How To Make Money As A Teen: Business Ideas

11 min read

If you’re trying to learn how to make money as a teen, there are plenty of options available to you. You won’t be able to work a full-time job in an office or as a trained professional yet. But, why would you want to? When it comes to how to make money fast as a teen, your options are different from traditional jobs. And sometimes, they’re more exciting, too.

Of course, some teenagers can find part-time jobs at local businesses. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But for those looking for how to make money from home as a teen, there are more possibilities. Here are some of the best tips for how to make easy money as a teen.

How to Make Money as a 13 Year Old

At 13 years of age, you might not be able to qualify for some jobs. Most states have their own laws regarding child labor. In most cases, the minimum age for part-time employment is 14. Some states do allow 13 or 12-year-olds to get jobs with parental permission. But to keep things simple, here are some tips on how to make money as a 13 year old. And, they don’t involve working part-time for a business.

Dog walking

Let’s start with one of the most fun options on the list. Lots of people have dogs, but not all of them can walk their dogs every day. To help their dogs get exercise (and burn energy), many people will hire people to walk their dogs for them.

Additionally, there are no real qualifications to become a dog walker. You just need to love dogs, and make sure they return home safely from their walks. If you’re a dog person, working part-time as a dog walker is a win-win situation. You get to spend time hanging out with dogs every day, plus a little extra cash goes into your pocket.

Take online surveys

Websites like Survey Junkie pay users to complete online surveys. Does that sound too good to be true? It’s not! Here’s how it works:

Companies and brands rely on consumer feedback to make the best products possible. But getting feedback from the general public is not always easy. So, websites like Survey Junkie pay people to take surveys about certain types of products or services online. The feedback from these surveys helps companies optimize their products. And, as a reward, the people who take the surveys get paid in gift cards, PayPal vouchers, or other real-world rewards.

Make and sell crafts online

If you have a passion for arts and crafts, you can turn that into cash by selling your crafts online. Etsy is an ecommerce platform designed for custom or handmade crafts, made by people like you.

Creating an Etsy store is relatively easy, too. It’s free to create your store and become an Etsy seller. However, there is a small listing fee for any product you list on your Etsy store.

For that reason, you may need help getting started from your parents if you want to sell on Etsy.

Sell printables on Etsy

Even if you don’t have any handmade crafts to sell, you can still use Etsy as a way to make money. Printables, like daily planners, homework trackers, and other fun graphics are usually among Etsy’s top-selling items. Teenagers with an interest in graphic design can hone their skills while also making money on the side with printables.

Check out Etsy’s popular printables page to come up with new ideas.

Sell collectibles or old items online

Another tip for how to make money as a teen online is to sell your old items. Any old or unused items in good condition can be of more value to you if you sell them. Old clothes, toys, and games can always find a good home, and you can earn cash while freeing up space.

While selling any old item can make money, the best things to sell are collectible items. Baseball cards, action figures, sports memorabilia, and comic books are a few examples of highly-coveted collectible items. Getting your hands on collectibles may not be easy. But if you can do it, they can be sold for a lot more money than you would expect.

How to Make Money as a 14 Year Old

At 14, you may be able to find part-time work at a local business. All of the suggestions mentioned for 13-year-olds can also be used by 14-year-olds, too. In addition to those, here are some extra tips on how to make money as a 14 year old.

Local part-time job

As mentioned, most states allow 14-year-olds to work part-time. Plenty of restaurants or retail stores are happy to hire high school students to work weekends or during the summer.

These are great opportunities to gain work experience and make excellent money for a 14 year old. The only downside is that you can’t do it from home. But sometimes it’s good to get out and experience new things. If you can also make money while doing that, it’s even better.

Youth sports referee

If you grew up playing sports, you can turn your experience into cash by refereeing or umpiring in local leagues. Most youth sports leagues pay referees a flat fee per game. Little League umpires can make anywhere from $25 to $50 per game, for example. If you love sports and are looking for part-time work as a 14-year-old, this is a great option for you.

Babysitting

Some options never go out of style. Parents have been hiring teenagers to babysit their kids for years. If you like spending time with kids, working part-time as a babysitter can be a great experience. Of course, this job comes with some big responsibilities. You need to make sure the kids stay safe, have fun, and get into bed on time.

Photography

Photography is a fun and creative way to make money on the side for people of all ages. For 14-year-olds, photography is an exciting way to explore your creativity as well. You can start a business as a freelance photographer, or simply sell photographs online. Stock companies pay photographers pretty good money (plus royalties) for their pictures, for example.

Start a blog

If you love writing and are passionate about a hobby or a subject, starting a blog is a great idea. At the very least, you can improve your writing skills and get more involved in your hobbies. But if your blog becomes popular, you can also make money from it. The great thing about blogging is that it does not even need to feel like work. You can simply write when you feel like it or have something to say.

Social media

Teenagers like yourself are the target demographic for a lot of social media content. This means that you are likely more in tune with what makes things entertaining across your social media platforms. This can provide a great opportunity to turn to content creation to make money off of social media. Becoming a social media influencer is similar to running a successful blog. As you create content and gain a following, you can get paid through advertising and promotion on your channel.

How to Make Money as a 15 Year Old

As before, all of the suggestions mentioned above can be applied to 15-year-olds as well. But, once again, turning 15 opens new responsibilities and money-making possibilities. Here are a few extra tips for how to make money as a 15 year old.

Tutoring

If you do well in school, or are passionate about one particular subject, you can give back and earn money by tutoring other students. A lot of parents, schools, and companies will pay good money for academic tutors.

Tutoring is more than just a good way to make money, too. It’s also a tremendous learning experience, and it can help you become even more proficient in your favorite subjects.

Lifeguard

Public pools, beaches, and waterparks all need lifeguards in the summer. This is a common job for teenagers because they often only need to work during the summer anyway.

If you enjoy the outdoors and are a strong swimmer, finding a summer job as a lifeguard is perfect. The pay is not bad, and there are usually plenty of opportunities available.

Start your own business

Last but not least, young entrepreneurs can always consider starting an online business. This takes a bit of research, time, and investment. But it can pay off big time if you are successful. Buying and selling products on Amazon can turn into a steady stream of passive income, for instance.

Want to learn more about how to get started selling online? Check out Ecwid’s beginner’s guide to starting an online store for a step-by-step breakdown of what you need to know.

Sell online

With Ecwid Ecommerce, you can easily sell anywhere, to anyone — across the internet and around the world.

Get started

Jan 7, 2023

About the author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.