Best ways to get money as a teenager

As a teenager, I was pretty obsessed with making money (ok, I still am). I never got an allowance so I had to figure out how to make money on my own pretty quickly.

Fortunately, there are actually quite a few different ways for teens to make money. You just need to know how to get started.

When I was a teen, I made my money online, had part-time jobs, and even made a bit of cash flipping products at school. The money I earned helped me buy a lot of the things that I wanted while I was growing up (including a car) and it also gave me a sense of independence and freedom.

Most importantly though, having money early on taught me a lot of valuable personal finance skills, like the importance of saving.

I could go on more about the benefits of side hustling/working as a teenager, but I’m sure you get the point.

Below, I'm going to show how to make money as a teenager without a job(i.e. no employer) and with a job. This list will include:

• Side hustle ideas
• Online money-making opportunities
• Small business ideas
• Part-time jobs
• (and some other, more unorthodox ways to make money as a teen)

Whether you're 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, or even 19 years old, you can take advantage of the money-making methods below, so let's get started!

How to Make Money as a Teenager

1. Sell Stuff at School

This is one of the best ways to make money as a teenager. It's the tried-and-true method of buying something for a certain price and selling it for more.

Back when I was in high school my friend and I ordered some Power Balance Bands from eBay for around $2-$3 each and then we resold them for $10 each. It worked like a charm and we both made a good amount of cash fairly quickly. Some kids even bought 2 — one for each wrist!

Here are some ideas of what you could sell:

• Candy
• Soda/Energy drinks
• Gum
• Baseball hats (or other accessories/clothing)
• School supplies (people are always losing their pens/pencils)

What you decide to sell should be based on what your target customers are interested in. For example, a hot selling product in middle school might not work as well in high school.

Tip: Before you go all in a product, test it out first to see if people are interested. Once you have a winner, reinvest any profits back into your inventory.

2. Take Surveys

Survey sites definitely get a bad rap, but they're not all scams. In fact, there are a lot of legit paid survey sites out there. They don't pay much, sure, but it's easy money.

You can fill out surveys while watching Netflix, lying in bed, or even while you're pooping. This makes it one of the best ways for teens to make money online.

Here are 8 of the best survey sites that allow teens to sign up:

1. Freecash (must be 13 years or older) ($0.10 Signup Bonus) – Curates surveys from a variety of different providers giving you a lot to choose from and test. (Learn More)
2. Swagbucks (must be 13 years or older) ($5 Signup Bonus) – One of the most well-known and trusted GPT sites around. Has paid out over $600 million to their users since they started. (Learn More)
3. Surveytime(9 years or older)– $0.50-$1/survey, pays instantly. (Learn More)
4. VIP Voice (13+ USA) (18+ CA) – Earn points that can be used to enter sweepstakes.
5. Toluna (16+) – Earn money with tons of different surveys, and a refer-a-friend program. (Learn More)
6. MyPoints (13+) – Earn money taking surveys, watching videos, reading emails, and more!
7. Survey Junkie (13+) – Short, simple surveys that pay well.
8. E-Poll (13+) – Founded in 1997, E-Poll has surveys about celebrities, sports, and entertainment.

Tip: To be more efficient and keep your main inbox clear of spam, create a separate email to sign up for the survey sites above.

3. Get Paid To Complete Tasks on GPT Sites

GPT (Get Paid To) sites have been around for a long time now and they're essentially online rewards programs. They curate a variety of earning opportunities from around the web and make it easy for you to complete tasks, make money, and cash out your earnings.

These types of sites/apps pay you for things like:

• Filling surveys (yes, like the above)
• Playing games (e.g. mobile app games, web-based games, etc.)
• Signing up for new services/sites
• Watching videos
• Searching the web; and more

To get started, you just have to pick one (or a few) GPT sites to join. Here are some of the best ones that allow teens:

• Freecash (13+) ($0.10 Signup Bonus) – This one offers the highest payouts per task at the moment. (Learn More)
• Swagbucks (13+) ($5 Signup Bonus) – The most popular and well-known GPT site, with over $600 million paid out to users. (Learn More)
• ySense (13+) – Very similar to Swagbucks, but a great global earner. (Learn More)
• Cointiply (13+) – Allows you to earn cryptocurrency and offers a few unique money-making methods. (Learn More)
• Treasure Trooper(13 years old and up) ($5 Signup Bonus) – This site has a cartoony and fun look, and they'll pay you for answering questions, playing games, and more. (Learn More)
• Qmee (16+) ($0.50 Signup Bonus) – A great site with a unique paid-to-search feature, fun paid trivia, and easy surveys. (Learn More)

4. Start a Youtube Channel

These days, there's no shortage of teenage YouTubers making thousands of dollars per month from Youtube ad revenue alone. The average Youtube channel makes anywhere from $1-$20 per thousand views, so with a good library of videos, the earnings can really stack up.

Best of all, a 13-year-old can start a Youtube channel, so you can get started early. And the sooner you start, the better.

Growing a Youtube channel is no easy feat but if you consistently upload and experiment with different types of videos, your chances of gaining traction go way up.

Tip: Create your content strategically. Do research beforehand to ensure there's an audience that'll be interested in what you're creating. In the beginning, you want to target keywords (i.e. particular searches like “best knick-knacks”) that are semi-popular but also not too competitive.

Useful resources:

• The Complete Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel
• 10 Tips for Starting a Youtube Channel
• 15 Tips for Growing Your Youtube Channel

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5. Create Content on Social Media

Similar to Youtube, teenagers are now making a killing on social media. Whether it's TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, or even Twitter (although that crowd is a bit different), there's just so much opportunity for content creators these days.

Don't get me wrong though: this is an ultra-competitive space as well. For every big success story you see, there are thousands of failures.

Still, that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a shot.

At the least, if you enjoy creating content (even if you're not making money from it), keep at it! You'll learn new skills, have fun, and you might even go viral. This can lead to sponsorships, ad revenue, and more.

Note: You don't have to be the face of a social media page to make money. Try starting up an Instagram theme page. This can work with Facebook and TikTok as well.

6. Sell Your Old Stuff

Got an old BMX bike that you don't ride anymore? Or maybe an old iPhone you don't use? Sell them!

We're so connected on social media these days you can easily post something up to see if one of your friends wants to buy it. This is one of the easiest ways to make a quick buck.

Here are some ideas of what you could sell:

• Clothes
• Books
• Video games
• Electronics
• Sports goods
• Toys
• Jewelry
• Stuffed animals

Take a look around your room/house and see if there's anything you don't really use anymore that someone else might find valuable. As you find things, put them together in one area.

Next, you can do some research on Facebook Marketplace/eBay/Craigslist/etc. to see how much other people are selling similar items for. This will help you price your products competitively.

Once you're ready to make sales, take some high-quality photos of each item (from multiple angles) and start listing!

7. Install Data-Sharing Apps

If you have a mobile phone, tablet, or PC, you can earn a small amount of passive income by installing software that anonymously collects and shares data around your device usage.

This software won't look at sensitive info like your call/text history or passwords. Instead, it wants to see things like the apps you use, websites you visit, and the amount of time you spend on your devices.

Collected data is then anonymized, aggregated, and shared with other companies who use the data to improve their products, services, and marketing campaigns.

If you want to learn more, here are a couple of apps you can get started with:

• SurveySavvy ($60-$190/year) – Pays $5/month for each device (PC, tablet, or mobile), up to 3 devices. So you can earn up to $180 a year.
• MobileXpression (Earn $10 in your first week) – This one is open to those 18+ only, but you can join at 13+ as long as your parent or guardian has given consent.
• Reklaim – Looking to put your data back in your own control, Reklaim pays anyone 16 years or older to share their data willingly. They also help you track your data around the web in order to stay safe from things like password breaches.
• Ipsos Screenwise – This one requires a personal invitation, so you probably won't be able to join.

I'd highly suggest reading their FAQs, terms, and privacy policies if you're concerned about what info you'll be sharing.

8. Get Paid to Search the Web

Similar to data sharing, there are some apps and browser extensions that'll pay you exclusively for your browsing data (e.g. search history and visited websites).

This data is then typically anonymized and aggregated and sold to marketing companies. For example, a company might pay to see the top sites that 18-25-year-old males are visiting.

Here are some of the popular options for making money with your browsing data:

• Surf (must be legal age of majority) (US and Canada only) – This one is essentially completely passive. Just browse and earn!
• Invisibly (must be 16 years or older) – Similar to Surf.
• Qmee – Qmee's paid search feature is a bit different than the two extensions above. As you browse, Qmee will occasionally show paid ads that you can click for a few easy cents.

9. Become a Tutor

If you excel at a certain skill, capitalize on it! Try finding others who want to learn something that you're good at, and charge them for lessons. Not only can this net you a good amount of consistent income, but it'll also give you some great experience for your resume and future endeavors.

Here are some things you could tutor people on:

• School subjects (e.g. math is a big money-maker because a lot of people struggle with it)
• Sports (e.g. skateboarding)
• Drawing
• Playing an instrument (e.g. piano)
• Comedy

The list is really endless, you just have to find someone who wants to learn something. Once you know what you want to teach, you can advertise around your school, with flyers around your neighborhood/library, or online on social media or Nextdoor.

You can also try signing up for Superprof, an online tutoring marketplace that hosts tutors from around the world.

If you end up really enjoying tutoring, once you get into college you can look into higher-paying online tutoring jobs.

10. Launch an Online Course

Similar to tutoring or creating educational Youtube content, creating an online course can be a great way to make money. However, in order to succeed, you have to have something unique and valuable to offer. In most cases, you'll need to be quite experienced at a certain skill or subject.

For example, can you juggle really well? Are you really good at playing the piano? Can you speed-read like no other?

There's a good chance whatever you think of will have some existing competition. That's okay — it's actually a good thing as it shows there's demand. What you need to do is make your course unique and show off your personality. People buy courses from instructors they can relate to, so use that to your advantage!

Once you have an idea for your course in mind, you have a few hosting platforms to choose from:

• Skillshare (must be 16 years or older)
• Teachable(must be 13 years or older)
• Udemy(must be 13/16 years or older depending on where you live)

Each of these platforms requires parental/guardian consent in order for you to get started.

11. Learn a Profitable Skill

I wish I had focused more on learning profitable skills when I was younger. I did my fair share, but I also sunk a lot of time into Minecraft and Halo, which weren't exactly paying the bills.

As a teen, you have a huge advantage over most other people: time. The earlier you start learning and experimenting with new skills, the better your chances of finding something you enjoy and are good at, and the more valuable you become down the line.

You may not be able to monetize your skills right away, but by starting early, you'll be way ahead of your peers, and you'll be able to charge a lot more for your services/employment in the future.

If you're not sure what to learn, here are some profitable skills to look into:

• Writing
• Copywriting (i.e. pursuasive writing)
• Sales
• Social media management
• Digital marketing (e.g. SEO, paid advertising, etc.)
• Software developement/programming
• Bookkeeping
• Video editing
• Photo editing
• Graphic design

A lot of these skills can be learned online for free, so start Googling! Here are some tips to help you learn more efficiently.

12. Walk Dogs

If you already have some experience with dogs, dog walking is an excellent way to earn some extra cash and get paid to exercise at the same time.

To get started, if you already know someone who has a dog (for example, a family friend or neighbor), try to get them as your first client.

Once you get some more experience, you could put up posters around your neighborhood advertising your dog walking services, or you can make a post on Nextdoor.

13. Pet Sit

Just like dog walking, you'll have a better chance at succeeding with this gig if you already have some experience taking care of your own/other people's pets.

As a pet sitter, you'll basically go to peoples houses and take care of their pet while they're away (e.g. at work, on vacation, etc.).

14. Babysit

Babysitting is one of the most popular ways for teens to make money because it pays well and it's a pretty easy job in most cases.

The best way to get started as a babysitter is by babysitting for family friends/people you already know. They'll be more likely to give you a chance, and if you do a good job, they might recommend you to other parents and/or give you a nice review/testimonial.

To jumpstart this process, try getting your parents to tell their friends about your babysitting services. If they can post about you on Facebook (or wherever other parents will see), that's even better!

Once you have more experience and recommendations, try signing up for some of these babysitting job apps and websites (Bambino is a popular one that allows teens as young as 13 years old to sign up). These will help you gather more testimonials and they'll work as nice client acquisition channels.

Note: If you don't want to jump right into babysitting, you can also look for a “mother's assistant” job. This will involve helping a mother out with tasks while she's at home. The apps I linked to above can help you find these types of jobs as well.

15. Get a part-time job

Getting a part-time job is guaranteed money once you get hired. It might not be as much fun as working for yourself, but it will teach you a lot of valuable skills. Plus, you'll most likely meet some cool people along the way.

Here are some potential part-time jobs for teens:

• Work in a restaurant – I was a dishwasher at 2 different restaurants in high school and it was great because I got paid an hourly wage + tips. The shifts went pretty late though so that was a downside.
• Get a paper route – Not the most interesting job, but you can listen to music and get paid to exercise.
• Deliver pizza – A classic teenager job. You'll most likely need your license for this one though.
• Work in retail – If you shop at a certain store a lot, apply for a job! Stores love hiring people who are already familiar with their products.
• Grocery store – Grocery stores are always looking for workers so you've got a good chance of landing a job if you apply.
• Movie theatre – This is another classic one and it's fun because you'll mostly be working with people around your age.
• Referee – If you play a sport, you probably already know most of the rules so it won't be hard to become a referee.
• Golf course/golf caddy – If you like golfing, this should be your go-to. You might even get some free tee time.
• Landscaping – Landscaping businesses need young, strong, and energetic workers. If you like being outside, this is a good option.
• Amusement park – Most amusement park workers are teenagers so this should be a really fun environment to work in.
• Bowling alley – If you like to bowl, working in a bowling alley might net you some free games if you're lucky.

That's just a small list of possibilities. I recommend just going out to local areas and handing out your resume or checking websites like Indeed or ZipRecruiter for jobs in your area.

16. Do Yard Work

If you like being outside and working alone doesn't bother you, try making money doing yardwork for your neighbors.

Here are some examples of yard work you could do:

• Mow lawns
• Rake leaves 
• Shovel snow
• Water plants
• Weeding
• Paint fences
• Scoop dog poop (someones gotta do it)

Be friendly and do a good job and you should be able to acquire repeat customers and word-of-mouth referrals.

Check out this Quora question to learn how to turn small jobs into a full-blown landscaping business.

17. Wash Cars

Very few people actually enjoy washing their car so they'll gladly pay someone else to do it for them. You could offer full exterior and interior cleans and get a nice little business going.

To start off, ask your parents and family friends if they need a wash. Invest those profits into better equipment. Then, once you feel confident enough, start knocking on your neighbors' doors to offer them your services. Then just continue expanding from there.

This business has a lot of potential in the long term. If you don't believe me, check out Josh Belk's story of growing his business as a teen: how to start a mobile detailing business ($0-$6k/month in a year).

18. Ask Your Parents for Odd Jobs

If your parents have odd jobs around the house that they don't feel like doing themselves, that's an opportunity for you.

I remember when I was younger I cleaned a spider-infested crawl space under my house for $5. It was a terrifying experience but the money was worth it.

19. Start an Etsy Store

Etsy is an online marketplace where people primarily sell homemade goods. You can also resell products in their Vintage Goods and Craft Supplies categories.

Whether you're a vintage thrifter, you know how to crochet, or something else, Etsy might be a great way to start off your e-commerce career.

Note: Those 13-17 years old will need a parent or guardian to help set up the Etsy store.

Check out these posts to learn more about running a profitable Etsy store:

• Everything You Need to Know About Opening an Etsy Shop
• Beginners Guide to Etsy Setup and Success
• How This Teen Paid for College By Selling on Etsy
• 4 Mistakes That Will Tank Your Etsy Store

20. Sell Services on Fiverr

Fiverr is an online marketplace where you can buy and sell almost any service imaginable for $5 or more. This includes popular things like logo design, voiceover, writing, and video editing, and also some more unorthodox gigs like video game coaching or meme creation.

To get started, create a Fiverr account and write up some gig listings. You can check current listings on the site if you need ideas (just don't copy them word for word). It's best to create multiple gigs too (even if they're for the same service) as this will give you more coverage on the site.

Overall, selling services on Fiverr is one of the best ways for teens to make money online. It's the perfect place to test out and monetize any new skills you're learning, and you can get started as young as 13 years old.

Learn more here:

• How to Make Money on Fiverr
• How She Made $472 Selling Tattoo Designs on Fiverr

21. Rent Out Your Stuff

In the book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki talks about how he and his friend opened up a comic book library in his house. Kids could come in after school and pay to read unlimited comic books for 2 hours.

This little business earned them about $9.50/week without much effort on their part.

I'm not saying you have to do the exact same thing, but renting out things you already have can be a great way to make money.

Here are some ideas of things you could rent out:

• Video games
• Books
• Sports goods (e.g. bike, skateboard, scooter, basketball, etc.)

Just make sure you get the money upfront before lending out your stuff!

22. Collect Bottles and Cans

Every year a bunch of my family members get together and have a family picnic. It's a whole lot of fun and there are always a lot of empty cans and bottles lying around at the end of it all.

When I was a kid, I would go around and collect everybody's bottles and cans in a big trash bag. Later in the week, I would ask my mom nicely if she could drive me to the bottle depot, where I'd cash in on my bounty.

Each can net me at least $0.05 each, which isn't a ton, but it definitely added up. I typically walked out of the depot $10-$20 richer, which made me feel like a boss.

If you wanted to do this, you could do what I did and wait for big family gatherings, or you could go around to your neighbors and see if they have any extra bottles and cans you could take.

23. Help People with Technology

A lot of people simply just don't get along with technology. As a teenager, you're probably pretty used to using computers and smartphones every day, so you could easily help people with minor tech problems and updates.

Some simple things you might be able to do include:

• Installing new software
• Fixing small problems (like malware — use Malwarebytes)
• Helping set up a new computer/phone
• Replacing a cracked screen
• Replacing batteries
• Migrating files to a new device

Simple things like installing Microsoft office and updating computer software have netted me a quick $50-$100+ in the past.

Tip: You probably already know, but if you ever come across a problem you're not sure how to solve, Google is a big help.

24. Create and Sell Art

If you love to draw, paint, do graphic design, or some other form of art, you have a skill that can make you a lot of money.

With social media and the internet, you can now sell your art online and build a fanbase at the same time.

There are also plenty of online marketplaces where you can sell your artwork (like Etsy, mentioned above), or you can put your designs on things like t-shirts, mugs, and more with print-on-demand sites (mentioned below).

Learn more here:

• Sites for selling art
• How to Price Your Artwork

25. Make Money With Print on Demand

Print on demand is a really cool way to make money online as a teen. You can design graphics to be put on things like tees, mugs, canvases, stickers, handbags, and much more, and when your design makes a sale, you get a commission.

Then, the print-on-demand platform you're working with prints the product and ships it to the customer, meaning you don't have to deal with the headaches of shipping or customer service.

If this sounds interesting, here are some platforms to check out:

• Redbubble (must be 16 years old)
• Teespring (must be 13 years old)

These platforms can each help you make sales organically, but if you have a social media page (like TikTok) to promote on, that's even better.

26. Enter a Skill-Based Competition

If you're really good at something and there are competitions/tournaments held for it, you could make money by entering! You just have to be good enough to beat the other people who enter.

I've seen tournaments/competitions with cash prizes for skateboarding, scootering, biking, playing video games, playing music, card games, and more. Some competitions (e.g. for video games) even happen online so you won't even have to leave the house.

This obviously isn't a consistent form of income, but it is a way that you could make a lot of money fast if you're good at your craft.

27. Sell Stock Photos

Plenty of businesses and blogs need photos to go along with their online content. To find those photos, they go to stock photo sites like iStock and Getty Images.

If you have an eye for good photography, you can have a go at uploading your own photos to those sites. If you post good photos and people download them, you'll get paid for each download.

Here are some places to get started.

28. Enter Sweepstakes

This one obviously isn't going to give you a consistent income, but if you're lucky you could potentially win physical rewards or cold hard cash.

For example, I know someone who phoned into a radio show years ago and won two concert tickets to One Direction. Those tickets were worth hundreds of dollars!

There are other “sweepers” as they're called, that enter sweepstakes for hours every day. They treat it like a full-time job. Some of these people have won hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes.

29. Stream on Twitch.tv

Twitch.tv is a place where people live-stream themselves playing video games (and doing other things). As a streamer, you can earn money from ads, subscribers, donations, and more.

Some of the more popular streamers earn thousands of dollars a month (or more)! For example, Ninja (one of the top streamers on Twitch), makes millions each year from the platform.

Although building an audience on Twitch can take some time, if you stick with it and enjoy what you're doing, the payoff can be massive. Plus, who doesn't want to get paid to play games all day?

30. Wash Windows

This is a good summer job for teens that pays quite well if you can find businesses with dirty windows. Plus, all you need to get started is some window cleaning product and microfiber cloths.

Once you have the supplies, gather a friend or two that wants to make some money as well, and go out looking for businesses with dirty windows. When you find a business that could use your services, go inside and offer a quick clean.

If you get turned down by a business, don't get discouraged! Move on to the next one. You're training your sales skills in the process.

31. Run Errands

If you have your license you can make a good bit of money running other people's errands. Just find people around your neighborhood that need things done like grabbing groceries, picking up dry cleaning, things like that.

32. Clean Houses

If you like messes and you're good at making things more clean and organized, you could do well cleaning other people's houses.

Or, if you don't want to jump right into business yourself you can join another person in cleaning houses or be a house cleaning assistant. As an assistant, you'd just go to someone's house and help them clean.

33. Start a Blog

If you're interested in a particular topic OR you want to learn more about a topic, start a blog about it. By having a blog and writing about a particular topic every day/week, you'll learn about it much more quickly and eventually become an authority on that topic.

You can then make money teaching people what you know. Some bloggers make millions of dollars a year because there are so many different ways to monetize a blog.

Also, since blogs exist on the internet, they can be making money 24/7, even while you're asleep.

34. Sell in Game Items

I recently saw the movie Ralph Breaks the Internet and in it, there's a character called JP Spamley who teaches Ralph how to make money playing video games. The jobs he gives out involve collecting video game items and selling them to the people who want those items.

Surprisingly, you can actually do this in real life. Many people would rather buy video game items than do the work to actually get them themselves.

However, this does go against the terms and conditions of some games, so make sure to check before you start. You don't want to get your account banned!

Also, this probably won't make you a ton of money. If you're already playing a game though and you're really good at it, you may be able to make some extra cash from it.

35. Get Scholarships

If you're planning to go to college and you don't want to get owned by student loans, scholarships are your best bet. With a good strategy, you can rack up thousands of dollars of essentially free money.

Don't believe me? Check out these stories:

• Gabrielle McCormick got $150,000 in scholarships
• Kristina Ellis earned $500,000 in scholarships
• Briana McGeough graduated college with an extra $16,000

Now those are just a few examples, but I'm sure you get the point. If you want to increase your odds of winning scholarships, check out this guide from Ramit Sethi.

36. Gather Golf Balls

If you're into golfing and/or you live by a local course, you can make some extra bucks collecting balls and reselling them.

Once you have a good collection, set up a stand outside of the course and start selling. You could also ask your parents to help you get set up selling them online (e.g. on eBay or Facebook Marketplace).

37. Get Paid to Walk

Since you're a teenager, there's a good chance that your primary mode of transportation is your legs. That's not a bad thing! Did you know that each step you take could be making you money?

With Sweatcoin (and these other apps that pay you to walk), you can earn cash and physical rewards just for walking. All you need is a smartphone. You won't earn much, but it's literally as easy as walking, so what do you expect?

38. Deliver for DoorDash

DoorDash is a food delivery service that is looking for drivers to help deliver food to users. As a DoorDash delivery person, you can set your own work hours and earn extra cash for each delivery you make.

Here are the requirements to become a DoorDash driver:

• Must be 18+
• Own a vehicle with valid insurance (you can also do bike deliveries in certain areas)
• Have a smartphone

If you meet the requirements, sign up to become a driver here.

39. Share Your Internet Bandwidth

Right off the rip, I'm going to tell you that this method, in my opinion, is a sort of sketchy way to make money. Based on my research, there's really no telling who you're selling your internet bandwidth to, so proceed with caution.

The site/app you'll be using here is called Honeygain. By downloading their software, you'll automatically start making money by sharing your extra bandwidth with their network of clients. You can read my full Honeygain review to learn more about how this works.

You'll need parental consent to get started with Honeygain (it's in their terms) but you should also just explain this process to your parents first anyway. They might not want you siphoning off their internet for extra money.

40. Do Micro Jobs

Micro jobs are small paid tasks that typically contribute to something much larger. They involve things like:

• Taking photos
• Recording your voice
• Data entry
• and much more

One of the only apps I know of that offers tasks like this and allows teens to sign up is called Premise. It's a paid survey app but it also offers mystery shopping-type tasks that you might find interesting. (Read our full Premise review to learn more.)

41. Become a Transcriber

Transcribers take audio files and convert them to text. This is done with things like podcasts, interviews, videos, and more.

Now, not many transcription jobs hire teens, but one of the few that does is called Scribie. You'll have to borrow a PayPal account from someone in order to get paid (if you're not old enough to open your own), but if you can figure that out, you're golden.

As a transcriber for the Scribie, you'll get paid to transcribe short audio clips around 3-4 minutes long. Pay is around $5-$25/audio hour, which isn't a lot considering the fact it can take 4+ hours to transcribe 1 audio hour.

Still, it can be some decent experience and a way to see if you enjoy the craft. Quick and experienced transcribers can make a lot more money.

To start, you'll want a decent typing speed (at least 60 WPM) and a good pair of headphones. Being a good listener is essential for transcription.

42. Find Acting Gigs

Acting is not an easy industry to break into, but if you're a teen that's already involved in school plays or you just want to make some extra money as a background character/extra, it won't hurt to look around for some paid gigs. Plus, doing ‘extra' work can be a great way to familiarize yourself with the industry and can potentially lead to better-paying opportunities down the road.

To get started, browse some nearby opportunities on Backstage.com.

43. Make Money Editing

If you have a natural way with words and tend to spot errors in writing when other people don't, you may make a good editor or proofreader.

Not many paid editing platforms will hire teens right off the bat, but R3ciprocity is a good place to start out. In the beginning, you won't make any money off the platform, but as you edit more, you'll earn credits that can be cashed out. You can also use your credits to get one of your own papers edited, which can be helpful.

Overall, this is a good way to get your first bit of experience, which you can then take to other proofreading jobs or to a freelance site like Fiverr to offer your services for more money.

44. Check the Hustle Finder

The Hustle Finder is a free tool that lets you filter through all the money-making opportunities that we've reviewed on Swift Salary. As a teen, you can set the “Minimum Age” slider on the tool to match your age range and then explore all the opportunities listed on the page.

Most of the ideas you'll find on the Hustle Finder have already been listed above, but it won't hurt to give it a look.

Other Ways for Teens to Make Money Without a Job

These are the more, let's say, unusual/unorthodox/unethical ways to make money as a teen. Proceed with them at your own risk.

45. Do Peoples Homework

If you're already doing your own homework for a certain class, you can easily help other people (for a price) who don't feel like doing their own. Just make sure to be discreet about it. (Or become a tutor if you want to be more ethical)

46. Save Your Lunch Money

If your parents give you lunch money for school, skip lunch and pocket the money. Maybe ask your friends to share some food with you though so you don't starve.

47. Host a Poker Night

First of all, ask your parents before you do this one. Some parents might not want you to play poker, but this game can actually teach you a lot about strategy and math.

My friends and I had poker nights every once in a while in high school and it was always a lot of fun. Plus, I usually walked away with more cash than what I started with.

If you're a good poker player and you don't feel bad taking your friends' money, host a poker night at your house. I recommend practicing a bit before you get into a real game with money though.

Tips for the Teenage Hustlers

• Start NOW – When I was younger there were a lot of things I thought I couldn't do because I was too young. I was wrong and I wish I would have just started.
• Have fun – You don't need to get rich off your first side hustle. Have some fun with it and find out what you enjoy doing. You'll learn a lot.
• Experiment – As a teen, time is on your side. Experiment with the different opportunities above and once you find something you enjoy doing, don't give up right away if you're not making money with it.
• Consistency and perseverance is key!
• Learn from your mistakes – When you start something new, you're bound to make mistakes. Instead of getting discouraged, figure out what went wrong and learn from it.
• Do the best work possible – If you want your business to grow, you can't do crappy work. When you do good work, people notice, and your business grows.
• Be creative – Use the ideas above as a starting point and put your own spin and creativity on them. The more unique you are and the more you stand out, the better your chances of success.

What to Do With Your Money

Once you've earned some money for yourself you can do whatever you want with it! However, before you go and spend it all, take a look at these other options:

Treat Yo Self

The fact that you're taking the initiative to start learning how to make money on your own is pretty significant. Not a lot of teenagers do what you're doing now.

For that reason, once you start making some money, be sure to reward yourself. Go out and buy something that you've wanted for a long time. Just don't go too crazy!

Reinvest in Your Business

If you've started one of the side hustles above like reselling things at school or starting a blog, your business needs money to keep running. Make sure to re-invest as much of your profits as possible back into your business so that it can grow.

Save it

Once you start earning money, it's important that you don't blow it all. Saving money is an essential rule of finance and learning how to save early on will benefit you greatly later in life.

Plus, if you ever want to make a big purchase (e.g. car, computer), you'll need some money saved in the bank for it.

Invest it

If you're only 13, it may seem a bit silly to start investing so young, but by starting early you actually have a huge advantage.

Here's how:

Let's say you invest $1,000 when you're 15. With no additional contributions and an 8% avg. return rate, by the time you're 45, you'll have $10,062.66 just from interest.

That's your money making money without you doing anything.

Now let's say you waited until you were 20 to invest that $1,000. With the same 8% return rate and no additional contributions, at the same age of 45 years old, you'd have only $6,848.48. That's $3,214.18 less just because you waited 5 years to start investing.

I wish I started investing when I was younger!

If you want to learn more about getting started, check out this beginner's guide on how to invest as a teenager.

Conclusion

Now that you've learned a bit about how to make money as a teenager, you're done the easy part.

What's the hard part?

Taking action and actually making money as a teenager.

Here's what I recommend you do:

1. Pick a hustle on this list (start at #1) and try it out
2. If you don't like it, come back to this list and move on to the next hustle
3. Keep going until you find something you enjoy/are good at

You've got your entire life ahead of you so you have time to test out different things. Doing this will give you an idea of what you might want to do for the rest of your life.

Plus, you may really enjoy something on this list that you thought you would've hated. Or you may be really good at something you thought you would've sucked at.

So, what're you waiting for? Go back to the top of this list and get started!

How can a teenager make 1000 dollars?

How do you get hella money at 15?

How can a 14 year old make a lot of money fast?