22 Best Ways to Make Money as a Teenager [2022]

What are the best ways to make money as a teenager, you ask? You’re in luck, because there are tons of options! Check out the very best ones and start working on those that suit your abilities!

Teenagers have a real need for money, especially when they start to go out on dates, hang out with their friends and daydream about the car they want to buy, but unless they have an allowance or are permitted to work, they have to get creative and figure out different ways to earn some much-needed cash.

Are you one of them (or you’re the parent of a teenager)? Then you’re in the right place because if you didn’t come up with any good options to make money, we came up with 22 for you to choose from. You could even become a millionaire in your 20s!

Keep reading to find the 22 best ways to make money as a teenager, and start enjoying that welcomed sense of freedom and independence!

16 BEST WAYS TO MAKE MONEY AS A TEENAGER

Start a Youtube Channel

One of the best side hustles for teens is starting a youtube channel. While earning money from it doesn’t happen immediately, and you’ll need to put in some effort and patience to achieve it, being a YouTuber is the goal of many teenagers, and since it’s free and so easy to make videos and upload them, why not give it a try? 

Think of a topic you’d like to talk about, or the type of videos you know you’ll have fun doing, get your friends to help you and start uploading your material. Share every new video on your social media and ask friends to share it as well, so you can grow a larger audience and be one step closer to monetizing your channel.  

The best time to start a successful youtube channel is precisely now, as a teenager, because you’ll have plenty of time to make it grow and, who knows, it may eventually become one of your main income streams 

Become a Tutor

Are you especially good at a certain subject in school? Then you could start tutoring your peers, or students from a previous grade, for money! 

Tutoring doesn’t need to be related to school, however. If you’re a great guitar player or excel at basketball and you find others who would like to learn or improve their own skills, you can teach them on a regular basis for a fee, and make some money doing something you enjoy.

You’ll also gain some experience to later pursue tutoring in college or do some tutoring online for more money along the road, so it will be good for your resume as well as for your pocket.

Do Yard Work 

If you have some experience doing yard work at home, why not offer your services around the neighborhood? It’s one of the most popular and easy side hustles for teens to earn some bucks.

Your neighbors will be thrilled to have someone cut their lawn for them, or help them transplant a bush, and you’ll get some good money in return for a few hours’ work. You can get some customers in the area you live in, as it’s likely they’ll ask you to come back if you’re good at the job, and plan a schedule to work that doesn’t interfere with school or your other activities. 

Take Surveys For Money

Talking about easy ways to make money as a teenager: Did you know that you can get paid for taking surveys online? There are sites that allow teenagers to sign up, so take advantage of them!

The best part of the job is that it doesn’t require much effort or time, and you could do it on your way to school, while binge-watching a new series or during a break. Definitely one of the best ways to make money online as a teenager!

You can check out sites like Swagbucks, E-Poll, and Surveytime to find deals.

Swagbucks is one of the most popular survey sites, as you can also earn points by watching videos or searching the web, and those points can turn into money to use at Walmart or Amazon. Of course, you can also get your cash money through PayPal. 

Except for Surveytime, which allows people from 9 years old, all the other ones are for +13 teenagers. 

Sell Stuff at School

This is one of the oldest practices ever for teenagers (and kids) who want to make their own money. Simply buy something that you know your peers at school would love to have, like album figurines or friendship bracelets, and sell them for more money, cashing in the difference. You can even sell stuff that you make yourself, like caricatures of your friends, or handmade necklaces. 

Before endeavoring in the project, however, especially if you’re going to buy your product, research and find out what people are really interested in and would actually buy, so you don’t end up wasting money on something no one wants. When you know what your potential customers may want, start with small quantities and grow the amount alongside your orders. 

Sell Your Stuff 

The fastest way to make money as a teenager is to sell what you already own.

Now that you’ve become an expert seller, it’s time to scan your room and boxes and sell everything you no longer use or need. Examples of things to sell to make money can be teddy bears from when you were a baby, clothing items that don’t fit anymore, toys you haven’t used in forever, books you’ve outgrown in interest, videogames, an mp3 player…anything that may bring you profit and which you truly don’t want will do the trick. 

You can sell that stuff on social media, tell your friends and family about it, or advertise them on Facebook Marketplace or Poshmark. 

Become a Dog Walker

How to make money as a teen if you’re a dog lover? Walking the dogs of your neighbors! You’ll get paid for spending time with the animals and for exercising as well, as you’ll be walking a lot and even running with the dogs at a park. 

Start with a few dogs at a time, however, and add more if you’re certain you can handle them. Walking 15 dogs at once to make the most of your time might end up pretty badly and leave you stressed out. If you have many solicitudes, divide the dogs into groups and walk them at different times; you’ll work more, but you’ll be much more relaxed and do a better job. 

Not a walker enthusiast? Then offer to pet sit when the owners are away! And if we talk about pet sitting…

Baby Sit

Another great way to make money as a teenager is babysitting. No wonder it’s a classic teenager job! Surely there are a few families around you with babies or young kids who need someone like you to look after them. If you’re looking after a baby or a toddler who needs frequent naps, you may even get to use that time to finish homework or do online surveys to make more money! 

Offer your services around, or start babysitting your younger siblings or relatives to have some experience and recommendations you can show off. 

House Sit 

Better keep all the sitting jobs options together, right? While it is unlikely you’ll land an actual job housesitting at such a young age, you can offer to housesit for relatives or family friends who are going on a trip or weekend getaway.

They’ll surely need someone they trust to water the plants or collect the mail, and it’s one of the easiest way to make money as a teenager!

Become a Referee

If you enjoy sports and are looking for easy ways to make money as a teen, acting as a referee for youth leagues or high school leagues can be incredibly fun and good for your resume, if you intend to pursue a career in sports, and it can also get you some decent money. Most leagues pay referees per game, so the more games you work at, the more money you make. 

Stock Photography

If you’re interested in photography and wondering how to make money as a 15 year old photographer, let me tell you that it’s actually possible. In fact, there’s no better way to keep practicing and improving your skills than having a purpose to do so, especially if that helps you build a portfolio for future jobs.

That purpose can be uploading your pictures to image stocks like Shutterstock, Getty Images, or iStock, where you’ll get paid for every download your photo gets. The more photos you upload to those sites, the more chances of getting paid.  

Wash Cars

One of the best ways for teens to make money is washing people’s cars. Go to their homes or ask them to park in your driveway, where you have everything set up, and get to it. If you ask a friend or two to join you, even better; you’ll be done in less time, manage to wash more cars, and have much more fun!  

Get a Part-Time Job 

Getting a part-time job is one of the best ways to make money as a teenager. You can lifeguard at your local swimming pool if you’re a great swimmer, serve tables, become a barista, deliver newspapers, run errands for other people or deliver groceries with Instacart, offer yourself as a camp counselor, or as a grocery store bagger at your nearest store. 

Working part-time means you’ll still have time for school and to have fun, and you’ll have a fixed salary you’ll be enjoying every week or month. 

Become a DJ  

Looking for more good side hustles for teens? Become a DJ! Of course you have to be into music to venture into it, but you can easily learn the basics and start to play music at school events or people’s birthday parties.

Your friends will be thrilled to have you as a DJ, your fees will probably be lower than professional DJs, making you more accessible, and you’ll likely land a few jobs as soon as you start advertising. It’s one of the best ways to make money at 16, at 14…whatever your age may be!

Learn New Skills

There are tons of online jobs you could apply for to start earning money and learning new skills will help you land better offers and be eligible for the best sites.

From being a freelance writer to teaching a foreign language to other students (or teaching English to foreigners!), working as a transcriptionist on sites like TranscribeMe, or reviewing music on  Slicethepie, the options are many, and those are the best ways for teens to make money online.

The best part of these kinds of jobs is that in most you’ll get to choose your own schedule and the number of hours you want to put in, so you can adapt them to your exams calendar or holidays as needed. 

Sell Your Handcrafts

If you enjoy creating with your hands, be it wood carvings, paintings, jewelry, or knitting, it’s time to get some profit from your talents. Take pictures of your creations and advertise them on Etsy to sell them online. You’ll only have to do the work once, then the rest is waiting for customers to fall in love with your crafts. 

6 Creative Ways to Make Money as a Teenager: Seasonal Jobs

Sell Cold Water at the Park

During the hot months, an easy way to make money as a teenager is to go to the park, or other places where many people gather, especially to jog, run or do some kind of sport, and sell cold water.

You can buy water packages for a few dollars and resell them for a little more, cashing in the difference. Be sure to take some ice and a cooler to keep them as cold as possible. 

Let’s say that you buy a 30-pack of water bottles for 15 dollars; if you then sell each of them for $1, you’ll be doubling your expense! 

 Sell Hot Beverages in the Winter

You made quite a bit of money selling cold water in the Summer. What do you do when no one wants ice-cold water in the Winter? You sell hot tea or coffee! It will be as much appreciated as the water was during the hot days. 

Shovel Snow

One of the best ways to make money during the winter is shoveling snow on people’s driveways. All you need is a shovel (duh!) and some energy to get all that snow out of the way, and you’ll likely be generously paid for your efforts! Offer to do it at home for a fee first, and when all your neighbors start enviously looking at your driveway, tell them your fee and start shoveling theirs!

Set Up Christmas Lights…

Christmas Lights look amazing contouring houses’ roofs, but not many people are able to climb and set them up. Or are too lazy, or can’t manage to untangle the lights; that’s when you come in. Offer to set up people’s Christmas lights, or to help them decorate their front yards. It’s a fun job that will put you in the Christmas mood, and fill your pockets for the season’s shopping!   

…Or take down trees

The most depressing part of Christmas is probably having to take down the tree after the holiday is over. And it can also be pretty troublesome for some people, especially if they have tons of ornaments, lights and a giant tree. You could advertise your services of taking down trees while you’re setting up people’s Christmas lights at the beginning of the season! 

Clean Up Leaves in the Fall 

During the summer you can get some decent money with your yard work, but what about the fall? This is the time to clean up the leaves in your neighborhood, and people’s back and front yards, and sidewalks. If some of your neighbors have fruit trees, it’s also a great time to help them pick the ripe fruits.