Being a teenager can get expensive. From clothes, to shoes, to smartphones, you want to be up to date on the latest fashions. Not to mention buying a car, saving for college, and all the other expenses that parents don’t want or may not be able to pay for.
As you take on more financial responsibilities, you’ll need an extra source of income beyond a weekly allowance. Learn how to make money online as a teen without leaving home.
19 of the Best Online Jobs for Teens 18 and Under
Fortunately, there are plenty of online jobs for teenagers 13 to 18 to choose from.
1. Survey Taker
Companies always want to improve their products, and they look for direct feedback from consumers to do so. That’s why they offer paid online surveys — to get valuable insight from existing and potential customers. There’s constant demand for this type of work, which makes it one of the best online jobs for teens.
Pay for this type of work can range from a few cents to $10 or more per survey, and you often need to meet a minimum threshold to redeem points or cash out. Online surveys can be an easy way to make money while watching Netflix or YouTube videos.
Branded Surveys
Age requirement: Must be at least 16 years old
Anyone age 16 or 17 can use Branded Surveys with parent or guardian approval.
Branded Surveys is one of the most well-known online survey sites. It’s free to join, and you can earn your first 100 points by creating an account. Once you sign up and fill out some personal information, its Survey Matching Engine will connect you with opportunities that match your demographic profile. In addition to surveys, you can earn points by participating in daily polls, challenges, and referring friends and family members.
Once you reach 1,000 points, worth $10, you can cash them in for PayPal cash, gift cards to your favorite stores, or have your earnings sent directly to your bank account.
For more information on how to earn the most, check out our Branded Surveys review.
Swagbucks
Age requirement: Must be at least 13 years old
Swagbucks is one of the most popular survey sites. Teens as young as 13 can use Swagbucks.
According to its website, it’s paid out over $432 million to users, and it gives away over 7,000 gift cards every day. It’s free to join, and the surveys range in point value from 1 to 1,000 SBs. The number of points you need to redeem depends on which prize you choose. Most of the surveys pay at least 60 Swagbucks, and 500 Swagbucks will get you a $5 Amazon gift card. Parents can monitor their younger teens’ accounts to help keep track of points earned and activities or surveys offered.
It also offers a free $10 sign-up bonus for new members. You generally need to have at least 200 SBs to cash out, and it can take up to 10 business days to get your gift card.
Read our Swagbucks review for more details on how to earn money with this app.
Survey Junkie
Age requirement: Must be at least 16 years old
Survey Junkie is another online survey site where you answer questions and provide honest opinions. You receive points for each survey you complete. One hundred points equal $1, and once you get 500 points, you can redeem them for cash via PayPal, direct bank transfer, or free gift cards. You must be at least 16 years old.
Surveys take anywhere from one to 20 minutes to complete. Typically, the longer the survey, the more points you can earn. To learn more, check out our Survey Junkie review.
2. Pet sitter
Age requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
Rover is one of the country’s largest network of pet sitters and dog walkers. You need to be at least 18 to register with Rover. If you’re interested in making money through pet sitting, boarding, dog walking, and doggy daycare services, this is a good place to start. You can even offer house-sitting services through the app.
Providers set their own rates and criteria for the pets they’d like to work with, and they can offer one or multiple types of services. You’ll also set your own schedule, making this a great job for busy high school seniors looking for part-time work.
You can learn more about Rover and how to get started in our review.
3. Online tutor
Age requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
Tutoring jobs are a great way for teens to make extra money. If you enjoy helping other students learn, SkimaTalk is the best tutoring site that hires teenagers.
SkimaTalk pays you to teach English to students from other countries. To get started, you must have a computer with high-speed broadband access, a headset with a microphone, and a Skype account.
As a tutor with SkimaTalk, you conduct 25-minute sessions with students via Skype. Teachers can set their own rates, but most conduct three free sessions first before setting their own prices. SkimaTalk takes a 20% fee from every session. Teachers are paid via PayPal once per month. You have to be 18 years old and a native English speaker.
After you sign up for an account and complete your profile, you’ll need to complete a few simple tests. Once you’re approved, you can set your availability and rates and begin teaching.
4. Social media manager
Age requirement: Must be at least 13 years old to use Fiverr and 18 to use Upwork.
If you’re a typical teen, you’re probably comfortable with using social media. If you’re funny or like writing short captions, you can probably find a side hustle working as a social media manager. This would include crafting posts, taking photos, creating graphics, responding to comments, and engaging with other brands.
You can find clients directly through word of mouth or on sites like Upwork or Fiverr. Social media management is a serious job, and you can get paid well if you drive traffic and sales for clients.
Related: How to Become a Social Media Manager
5. Flipper
If you have an eye for finding vintage or valuable items at thrift stores or yard sales, consider flipping items online. This means buying something and then selling it for more money, usually on sites like Craigslist, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace.
You can resell anything from old cell phones to clothes, jewelry, and books.
Decluttr
Age requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
Decluttr is a site and app where you can sell old electronics including cell phones, tablets, CDs, DVDs, and more. Decluttr will give you a quote and send a prepaid mailing label if you accept. You’ll be responsible for going to the post office to ship your items.
Poshmark
Age requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
Poshmark is a site and app where you can sell clothing, jewelry, shoes, and other accessories. You can sell women’s, men’s, and children’s items on the site. Poshmark takes a percentage of each sale, and buyers can either pay for shipping or make the seller pay for it.
eBay
Age requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
One of the most popular resale sites available, eBay lets you sell almost anything. The site takes a cut of all earnings, between 2% and 12%. You can offer free shipping or have buyers pay for shipping themselves. Success with eBay depends on having good reviews and being responsive and shipping quickly.
BookScouter
Age requirement: Depends on which partner site you use (BookScouter is an aggregator)
BookScouter is a site that lets you find the best place to resell your used or new books. You can resell textbooks, novels, and more. When you go to the site and type in the ISBN number, BookScouter will show you which sites are willing to buy your book and for how much. Profits will vary depending on the book, its condition, and its popularity. You can offer to resell other student’s books for them and take a slice of the profits.
6. Virtual assistant
Age requirement: Must be at least 13 years old to use Fiverr, Instagram, and Facebook, and 18 to use Upwork
Virtual assistant work is a great online job for teens who are organized, don’t mind talking on the phone, and can figure out different online systems quickly.
Virtual assistants take care of things like basic social media management, responding to emails, conducting general research, and anything else the client needs. You should be Internet proficient and comfortable with different project management systems such as Asana and Trello.
You can work as a virtual assistant for a company or a single entrepreneur. Clients may ask you to work a certain number of hours a week or on an as-needed basis. You can set your own rates and increase them as you get more clients and learn more skills.
Sites like Upwork and Fiverr are good resources for finding virtual assistant clients. You can also join business-related Facebook groups and keep an eye out for members in need of a virtual assistant. Be sure to tell people about your services. Word of mouth can be a powerful tool for growing a new business.
Related: How to Become a Virtual Assistant and Make $25+ Per Hour
7. Data entry specialist
Age requirement: Must be at least 18 years old to use FlexJobs
If you’re detail-oriented, comfortable with spreadsheets, or don’t mind repetitive tasks, you can work as a data entry specialist. Working in data entry usually involves taking figures or text from one source and inputting them into another. Sometimes you need to have a high school diploma, but other sites may not have this requirement.
You can find flexible data entry jobs through sites like FlexJobs. One downside is that you have to pay a monthly fee to access listings on FlexJobs.
Related: 9 Data Entry Jobs to Earn from Home on Your Own Schedule
8. Proofreader
Age requirement: Must be at least 13 years old to use Fiverr and 18 to use Upwork
If you’re good at catching mistakes in other people’s writing or are comfortable transcribing documents, you could work as a proofreader. This involves reading through documents to find mistakes or doing basic transcriptions of audio files.
Proofreading is a good online job for teens who enjoy reading and have excellent grammar skills. You can find proofreading work through sites like Fiverr or Upwork. You may have to work for low rates at first until you build a solid client base or have multiple positive testimonials.
Related: How to Make Money Proofreading from Anywhere in the World
9. Graphic designer
Age requirement: Must be at least 16 years old to use Redbubble and Society6.
If you’re proficient with design software and programs like Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, you can start a side hustle working as a graphic designer for sites like Redbubble and Society6. These sites let you upload designs which you can then sell on coffee mugs, pillows, and stickers.
Artists on Society6 earn about 10% of the retail price while average designers earn 17% on Redbubble. You’ll have to promote your work on social media to get more sales, so don’t be afraid to share it on your profiles.
Related: How to Become a Graphic Designer in 8 Simple Steps
10. Writer for blogs and businesses
Freelance writing can be a perfect online job for teens if you love to write and have easy access to a computer. Plus, you can fit it around your schedule and write as much or as little you want. You can write more during summer and winter breaks.
Upwork
Age requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
On Upwork, you can search for gigs that match topics you’re interested in and respond to projects and jobs from businesses. The rate varies from gig to gig, but many freelancers earn a decent hourly rate on Upwork and gain repeat clients from the site. It’s also a good way to build a portfolio. Once you have a steady roster of clients, you can increase your rates. You must be at least 18 years old to use the platform.
Upwork does charge a fee to use its site, which varies depending on the client. The overall structure is based on your lifetime billings with each client:
- 20% for the first $500 billed with a client
- 10% for $500.01 to $10,000 billed with a client
- 5% for above $10,000 billed with a client
Upwork isn’t just for writers. Other job categories include marketing, web development, customer service, and graphic design. You can bid on projects across several categories to find what most interests you. Make sure not to take on anything that you’re not confident you can handle. A low rating could hurt your chances of qualifying for another job.
Fiverr
Age requirement: Must be at least 13 years old
Fiverr is an online freelance marketplace where you can buy or sell services for as little as $5.
Jobs on this site are referred to as “gigs.” Typical gigs include graphic design, digital marketing, writing and translation, video and animation, programming and tech — basically anything that you can do online.
You can price your gigs however you like, and the starting price can be higher than $5. If you’re just starting out, you might want to offer lower prices at first and increase them as you get more reviews and experience. Another option is to offer your basic service for $5 and have higher tiers or packages at a premium price.
Fiverr isn’t just for teens who want to freelance write. If you’re skilled at graphic design, animation, video production, audio editing, music, or more, you can make decent money offering your services on Fiverr. Check out the site to see what kinds of services other people offer.
Related: How to Become a Freelance Writer (A Guide by One that Makes $200,000+/Yr)
11. Website tester
Age requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
When someone creates a website, they may hire other people to try it out. These should be people who aren’t affiliated with the site. They look for bugs and other problems to prevent the company from having real customers experience these issues.
Sites like UserTesting.com will pay you to test websites and provide written or verbal feedback. You can earn $10 per 20-minute test and more for interviews. The site pays via PayPal. You must be 18 years old to create an account.
Related: 14 Places to Get Paid to Test Websites from Home
12. YouTuber
Age requirement: Must be at least 13 years old
If you’re comfortable on camera, know how to edit videos, and are passionate about a topic, you can start and monetize a YouTube channel. If your videos become popular, you can make money through ad revenue. You need to have at least 1,000 subscribers and meet other requirements to make money from ads.
Start a channel based on a hobby, like makeup lessons or dog training. Promote your videos on other social media platforms and see what your competitors are doing. You can also sell products and earn a referral or affiliate commission. For example, if you recommend a specific product on Amazon and someone uses your link to buy that product, you’ll earn a percentage of that fee.
Related: How to Make Money on YouTube (A Beginner’s Guide)
13. Instagram influencer
Age requirement: Must be at least 13 years old
Instagram isn’t just a place to share your latest vacation or a cute photo of your dog. It’s also a platform that you can use to earn extra spending money. Some of the biggest Instagram influencers earn thousands of dollars per post. You must be 13 years old to have an Instagram account.
The amount of money that you can make depends on how many followers you have, how engaged they are, and the size of your influence. You can make money from partnering with brands, sponsored posts, selling other people’s products, or selling your own products or services.
Parents should keep an eye on their teens’ Instagram accounts for inappropriate comments, followers, or direct messages, and they should be involved in negotiating with any companies who want to partner with the account. There may be contracts to review, which have important guidelines and stipulations.
Related: How to Become a Paid Influencer and Make Money on Social Media
14. Etsy crafter
Age requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
Etsy is a site where you can sell unique, handmade, or vintage items. If you’re crafty, artsy, or can spot cool vintage items at a thrift store, you can sell those goods on Etsy. Teens 13 and older can use Etsy, but those under 18 must have permission and supervision from their parent or guardian who will need to be the owner of the account.
You can also sell printable PDFs and other digital items on Etsy if you’re talented at graphic design. There’s no limit on how many digital products you can sell, so it’s also a form of passive income. Whether you sell digital products or physical goods, the amount of money you make depends on your craft, if you spend money on materials or software, and how much people are willing to pay for your items.
Related: How to Sell Handmade Crafts with These Online Selling Sites
15. Babysitter or Housesitter
While babysitting isn’t a job you can do online, teenagers can still connect with families and find babysitting gigs online.
Care.com
Age requirement: Must be at least 14 years old
It’s free to create a free account with Care.com, where you can offer babysitting, house cleaning, pet sitting, and other in-home services. You should include your location, years of experience, certifications (e.g., CPR, First Aid), and availability. You must be 18 to enroll with Care.com, but teens between 14-17 can join as a Teen Provider as long as a parent or legal guardian becomes a registered user.
You set your own rates. Keep in mind that teens who are new to babysitting or pet sitting should charge less than adults with years of experience. If you’re unsure what rate to charge, you can use Care.com’s calculator to see what other people in your area are charging.
Sitter City
Age requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
Sitter City offers babysitting, nannying, pet sitting, or other caregiving services. Sitters can set their own rates, availability, and the services they provide.
To get started, create a free profile and answer a few questions about yourself, services provided, and rates. You’ll also want to be specific about your location and how far you’re willing to travel.
People looking for sitters will search based on their location and services needed, and you want to show up in as many search results as possible. How much you earn will be based on how many clients you have, where you live, and the rate you set.
Related: How to Become a House Sitter and Find Paid House Sitting Jobs
16. T-shirt seller
Age requirement: Must be at least 13 years old
You must be at least 13 to use CafePress, and teens between 13 and 18 must have parental supervision. CafePress is an online gift shop that sells items like T-shirts, coffee mugs, and water bottles. You design and create items to sell, and it does the marketing for you. Its categories include:
- Men’s clothing
- Women’s clothing
- Baby clothing
- Accessories
- Home and decor
- Drinkware
- Stationary
- Stickers and signs
You can design your own products by using the ‘Design Your Own’ section on the website. Select the product that you want to design, and use the CafePress design tools to produce the item.
The amount of money that you make depends on how much markup you put on your items. You get to choose how much to charge, so it’s entirely up to you. You’ll earn 5% to 10% of the sale price for each item you sell. Because the profit margin is so low, it’s a good idea to promote your products on other platforms to increase your sales.
17. Music reviewer
Reviewing music is a unique online job for teens who enjoy listening to and exploring new music.
Slice the Pie
Age requirement: Unclear
Slice The Pie is a website that pays people for reviews. You can review songs, clothes, commercials, and more before they’re published. Your feedback helps artists, record labels, and brands make important decisions about their products. It’s not clear from its website what the minimum age is to join Slice the Pie, but some sources say it’s 13 years old.
Some reviews will pay you more money than others, which you’ll see on the Category page. You’ll also get paid more depending on the quality of your review and your star rating on the site. For example, a 1-star reviewer earns $0.03 per track review, while a 5-star reviewer makes $0.15 for each track reviewed.
You can cash out to receive money via PayPal once your account has $10 or more. You also get bonus points for referring your friends. Parents should monitor what their kids are reviewing.
18. Voice actor
Age requirement: Must be at least 13 years old
Teens as young as 13 can register with Voices.com as long as parents or legal guardians manage the account and agree to comply with the terms for keeping kids safe online
The site is a free online marketplace that connects voice actors with clients who need their talent. Employers post opportunities, and the actors submit a demo along with a quote to the prospective clients.
Voice-over actors can find work doing commercials, podcasts, video games, and radio. This is a good way for teens who are interested in broadcasting, acting, or entertainment to find part-time work and learn about the industry.
The rate per project varies. This is a perfect job for teens who love theater, broadcasting, or are avid members of the drama department.
19. Customer service representative
Age requirement: Must be at least 18 years old
Customer service is the perfect online job for teens who enjoy solving problems and helping others. You can find customer service jobs on Indeed or individual company websites.
For example, U-Haul hires people to work as at-home customer service representatives where they help customers book moving trucks. The work is available on an as-needed basis, and you can apply on its jobs page. Just click on the “Work from Home” category and “I’m a new applicant” to fill out your application.
You’ll need to be comfortable speaking to people on the phone, go through a training program, a quiet place to work, and the required computer system. You may also need a headset with a mic and webcam to communicate with customers or supervisors.
Related: 27 Best Jobs for Teens
Tips for Teenagers Working Online
Before you sign up for a site, keep these tips in mind when searching for the best ways to make money online as a teen.
Get a PayPal account
Most online jobs sites pay via PayPal. To accept payments through that platform, you’ll need to sign up for your own account. You have to be at least 18 to sign up for an account. If you’re younger than 18, your parent or legal guardian will have to open the account and act as the primary account holder.
Setting up a PayPal account is easy. Once you’ve signed up, you have to link it to a bank account. PayPal will send a couple of small deposits to your bank account and have you verify the amounts.
Keep your parents in the loop
While it’s tempting to keep your new side hustle a secret, if you’re suddenly earning extra money and not explaining where it’s coming from, your parents may be worried.
For your own safety and benefit, let them know what you’re doing. Tell them how you’ve been researching online jobs for teenagers to earn money. A strong work ethic, particularly from a young age, is impressive, and they’ll appreciate your initiative. They might also know of some opportunities or ways to help you find work that you didn’t think of.
Check age requirements
Before signing up for any of these companies, verify the age requirements. You don’t want to get excited about an opportunity only to find out you’re too young to take advantage of it. You may have to provide proof of ID, so don’t try to lie about your age.
Track your money
It’s important to know how much money you’re earning or spending on your business. To track your income and expenses, you can use a notebook and pencil, a Google or Excel spreadsheet, or a budgeting app. PayPal also provides a summary of how much money has been deposited into or withdrawn from your account.
Tracking your money helps you know who pays on time, where the majority of your income is coming from, and how much you’re spending on expenses like materials and gas. Knowing this information helps you decide when to raise rates or if you need to increase (or decrease) the services you offer.
Related: 18 Legit Online Jobs for College Students
Should You Have a Job as a Teenager?
As long as it doesn’t interfere with your homework or extracurricular activities, the benefits of having a job or side hustle as a teen outweighs the cons. Plus, online jobs are easier to do on a busy schedule, and you don’t need a car for many of these gigs.
You’ll learn how to manage your time and money, which are useful skills to have before you go off to college. Making and managing your own money can teach you valuable lessons like how to save, pay taxes, budget for wants and needs, and open a bank account.
You’ll also learn negotiating skills, how to handle difficult clients, and how to talk to utilize feedback. An after-school job is a great resume builder, and could even be something you write about in a college essay or application.
