How to Make Money as a Teenager

There are plenty of ways to make money as a teenager! Between traditional jobs like the cashier at the mall or babysitting to more unconventional jobs like selling crafts online, there are plenty of ways to earn some extra cash.

Learn how to make money as a teenager so your teen (or you) can start learning how to manage their finances!

There are a few things to consider when you are looking into how to make money as a teenager. Typically, teens are so busy that when thinking about starting to earn money that they have to consider things like how much time do you have each week to commit and what resources they actually have.

Luckily, there are countless ways to work in opportunities to earn money. There are even tons of jobs that hire at 15 too!

Related: How Kids Can Make Money

What to Consider When Deciding How to Earn Extra Money

Before we dive into the world of earning money as a teenager, there are a few things to consider before adding a job onto your plate. Take a long, hard look at your life and decide what type of opportunity would help you be the most successful. 

Establish How Many Hours You Can Work

As a teenager, it is so common to be involved in a lot of activities- things that are so great for their personal development, but they take up a lot of time. If you need to make money as a teenager, take some time to look at your lifestyle and decide how many hours that you can honestly commit to working.

Take into account things like extracurriculars or how much time you need to dedicate to homework each week. Also keep in mind how much time you want to spend with friends and family (will Grandma care if you miss out on Sunday night dinner?).

Once you figure out how many hours that you can dedicate to a new job, then you can begin making a plan on how you want to begin earning some extra cash.

What Do They Need Money For?

Another aspect to consider with making money as a teenager is to help them decide what they need money for. Do they need to pay off a car loan? Save for college?

Or maybe it’s for their $5 coffee each morning. No matter what they need money for, helping your teenager can be a great opportunity to teach teens how to establish a budget.

Maybe they only need a quick $100 to pay for a school field trip. If that’s the case, there are plenty of ways to help them earn that without the commitment of a part time job.

Or maybe a teenager is looking to save a few thousand dollars for a car- that’s great! There are so many ways to make money as a teenager, once they establish a budget then they will be able to make the decision how they want to manage their budget.

Does Your Teen Have the Resources to Work?

When looking into what ways to make money as a teenager, you need to take a hard look at your current resources. If your job is at a different location, do you have access to public transportation or a car to get you there on time?

If you are planning on working from home, is there space available to actually start a business? For example, if you start selling baked goods online, are you able to use the kitchen as often as needed to create your pastries?

Tools to Establish a Budget

The tools that you need to establish a budget for a teenager can be very simple and easy to use. In fact, since most teenagers don’t have too many expenses, this is the perfect time to help them learn the value of allocating money to be used for specific purposes.

One of my favorite financial advisors, Dave Ramsey, has some awesome tools to help teens (and adults) how to make wise financial decisions and help them budget in the best way possible.

Once they are able to budget their money, then teens can develop the skills needed to save their money so that they can reach any financial goal that they might have.

Are they saving for college? A new phone? Maybe it’s a designer purse- who knows? No matter what it is, developing these skills now will help your teens be financially wise their entire lives.

How to Make Money as a Teenager

Once you determine how much money you need and work on setting up a budget, you are ready to look for work! These part time jobs for teenagers are some great ways to get started.

Traditional Part-Time Job

One of the most common ways to make money as a teenager is to apply to some of your favorite stores and get a part time job that way. Head out to the mall and start requesting paper applications or search online.

Many stores and restaurants are eager to hire young workers that are looking to make an income. When I turned 16, I got my first job answering phones and taking orders at Pizza Hut!

Babysitting or Nannying for a Family

Babysitting can be one of the most lucrative ways for a teenager to earn some extra cash. If you are comfortable with kids, consider finding a part time nanny or babysitting job as a way to earn some extra money.

Plenty of parents are on the lookout for reliable childcare and that could mean a great opportunity for your teen.

Think back to the best babysitters that you had and ask yourself if that’s a job you would want to do. For me, that was playing with barbies, doing crafts, and visiting the local park.

If that sounds like a good deal for you, start spreading the word! Get on social media and let the local moms’ groups know that your teen is ready to help out.

Cut Firewood

Cutting firewood is an excellent way to make money as a teenager. If you live in an area where homes keep warm by utilizing their fireplace or lots of summertime fires, then this could be a great option to help your teen make some extra cash.

Get yourself a sharp ax or chainsaw and start spreading the word that you are open for business. Charge by an hourly rate and get ready to make money.

This is especially great for teens that participate in a lot of sports and are in good shape. Since it would only take a day or two per client, the time commitment isn’t that great and they will have the strength as well as the endurance to finish the job.

Mow Lawns

What better way to earn money as a teenager is there than offering to mow lawns? Not only are they only working locally, but they will be providing a service that almost anyone will want.

After a small investment of a used lawn mower (check offerup of Facebook Marketplace), you could begin making calls and passing out flyers to offer this new business.

What’s even better is that this can be an excellent lesson in the value of a return customer. If they do a great job the first time, they will continue to schedule you all summer long.

Sell at the Local Farmers Market

The local Farmers Market is a great place to start earning money! Whether your teen likes to make jewelry, duct tape wallets, or sew aprons, your local farmers market is the perfect place to make money as a teenager.

It often costs little to no money to register for a spot to sell and people love to support local artists in their community. This is an awesome idea to help teenagers learn how to turn their passion to create into a small business.

Sell Crafts Online

There are so many ways to make and sell crafts online, so why not encourage your teen to try it out! If their passion is to create, why not invest some time with them and start an online store?

If they aren’t sure what they can create, there are plenty of ways to help them see what crafts might make the most sense to sell. Spend the afternoon searching Etsy.com and see what sparks their creativity (and what sells well) or check out this list of DIY crafts to sell this summer. 

Become a Freelance Writer

If you enjoy writing for school, why not reach out to a few of your favorite blogs and try to get published? Most articles can make you a good amount of money for an article and companies are always looking for a youthful perspective.

This can be one of the most lucrative ways to make money as a teenager, if you go about it the right way. There are plenty of resources for people to become a freelance writer, so why not your teen?

Teens can also learn how to start a blog if they have a little upfront money to spend on the setup. Blogs can be very lucrative (I make over $7K/month on my blogs!).

All it takes is a little bit of confidence and some writing skills!

Start a Bakery Business

If you are a teenager blessed with the gift to bake anything under the sun, why not look into starting your own bakery? With a small investment of ingredients and other baking supplies, you can make custom cookies, delicious brownies, or cupcakes galore – right from home.

You can make money as a teenager by marketing your newfound business online to local moms’ groups and businesses that are looking for a new way to add something special at their next event.

Any Other Community Needs

Think about where you live and what those needs might be. If you live in a rural community, do you know any farmers that might need help feeding their livestock?

Or perhaps you live in the city in an apartment building with older adults that could use some help with basic chores like getting the dishes done or folding laundry.

Get creative and ask around! You will be surprised at how many people would be willing to support a reliable teenager looking to make money.

In Summary

There are countless ways to make money as a teenager! With a little creativity and some thoughtful marketing, you can do almost anything to help you earn some extra money.

From selling your crafts online to mowing lawns, if you can put your mind to it, then any teenager can make a decent income at it. When it comes to making money as a teenager, you can be successful!

So tell me… what did I miss? Any other ways that teenagers should be making money? Tell me in the comments below!