List of best ways to make money as a teenager without a job both online and offline. If you’re a teen, you might vie for the independence – and the pay – that comes with being a worker.

However, it can be frustrating if you’re not legally allowed to have an official job, or just can’t think of where to work.

If that’s the case, you have many job options and resources. You just need to know where to look!

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How To Make Money as a Teenager Without a Job Online

One of the simplest and most efficient ways to work as a teen is to work online. This way, you can work from the comfort of your own home, at your own pace.

Learning how to make money as a teenager without a job online should work best for you. You won’t have official hours, and you can work as much – or as little – as you want! It’s perfect, especially if your parents don’t want you to get a “real” job quite yet.

1. Take Paid Online Surveys

Taking surveys for the benefit of various businesses is a great way to make money as a teenager without a job. This side hustle that can earn you a decent amount of money every month. The best part: you can make up to $50-$100/month doing so!

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a website that will give you money to give your opinions on various businesses looking to improve their products. With each survey, you receive 10 cents to $75. The longer the survey is, the more compensation you receive.

Your reward for each survey will come in the form of points. $1 is equal to 1,000 points. To receive payment, you need to earn at least $10, which is 1,000 points. Cash will be sent through PayPal. If you’d rather receive gift cards instead of money, that is an option as well.

Annually, Survey Junkie can earn you about $1,095. While this isn’t a fantastic amount of money, as a teen, this is a decent fortune. You could potentially make more than that if you’re able to get more extensive surveys. However, there is a slim chance of that occurring.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a great way to earn money. The best part is, you probably already do dozens of the tasks they offer. Some options are:

Online/ in-person shopping
Surveys
Surfing the web

Just like Survey Junkie, Swagbucks runs on a point-based system. You can cash out on gift cards or cash as well. But, there are more options on this platform than Swagbucks, on which you can only do surveys.

If you shop for money, you will receive 10% of what you spend back at participating retailers. You can also get exclusive deals and coupons. Playing games and watching videos are options as well. Video topics include fashion, food, and pop culture.

According to The Penny Hoarder, users make around 90 a month. This is about $1,080 annually!

2. Get Paid to Watch Videos and Play Games

Inbox Dollars

Inbox Dollars is mainly designed for earning money by taking surveys. However, you can also make money for playing games.

Other options to earn money include:

Entering contests
Surfing the web
Shopping online
Using coupons

The games come through GSN. You can play free or paid games for rewards.

When you sign up, you immediately get a $5 reward. You can cash out once you earn $40. The points you earn playing games and doing other tasks are redeemable of gift cards or cash.

3. Flip Products On eBay

A decent side hustle for people of all ages is flipping products on eBay.

Flipping products is the process of buying cheap products with the purpose of eventually selling them for a higher price on eBay. Most of the cheap items can be purchased from affordable shops, like thrift shops and yard sales.

Although this is a bit of an investment, it can be worth it when you start racking up cash and making up for losses. By flipping products, you can earn hundreds to $1,000 or more a month.

4. Sell Stuff on Etsy

If you have any items you no longer want, rather than throwing them out, you can earn a profit from them by selling them on Etsy.

To create a listing, which will last about four months or until it sells, it costs 20 cents. There is also a 5% transaction fee and a 3% + 25 cent processing fee. Etsy is also a great way to sell handmade crafts or other novelty items.

5. Start A Youtube Channel

A newer but popular way of making a living is creating videos on YouTube. Thousands of influencers make great money. For this reason, YouTube is a great way to have fun and express yourself while making money as a teen.

But you shouldn’t expect to automatically get rich from making videos. First, you need to begin with building up a good following. Once you do, your channel can become monetized.

In order to partner with YouTube, you must amass 1,000 subscribers and 4,000+ minutes of watch time. As your channel grows, you can make anywhere from hundreds to millions annually.

6. Become A Reviewer

An exciting and fulfilling side hustle is reviewing content. While this might not seem thrilling, it can actually be a fun experience, as you get to make money while discovering new content.

It’s also rewarding to the company or person who made the content, as they have the opportunity to receive genuine feedback, allowing them to improve.

Slice The Pie

You can make money as a teenager without a job using Slice the Pie. Using slice the pie you can be compensated just for listening to people’s music and providing your honest opinion. It will be upcoming artists, rather than already popular ones. This can be pretty neat though, as you’re able to discover new music while earning money!

For listening to 90+ seconds of a song, you will receive compensation. If you’re consistently listening to only 90 seconds of each song and providing reviews, you can expect to review 30-35 songs every hour.

The pay isn’t fantastic. You receive 4-6 cents for every song review, which equates to about $2 an hour. But, if you write longer and more extensive reviews, you could possibly receive 15 cents with every evaluation or around $4 to $5 hourly.

If you keep up with the platform, listening to a lot of songs and providing your honest feedback, it can be a useful side hustle. For example, at a $2 hourly rate, if you work on reviews for 3 hours daily, 5 days a week, that will already get you around $1,300 in a year.

7. Start A Blog

If you’re good at writing you can make money as a teenager by blogging about your favorite subject. This is another method that is creative and expressive while earning you income as a teen. And if you’re patient, you can make a considerable profit within a few years.

Display Ads

Placing ads on your page from different companies is one way to monetize your blog/website. Businesses will give you compensation for placing ads promoting their products, driving traffic to their site.

While this is an option, displaying ads isn’t the most effective way to gain money. Your profit will be based on a “Pay per click” system, in which the amount you make is directly dependent on how many people click the ad.

You will only get a fraction of a dollar for every click. So, in order to make a considerable profit, you need to have a good amount of visitors.

8. Sell Your Talents on Fiverr

Fiverr is a site for freelancers to connect with clients. A freelancer can post a gig saying something such as, “I will do _ for $_.” A client can then purchase, or “order,” the freelancer’s services, becoming their employer.

A buyer can also post a request to find any freelancers willing and able to do the job they need. They pay the freelancer in advance.

Freelancers get to keep 80% of their earnings, while Fiverr takes 20%.

9. Test Websites

Usertesting

UserTesting will pay you to check out a variety of websites and apps. Once you do so, you will share your opinion on the website/app.

UserTesting offers a uniqueness in comparison to other testing sites. Rather than sharing your opinion through a typed review, you record your reaction using either voice or video while you complete tasks.

You receive about $10 for every test you complete. On average, people who utilize the platform make around $300-$500 monthly. This will equate to around $3,600-$6000 annually. You can definitely earn more based on how much time you set aside to test websites. Your profits will be awarded through PayPal.

10. Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants are often employees who work from home and complete tasks similar to those of a secretary.

Tasks include:

Answering emails
Planning travels
Answering phone Calls
Scheduling meetings

The average salary of a virtual assistant is about $15.65 hourly.

There are various websites and companies that allow teens to become virtual assistants, such as Upwork and U-Haul.

Side Hustle For teens To Make Money

A side hustle for teens allows kids to not only earn extra money but also to develop entrepreneurial skills, learn about financial responsibility, and uncover their actual potential.

Here are list of side hustle for teens to try to make money.

11. Babysit

If you love kids, babysitting is a great and interesting way to make a living. By becoming a caretaker for kids, you can gain experience taking care of young children, have fun, and make money all at the same time.

And as a teen with lots of time in the summer, you can make babysitting a full-time job or a part-time side hustle.

Care.com

Care.com is a resource for offering skills and services. There are a wide variety of options, including babysitting.

Babysitting, on average, awards $16.20 per hour for Care.com users. However, this can be higher or lower based on how experienced you are, the number of kids you’re taking care of, and other variables. Your full salary will be directly dependent on how often you’re watching kids and for how many hours.

If you’re looking for guidance on how to get started, Care.com has a step-by-step guide for beginners.

12. Recycle Aluminum Cans

The production and use of aluminum comes with environmental impacts, including greenhouse gases.

Thus, one method of earning an income is recycling aluminum cans. Not only will you be contributing significantly towards the journey to a “green” Earth, but it can also serve as a great mini-job.

Your only task is picking up aluminum cans and bottles from areas around you. This can include your house, the beach, your friend’s house, any public area, etc. You will then take them to a recycling center within proximity.

Don’t expect to earn amazing pay. Each can will award you around 1.7 cents. Your reward can be higher in areas with laws called “bottle bills.” These enforce a minimum payout per can/bottle. The minimum is usually around 5 cents. The highest minimum payout is in Michigan at 10 cents per can.

13. Lemonade Stand

Opening a lemonade stand is an excellent job for young kids and teens looking to make a quick buck. You just have to squeeze some fresh lemons or mix lemonade powder with water. Then, set up a table in your front yard and watch the people pour in.

Obviously, don’t expect a fortune off your lemonade stand. A reasonable price point is only 25-75 cents for each cup. However, a stand can be reasonably successful – particularly on a hot summer day!

14. Car Detailing Service

Car detailing is thoroughly cleansing and restoring a vehicle to tip-top shape. You can do this for the interior, exterior, or both.

Exterior detailing includes restoring the main parts of the outside and the wheels, windows, and tires. Usually, the products used are

Detergents
Acid-free degreasers
Waxes
Shines
Polishes

Interior detailing is a deep cleaning of the inside of the car, doing things such as vacuuming, steaming, and polishing.

As this is much more thorough than a regular car washing, you can charge a higher amount than you would for an average clean.

15. Lawn Care Service

You can make a living off taking care of other people’s lawns. This is a great and meaningful job, as many homeowners like their lawns to look nice and healthy, but may not have enough time to spare on maintaining it themselves.

The job description for lawn care services is normally watering, mowing, and weed-killing.

How much you make will be based on how much you charge people for your services. This could range anywhere from $10-$50. If you’re able to do one lawn a day, you could earn up to $350 within a week!

16. Offer Music Lessons

If you’re good at playing an instrument, teaching others how to do the same is a great way to earn cash as a teen.

Not only will you be doing something you love, but you’ll also get to spread your knowledge to other people’s minds while making a profit.

To advertise your services, post flyers in various locations in your area. Alternatively, you can create postings on websites such as Craigslist and Facebook.

You can make anywhere from $30-$100 per lesson, depending on how advanced you are at the instrument and how good of a teacher you are.

17. Wash Cars

The average driver does not have the time to clean their car. They often leave their car dirty or go to automatic car washes. This gives you a fun job opportunity: washing cars.

As part of your car washing service, you could also earn some extra revenue by providing an interior care service.

This career is similar to lawn mowing in the sense that your salary is based on your price. You should charge around $10-$30. Once you get a decent amount of cars, your profits will rise quickly.

18. Painting

If you’re a recreational painter, you probably spend large amounts of time thinking of concepts and creating works of art. However, not only is painting a great source of fun, but you can also make a decent income. There are various resources you can use to help you sell some of your work.

ArtPal

For example, ArtPal is a great platform to sell your art, as 100% of what you earn is given to you. ArtPal does not receive any commission.

There is not a set amount of profit you will make. It’s dependent on how much money you charge consumers for your art. This can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

This price point will allow you to eventually make $50,000-$100,000 based on how invested you are in painting and how advanced of an artist you are. But don’t be afraid to start small – you’ve got to get your name out there somehow!

19. Lifeguard

Lifeguards are monitors of public pool areas or beaches, watching the behavior of swimmers and protecting them from any dangers.

Once you apply, you have to go through training to become a certified lifegaurd.

The average teen lifeguard makes about $9.25 an hour, with the potential to go up to $16 an hour as you become increasingly experienced.

20. Errand Runner

Many people are unable to do everyday things, whether its due to a disability, work, other responsibilities, etc. Therefore, they will hire people to do their odd jobs for them. This is where you can jump in and make a living.

You could potentially earn $18-35 an hour with this job; the average is $25/hour

21. Run a Farmer’s Market Stand

Farmer’s markets are a fantastic place to find fruits and veggies and try new foods. They often have goods that traditional supermarkets don’t have.

If you have good food or drinks to sell, you can set up a stand. Farmer’s markets sell things like:

Produce
Fresh meat and fish
Baked goods
Drinks
Jams/jellies

So, for example, you could sell freshly squeezed lemonade or freshly baked goods.

However, to sell goods, you will likely need to become certified if it’s a requirement in your area.

22. Walk Or Pet Sit Dogs

Dogs are often viewed as family members, and with good reason. For this reason, many dog owners will pay good money for services involving the care of their pup(s).

If you’re a dog lover, you should use one of the many available resources that can put you into the dogsitting field, such as:

Rover

Rover is an amazing site for connecting dog owners and walkers. While the website will take about 15% of what you earn, it’s still a great way to earn a considerable amount of money. For example, just by walking 2-3 dogs monthly, you could earn around $1,000. And, if you become a full-time dog walker, you can earn around $3,300 every month.

23. Start A Cleaning Service

Offering your personal cleaning services is an efficient and easy way on how to make money as a teenager without a job, as many homeowners are not able to give up enough time to fully maintain a squeaky clean household.

And as a teen who likely has a decent amount of time on their hands, why not?

As with many personal businesses, your money depends on how much you charge. Reasonable pricing would be $150-$250 for a house and $80-110 for a small apartment.

24. Photography

If you have a passion for taking breathtaking photos, you can and should start monetizing your work immediately. You don’t even need a professional camera!

FOAP

FOAP pays you for taking beautiful pictures. The only camera you need is your phone, and it can be used online or via the app.

The process is extremely simple. All you need to do is post your pictures and wait for companies to purchase them. However, your royalties will not be amazing. You will receive $10 per photo. FOAP then takes half, so you only get $5 with every photo.

Occasionally, FOAP will give you a chance to make much better money via “missions” that companies will post. Missions are a search for people with photos that are of a certain niche. Submissions of applicable photos can get $100+.

25. Referee Local Sporting Events

If you know the rules of a sport well and enjoy watching it, becoming a referee can be an exciting and fulfilling career as a teen.

You will be the ringleader, keeping an eye out for any rule breaches, and deciding when a game stops and starts.

First, you must pass a referee course, as it’s more than just knowing the rules. Then, you become an apprentice or trainee before becoming an official ref.

Then, you will get a license and uniform and officially begin to earn about $25-$50 per game. And if you enjoy what you do, you might be able to make a career out of it in the future!

26. Water Plants & Pull Weeds

Garden maintenance is not as simple as it seems. In fact, it can be quite challenging and time-consuming. It’s even worse when weeds grow and become a threat to the plants you work so hard to keep alive. Therefore, the weed-killing and plant watering business can be lucrative.

With this job, you’d be watering and fertilizing plants on a specified schedule in addition to planting and pulling/spraying weeds.

Your salary will be dependent on your hourly charging rate – roughly $10-$20.

27. House Sit

While house-sitting might not sound like the most thrilling or even real job, it’s actually a highly beneficial job for potential clients. When homeowners go on vacation, they often wish they had the security of knowing their house is safe.

Consequently, they might be interested in having somebody, even teens, check in on their house. You might have to collect mail, take care of any plants or animals, and even stay at the house and keep up with chores.

You will most likely earn $25-45 per day, with the potential to earn more based on how long your service is needed and what you’re required to do.

28. Golf Caddy

A golf caddy is responsible for carrying the bag and supplies for a golfer. They also provide advice and support, serving as sort of a coach.

Once you decide on the location you want to be a caddy at, you need to do training sessions. You should then familiarize yourself with the course and learn the rules of golf – if you haven’t already.

A teen caddy earns typically around $20-$30 an hour, which is excellent pay for any person – let alone a teen.

29. Shovel Driveways/Sidewalks

Precipitation that remains on sidewalks and driveways after heavy snow can become hazardous. Leftover snow can cause slipping, rusting of car wheels, and driveway damage. Therefore, shoveling snow is a very important and necessary step in the winter months.

However, many people do not have the time and/or energy to shovel their snow in the morning. This is where your services are needed.

Shovler

Shovler is an app that pays you for shoveling snow. It’s only available in the US and Canada, but the pay isn’t too shabby, earning approximately $20-$75 with every job (depending on the size).

30. Tutor

If you find you’re proficient in one or more subjects, you should consider teaching others for profit either full-time or part-time.

This is an excellent way for teens to gain experience as a teacher to eventually raise rates. Starting, you can earn from $10-$30 hourly. To get started, check in at your local school(s) for open positions.

31. Paper Route

Popular imagery in movies is a kid taking newspapers to people’s houses on a bike. This is a very real job, in which a kid or teen navigates a “paper route.”

The salary for a teen doing this is about $11 per hour. This is decent money for a teen, and it will allow them to make money while enjoying the view and exercising.

Salary can be increased through tips. Often, charitable newspaper receivers might provide a bit more money for your service – especially around holidays.

32. Sell Baked Goods

If you enjoy baking, selling baked goods can be an exciting way for you to earn money as a teen.

All you have to do is create homemade foods like brownies and muffins, set up a stand, and wait for hungry customers to come piling in.

Selling can potentially earn you hundreds. Your profit is based on the number of people who purchase desserts from you, how you price it, and how much you spend on the materials.

Jobs for Teens

If you’re an older teen, you have more freedom with picking jobs, as you’re of age to work and do not have much restriction in terms of hours.

This is great: you can earn more money than you would with a side hustle. Here are a few examples.

33. Retail Worker

An option for teens is working in retail. When working retail, you might be a cashier, organize items, help people find items, and/or perform other duties.

The average retail worker makes about $12.67 an hour – but don’t be surprised if you start at your state’s minimum wage.

34. Work At A Fast Food or Sit-Down Restaurant

Working in a fast food or sit-down restaurant is a fun way to make money serving food.

You’ll also have an opportunity to make extra cash through tips.

Your salary will be between $6 and $13 an hour. Sometimes, pay can be less than that due to tips.

35. Grocery Store Worker

By working at a grocery store, you can earn between $7.25-$15 an hour.

You can work as a cashier or bagger, organize, or work in the flower section. Simply start hunting down “help wanted” signs around your town for an idea of what grocery stores are hiring.

36. Movie Theater Worker

When you work at a movie theater, there are a variety of things you can get paid to do.

For example, you can be a cashier; administering food and drinks. You can be a cleaner. You can also be an usher, making sure everybody who enters has a ticket. It’s also a fun job, as sometimes you get to see movies for free while working.

As a movie theater worker, you will earn $6.50-$18 an hour. The average is $10.

Make Money as a Teen FAQ

Is it Legal to Make Money as a Teen?

It is completely legal to make money as a teen, as long as you’re of a certain age. There is a minimum age in every state/country. The youngest is 13, but the average is 14-16. However, for younger teens, there are a variety of side hustles you can do to earn money in the meantime.

Is There a Limit to How Much You Can Make?

While there is no limit to how much you can make, there is a limit to how many hours teens in the US and other countries can work. This will have an effect on your salary in the long run. The reason for this is child labor laws.

Conclusion

As a teen, you might think the younger you are, the less jobs you can get. However, there are a wide variety of options for people of all ages to make cash.

And while they won’t be an upper-class salary, small jobs and regular jobs are a great way to get started before venturing into the official world of employment. Either way, hopefully this article will get you started on earning some easy money as a teen.