior of the car. Some may lend you their vacuum for vacuuming the interior, but be sure to check with them before you take the job.

Go Mobile

It’ll be a good selling point if you come to their house to wash their car. This eliminates the need for them to make an extra stop at a car wash service center.

Determine how long it will take you to do the cleaning job, and offer an attractive rate that still gives you a good hourly wage. Learn to work quickly and efficiently to improve your hourly rate.

11. Organize Homes or Garages

If you’re good at organization, you can start a business organizing people’s homes or garages. Many people want organized spaces but just aren’t sure where to start.

If you have a knack for that type of work, you could be the answer to their prayers. When offering your services, take a thorough look at the job that needs to be done, and determine how many hours it will take you.

Then times the number of hours by your desired hourly rate and make that your offered price for the job. You can advertise your services on Facebook, with flyers or with emails. Contact friends, neighbors and family members and let them know about your organizing services.

12. Sell Food and Water

There are several places where you could sell drinks (like lemonade) and snacks (baked goods) to local residents. Busy street corners, outside of public baseball parks (if your city allows it) and at garage sales are some ideas.

These types of businesses are especially successful in the summertime or during busy event times. When we go to the local state fairgrounds, there are several vendors on the sidewalk selling bottled water and other packaged snacks.

Cost Matters

The key to success in this type of business boils down to cost. Be sure to charge enough to cover the cost of the items you’re selling. Plus, add in an extra amount to make yourself a profit for your hours of work as well.

As an example, you can usually get bottled water for about ten cents per bottle at your local Walmart or Aldi store. If you sell the bottled water for $1 a bottle, you’ve just made a hefty profit.

And because sports, fair and other venues tend to sell water for much more than that, clients will be happy to pay $1 for your water.

13. Work at a Restaurant

Two of my favorite jobs as a teen were working as a cashier at a fast-food place and as a waitress at a local sit-down restaurant.

The fast-food job was great because I made a guaranteed hourly wage in a fun environment with fries as a side benefit. The waitress job was terrific because I made awesome tips along with my paycheck. Both were job experiences that allowed me to make serious money as a teen.

If you like the idea of helping serve people food, inquire about jobs at restaurants near you. You could also work as a cook, a busboy/girl or a cashier at local restaurants.

14. Be a Mother’s Helper

A mother’s (or father’s) helper is different from a babysitter or nanny. It’s different because the parent is typically home most of the time you’re there working.

As a parent’s helper, you’ll likely be asked to do a variety of different jobs to help the household run efficiently.

You might be asked to do the dishes, make lunch or fold laundry. You might help a child with homework, change a diaper or take a young child out to play.

Being a parent’s helper allows you to earn money by helping a family while still having an adult nearby. Check with local families and advertise with flyers to find work. Decide what your hourly wage will be based on the type of work you’ll be required to do.

15. Run Errands

Many busy people and families would love to pay a teen who is willing to run errands for them. For example, they might send you to pick up some groceries or to stop at the drug store.

Or they may have you drop off/pick up dry cleaning or make a run to the post office to mail a package. One tip will help you make the most of your errand running income. Choose to work in neighborhoods where stores and other destinations are close to a lot of homes and apartments.

16. Join a Property Management Team

Working for a property management team is another job I had as a teen. My mom knew a guy who owned a half-dozen rental properties.

When tenants vacated, my mom and I would head over to the house. We’d have to paint the interior walls and/or clean the property to get it ready for the next tenant. We got paid well and were paid directly after each job was finished.

If you like the idea of doing that type of work, check with property owners you know to see if they need help. Or advertise your services online (with your parents’ permission).

17. 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.

18. Retail Worker

Many clothing and retail store managers are searching out teens to work cash registers and keep shelves stocked. Retail work can be done seasonally, such as during the holidays, or you can work at stores all year round.

A professional appearance, a good attitude and a willingness to be on time count where local retail stores are concerned.

If you have these qualities, you might want to consider a job in retail. Check with clothing, home improvement and big box stores near you for available work.

19. Ask Parents for Tasks

It’s probably likely that your parents (or grandparents) have a lot of stuff they would like to have done around the house, but they just don’t have the time to do it.

Ask your parents if they have a list of jobs they would be willing to pay you to do. Perhaps they’ll hire you to deep clean the basement or garage. Or maybe they need help removing clutter in a home office.

They might want you to do a spring cleaning project such as cleaning windows or washing blankets and comforters.

Have them make a list of tasks they need to be done around the house, along with what they’ll pay for each completed job. Decide which jobs are the ones you want to do and finalize the details with your parents.

20. 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 which 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.

21. 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.

22. 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 which 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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. Umpire or Referee

Local sports organizations often seek out teens to work umpire and referee jobs for kids’ sports teams.

If you love and are good at sports such as baseball, basketball, softball and football, you could apply to work as an umpire or referee.

These types of jobs usually pay well too. In my area, umpires get paid up to $30 an hour. Check with local sports organizations for more details about referee jobs.

27. Get a Paper Route

When my brother was 12, he got his first paper route. Within six months, he had earned and saved enough money to buy a new stereo system and expensive Christmas gifts for each member of our family.

Contact local papers to see if they have paper delivery routes available in your area. Or check your local newspaper’s employment section for ads seeking out paper delivery workers.

Know that working as a paper delivery person can require you to keep odd working hours. Some newspapers need to be delivered very early in the morning, for instance. However, if you’re up early anyway, you could get your delivery done before school.

Be sure to check on the days and hours you need to work before you sign on for this job. As with mail deliverers, newspaper deliverers are required to deliver in all types of weather.

28. Help a Senior

Many older people are looking to hire young people for various jobs. They might just wish to have someone to spend time with them. Or they may want a teen to read to them, play cards or other games, or just simply talk with them.

Check with local retirement communities to find work. See if they have a job posting board where you can offer your services.

29. Be a Golf Caddy

Public and private golf clubs are often looking to hire teens as golf caddies for members and guests that come to play golf. If you like and know about the game of golf, or if you’re willing to learn about it, you could land a job as a golf caddy.

Bonus: Golf caddies often get nice tips from the people for whom they caddy.

30. Collect and Resell Golf Balls

Another job you can get working in the golf industry is collecting golf balls. Look for abandoned golf balls near local golf courses. Then clean them up and resell them to local golfers.

Also, you can search outside of local golf courses for stray balls. Look in tall weeds or shallow ponds. You might even be able to get permission to search on course grounds after hours from local club managers.

You can sell your cleaned up golf balls outside of the local golf club entrance as long as you’re on public property. Or you can ask people you know who play golf if they want to buy the balls you find at a price discounted from the retail price.

31. 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.

32. 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.

Related Article: How to Start a Tutoring Business

33. 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.

34. Boat and Camper Cleaning

You may have family members, friends or neighbors who own boats, campers or other recreational vehicles. Check with them to see if they’d like to hire you to clean them out after they return from outings.

Ask to use their hose and water for rinsing, and their shop vac for vacuuming if needed. Bring all other cleaning supplies from home to make it easier for clients. Charge a rate that allows you to do a thorough job quickly.

35. Grass and Plant Watering

Sometimes people need help with the task of watering their grass, flowers and plants. Offer the service of coming to their home and watering these items for them. This is a job you’ll likely perform once or twice a week to keep their grass and flowers healthy and fresh looking.

36. Doggie Doo-doo Scooper

Homeowners with dogs have to take the time to do the chore of cleaning up dog poo from their yards. Many of your neighbors might be open to considering paying you to do this job for them.

Schedule regular yard cleaning times for each client in order to bring in a steady amount of money for your business. Bring your own scooper and a small garbage bag. Discard the droppings in the outside trash bin or wherever your client tells you to.

37. 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.

38. Do Lawn Work

One of the jobs my kids used to do was to help their great aunt with lawn work. They would mow the lawn in the spring, summer and fall. Then in late fall they would rake leaves and bag them up for her.

She paid them well for this work, and it made life easier for her.

Chances are that at least some people in your neighborhood could use help maintaining their lawns. Ask your parents if you can use their lawnmower (offer to pay for the gas it uses out of your earnings), or you can use each client’s mower if they have one they are willing to let you use.

If you’re not interested in mowing lawns, you could offer to rake and bag leaves in the fall or shovel snow in the winter if you live in a colder climate.

39. Weed Gardens

If your neighbors have flower and vegetable gardens, you might be able to earn some money by offering to pull weeds from the garden for them.

Weeding usually needs to be done every week in most gardens and is hard work for older people, so they might appreciate a teen taking this task off of their hands.

40. Collect Aluminum Cans

If your neighbors drink a lot of canned drinks such as sodas, consider asking them if you can pick up their discarded soda and other beverage cans once a week.

Then bring the cans to a local recycling center where they’ll pay you cash for your aluminum cans.

Ways to Make the Most of Your Income Earning Skills

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.

Summary

There are many ways you as a teen can put money in your pocket. With a little creativity and some hard work, you can be earning serious cash in no time.

Have you tried any of these ways to make money as a teen? Tell us in the comments section.

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