It sure isn’t easy to make money as a kid. Being in school full-time, having extracurricular activities to attend, the lack of a car, and just being too young and inexperienced make finding a job that much more difficult. So, how exactly can you make money as a kid?
The good news is, there are plenty of options for teenagers of all ages to make some money. And no, you don’t have to work at the local fast food joint or movie theatre! This list of ways to make money as a kid covers options beyond retail and customer service, offering enough flexible options to fit in with a busy teenage schedule.
By the way, if you have teenagers, check out this article filled with over 55 ways for teens to make money!
Easy Ways To Make Money As A Kid
1. Babysitting
An oldie but a goodie, babysitting is one of the most tried and true methods to make money as a kid. Many kids can start babysitting around the age of 14, helping out neighbors, family, and friends of the family. This is exactly how I made decent money starting in about 8th grade.
Referrals and word of mouth get you gigs the quickest, so let people know you’re available for babysitting and give them your phone number.
2. Flyers
Delivering flyers is an easy way to make money while only working one day a week. Each service will be different, but you can typically expect around $.10 per flyer or paper delivered.
You can take as few or as many flyers as you think you can handle. Invest in a cart to hold the papers and make delivering that much easier.
3. Make Money As A Kid By Dog Walking
Why not get some fresh air and go for a walk, all while being paid to do so? Dog walking can typically pay anywhere from $15-25 an hour. If you think you can handle it, you can also walk multiple dogs at once.
Put up flyers in your area so you can walk dogs that are a close walk to home or consider signing up for Rover (but you must be 18 years old to work for Rover).
4. Pet Sitting
Similar to dog walking, many people need someone to look after their pets while they are away. While this isn’t a consistent job, it tends to pay well. You can make anywhere from $20-40 a day for pet sitting.
Some people like you to stay at their house and others are okay with the pet staying at your home. For this reason, this job is better suited for older children or kids working in partnership with parents. Another option is to come to the home to check on dogs and cats while their owners are away. Be sure to tell your neighbors that you are available for this job.
5. Washing Cars
Cars get dirty quickly, inside and out. Many people will happily pay to have the outside of their car washed and the inside detailed. This would involve washing and dusting all surfaces and vacuuming the inside.
You can charge upwards of $150 per car, depending on the amount of work needed (however simple car washes tend to run about $10-$15 per car).
6. Reselling Items To Make Money As A Kid
There are tons of apps for reselling items. You can clear out your own closet or find some good gems to resell online at your local thrift store. Good websites for reselling clothing include Poshmark and Depop.
You can also sell all kinds of items using eBay, Facebook marketplace, and by growing an Instagram following.
7. Tutor
If you’re excellent in a subject at school, you can help someone else out and get paid to do so! From English to math, offering weekly or bi-weekly tutoring sessions or exam prep can get you some serious cash all while exercising the brain.
It is easy to tutor grades below you or a course you’ve already taken to ensure you already know everything that will need to be covered.
8. Mow Lawns
If you don’t mind getting a little bit dirty and sweaty, you can offer to mow lawns in your neighborhood. People can make anywhere from $20-40 per lawn, depending on the size.
This is something that needs to be done just about every week, so you can expect consistent work. In the winter, you can also switch to shoveling snow or other handy work around the house.
9. Cleaner
Another task people would be happy to outsource is cleaning the house. Prices vary significantly for cleaning depending on how large the house is and the amount of work they want to be done.
Estimate how many hours it will take, how much you would like to make an hour, and multiply them together to get your price.
10. Organizer
Things can get messy, and people often feel overwhelmed at the thought of going through their closets to get rid of the chaos. If you enjoy sorting and organizing things, you can work as a professional organizer to help sort and get rid of items.
A good time of year to advertise organizational services is anytime the season changes, as people need to shift their items around.
11. Water Plants To Make Money As A Kid
Similar to pet sitting, people often need someone to look after their plants while they are away on vacation. Or you may be able to find someone who simply isn’t good at remembering themselves!
Other people who may need regular plant watering services include the elderly or businesses that have plants as a part of their décor.
12. Camp Counselor
This is a job designed just for teens, and it fits in perfectly with the school schedule. Some camps are volunteer-based, while others will offer a weekly rate. But you will get so much more out of the experience than just money. Many find their camp memories and friends as some of their most cherished moments of being a teenager.
13. Music Lessons
Do you rock at playing an instrument? Chances are you took some music lessons to get to your level of expertise! You can pass on your knowledge and make money at the same time by offering lessons to beginners.
You can charge anywhere from $25-40 for a lesson every week.
14. Holiday Help
If you’re looking to make some extra money for the jolly season, many people need additional help around the holidays. The first job people want help with is hanging Christmas lights. This is a good activity to do with a few friends so you can get the job done quickly and safely.
Another job people like to outsource at Christmas time is wrapping presents. If you are good at gift wrapping, you can charge per present wrapped.
Ways To Make Money As A Kid Online
15. Sell Stock Photography
If you have an eye for photography, you can actually make some money by selling your photos. The best part is, a typical cellphone camera is all you need to do stock photography. Many businesses will license photos to use on their website, social media, and other advertisements.
Websites that will pay you for your photos include Shutterstock, Depositphotos, and Alamy.
16. Social Media Manager
Just about every business these days wants to have a presence on social media – and we all know teens know social media best! Offer local businesses help with their social media for a price. This can include taking pictures, writing captions, and responding to comments and messages.
Prices vary on the amount of posting, but an hourly rate or monthly price for this service is a good place to start.
17. Make Money As A Kid By Freelance Writing
Are you a wordsmith? Similar to social media management, people need writers for all kinds of content. You can offer to write captions for social media, blog posts, website pages, product descriptions, and more. I personally have friends who have hired high school students to write articles and emails for their businesses!
To find freelance writing gigs, a good place to start your search is Upwork, Indeed, and LinkedIn. People need writers for pretty much any topic you can think of, so you’re sure to find a fit if you enjoy writing!
18. Walking
Yes, you can get paid to walk! Sweatcoin is an app that lets you collect points in exchange for items and vouchers. While you won’t be earning big bucks, it’s a great tool to earn money just for walking to school every day. And it’s a great incentive to get outside and be more active!
19. Make Money As A Kid With An Etsy Store
If you have a crafty side, consider selling your goods on Etsy. You can sell just about anything, from jewelry to artwork, dog treats to soap.
The only thing about Etsy to keep in mind is that you must be 18 years or older to run an Etsy store. Your parent must be the account owner while you can make the goods.
20. Sell Designs
For budding graphic designers, you can sell your prints and artwork online using print-on-demand services. This means you don’t have to worry about selling the items yourself. Instead, you upload your artwork and decide what you would like the print options to be, such as stickers, t-shirts, or mugs.
Good websites for this include Redbubble, Cafepress, and Zazzle. You can even use the free version of Canva to easily make your designs.
21. Fiverr
Fiverr is an online platform people can use to find freelancers for all kinds of services. You can offer just about anything your heart desires, such as logo design, editing for grammar, video editing, voiceover work, translation, and more.
22. Make Money As A Kid With Blogging Or Youtube
Neither of these options gives you instant money, but they can really pay off in the long run! Start talking about something you feel passionate about, and others will soon listen in to hear your thoughts. Once you’ve reached a certain level of views, you can start to make money through affiliate marketing or sponsorships.
And that wraps up this list of ways to make money as a kid! Hopefully, something has jumped out at you as a way to earn some extra spending money. For more ideas, check out these 20 high-paying part-time jobs for extra cash.
