I hated being constantly broke as a middle school teen, money is freedom, and I…had none. Everyone told me I was too young to work. Unfortunately, I took their word for it, but with the rise of the Internet there’s plenty of things a teenager can today do to make extra money – even become rich! You got to admit, time is definitely on your side. If you start side hustling and making passive income young, you’re giving yourself an amazing start.
What are the Best Online Jobs for Teens?
Online jobs for teens need to be flexible.
When you’re looking for ways to make cash online, look for jobs that don’t require set schedules or a specific number of hours per week.
Instead, focus on smaller tasks that you can complete in your spare time.
There are several jobs that are perfect for teens to do after school for a couple of hours or on the weekends.
If you don’t feel like searching for online jobs yourself, browse through our list of the best online jobs for teens under 18!
First, a Word on Internet Privacy with Kids and Teens
You might be wondering why online jobs for teens are limited.
Much of this has to do with internet privacy and the need to keep children and teens – also known as minors – protected from things on the internet.
COPPA is a law that targets children under the age of 13, requiring websites to follow guidelines concerning protecting the privacy of children that visit the site.
There are other laws governing the way websites handle visits and data collection from minors who are 13 years of age or older, usually requiring them to have parental permission for the minor to visit and use the site.
A lot of companies and sites would rather be on the safe side and avoid getting themselves into any sticky situations by only allowing older teens or adults to use their site and services, which is why you’ll see limited opportunities for teens.
Still, this doesn’t mean you can’t get an online job as a teen!
This article has plenty of ideas and opportunities for you to make legitimate money with companies who are glad to welcome teens on board and have practices in place to protect them along the way.
Online Jobs for 13-Year-Olds And Up
Take Surveys
Most online survey websites allow you to sign up to begin taking surveys at age 13, provided you have your parents’ permission.
Play a Mobile Game!
Qriket is a unique way to earn some money, and there’s no age limit as to who can play.
However, you will need parental consent in most locations, so check your local laws to find out that information.
This live online game show is available via an app on iTunes and Google Play.
Basically, you watch ads in the app, which gives you spins to spin a cash-making wheel.
Each spin can give you up to $5. It’s really all a matter of luck.
You won’t get rich off this game, but you can save up your money until you want to cash it out via PayPal.
Every little bit helps (and you might as well earn some cash in your spare time!).
YouTube
Videos can make money!
Much like a blog, you can make money off your content in videos.
Of course, you’ll need to have a knack for videography so you can make videos that people want to watch.
Hint: Viral content is best!
Through your YouTube account, first enable monetization, which means that you have rights to what you upload and can begin the process of making money.
Then, sign up for Google AdSense, which is how you’ll make money.
YouTube and Google AdSense will work together to provide ads on your videos that relate to your niche.
The amount you make depends on how much your videos are viewed, but if you’re good at what you do and keep working at it, you’ll be making money in no time.
Fiverr
Fiverr is one of the coolest marketplaces online, and it is perfect for teens with talent who want to sell their services.
Do you design graphics for websites or edit photos?
If you have any kind of computer talent that you can sell for $5, this place can make you some money fast.
You can create your “gig” starting at $5.
Then, you can choose to add on extra services for more money. So, someone can order a $50 project from you.
Just make sure you’re charging enough for your services.
Think about how long it would take you to finish the project and figure out a good hourly rate for it.
Then, you can figure out how much to charge.
Use Facebook Groups
Facebook groups are a great way to find out what others need.
Spend some time in local Facebook groups, like job search groups or buying and selling groups.
Often, others will post about things they’re looking to buy or services that they need.
You may be able to find the perfect opportunity to earn some cash around your neighborhood by finding out what others need online.
And, you could get lucky and have something that someone else wants to buy, like a video game or smartphone.
Sometimes, people need something very specific, like a painting for a gift. If you’re artsy, this is a good way to find people for custom orders.
Just be sure that, if you’re meeting anyone from Facebook, you have a parent or trusted adult go with you and you meet in a public, well-lit location.
Writing
If you enjoy writing fiction or articles, there are seemingly endless opportunities for you online to get paid for writing.
You can write articles for content networks like BlogMutt or ClearVoice (review).
These marketplaces list article assignments from clients looking for writers.
With BlogMutt, you’ll pick an assignment to write and wait for approval from the client. If the client likes it, you’ll get paid; if not, he can choose another article and you won’t get paid. If you stick to the client’s guidelines and have proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar, you have much better chances of getting your work accepted.
ClearVoice matches you with clients looking for articles in your area of expertise.
You can apply for an assignment and, if the client picks you, you can write the article. ClearVoice pays quickly via PayPal once your article is accepted.
Editing and Proofreading
This job may be a little more difficult than writing to find jobs for, as most editors and proofreaders need, at least, a high school diploma.
But, if you have some excellent grammar skills, you can still do it at almost any age.
You just have to find the right people willing to hire you!
Perhaps you can start with some of your friends and family?
Ask around to see if anyone needs some help editing school reports or articles for their blog.
You may not be able to get a lot for your work unless you have several people interested in your help, but it can be a great side gig.
Use social media channels to announce your services, and you may be able to pick up some work quickly.
It’s best to set a price per word of edited material rather than an hourly rate for editing.
Tutoring
If you enjoy helping others, why not tutor students?
Enroll lets teenagers tutor other students virtually via its online dashboard.
You’ll have to prove that you’re an expert by tutoring two free sessions to ensure accuracy, but after that, you can start getting paid.
Coaching
Similar to tutoring but not quite the same is coaching.
If you have a specific skill that you can teach others online, then coaching is a great way to do it.
Maybe you know how to set up websites for people.
Maybe you’ve had success finding freelance writing work online.
Or, perhaps you’re a young motivator who can be inspirational to other kids your age, triggering them to want to start their own business or have a better life in general.
Any of these things can spark a coaching career.
You can coach others in YouTube videos, create online courses, or even offer appointments for people to sign up and pay you an hourly fee.
Get creative!
Figure out what skills or interests you have that you know so much about that it would be easy to teach them to others.
Make an eBook.
eBooks are great for writers to earn a passive income fast.
If you’re a fast writer, you can create a short eBook in a few days to a couple of weeks and sell it on Amazon or your website, if you have one.
Think about something you know a lot about and add information that isn’t common knowledge or easy to find online already.
You’ll want your eBook to contain new information that’s helpful – that’s what will make people buy it! Consider a guide for a video game, a recipe book, or an in-depth analysis of your favorite book.
Put it up on Amazon for $2 to $10, and you could continue making money from a book with no publishing fees or other costs to you (besides Amazon fees, but those come straight out of your profits)!
Start a Blog
A blog is more than just the story of your life.
Bloggers are making a legit income by providing valuable information to their readers and monetizing their websites through ads, product reviews, courses, and more.
As a teenager with a full-time school schedule, you may not be able to make huge profits from a blog, but you can absolutely make enough for extra cash.
If you don’t know how to start a blog, there are plenty of easy-to-follow tutorials online.
Once you have it up and running, sign up for Google AdSense, which will help you make money by placing advertisements on your website.
When people visit your site and click the ads, you’ll make money!
You can also get paid by blogging networks to create blog posts that focus on a product, service, or company.
This list of blogging networks all pays money for you to craft blog posts!
Get Into Affiliate Marketing
We just talked about starting a blog and several ways that a blog can earn money if you keep up on building and growing it.
Another potential income path for a blog is affiliate marketing, but you can also use affiliate marketing on your social media channels.
Affiliate marketing is the process of promoting products or services that you’d recommend to others.
When people purchase the products or services through your links, you get a commission.
In many cases, the commission may only be a couple of dollars, but when you consistently are making sales with your links, your profit can add up quickly.
It can be tricky to jump into affiliate marketing without knowing what you’re doing.
Fortunately, there are tons of free resources online from people who learned how to grow an affiliate marketing business and now share their expertise with those who want to learn.
Get Paid to Watch Ads
You can also make money watching advertisements through JingIt, an online platform that pays you to watch videos and click on ads from its partners.
Bonus: JingIt also gives you cashback on purchases of participating products!
Listen to Music
Did you know that you can make money online simply by listening to music, something you probably already do anyway?
Seriously!
Slice the Pie and MusicXray will pay you a small reward for each song you listen to and give your honest feedback on.
You will help to give new artists feedback on their music.
But, make sure you give detailed reviews or you won’t get paid.
The purpose is to provide relevant feedback and constructive criticism.
You can get paid between 5 and 20 cents for each music review, so the more you do, the higher your earnings (and the better your reviews, the more you have a chance to earn!).
My Likes
My Likes is a unique and fun way to earn some money, all by sharing what you love! When you sign up for My Likes, you’ll get a free social website, which is basically a site to share with your friends or followers on social media.
When you bring traffic to your social website and generate active engagement from your followers, you’ll earn money. Basically, you’re providing advertising for the brands who sign up to share their content on My Likes.
Design Graphics
Do you have an eye for design?
Are you able to work with computer design programs, like Photoshop, to churn out eye-catching graphics for the web or digital products?
Then you might be able to form a career as a graphic designer – and there’s really no specific age you need to be to do it.
However, you might need the help of a parent to get you set up on a site where you can sell your artwork, like Etsy or a website of your own.
Sell Stuff on Instagram
Instagram requires its users to be at least 13 years old, so as long as you’re 13, you can set up an Instagram profile for yourself.
Some Instagrammers use the platform to help them sell stuff, like clothing, artwork, crafts, or whatever else they sell.
You can always place the link to your stuff in a caption with each photo to let people know where to go.
Or, use a profile linking service – like Campsite – to help you place product links in your profile.
If you have a business profile on Instagram, you can even create shoppable posts to have people be able to click your photos to go to the product links and purchase what they see.
FINAL WORD
Teaching the values of money from an early age will set your teens up for a successful life, and the tough grind of earning money online will help them to appreciate what they already have.
Encouraging your children to look for the best-paying jobs for teens, as this will give them a purpose, a sense of independence, and hopefully, they’ll be a little more productive with their time.
Online jobs for teens is the new lemonade stand so avoid being the parent that won’t allow your kids to earn money online.
And despite what you hear in the news, 99% of the Internet isn’t such a bad place to hang out.
These are legit online jobs and as long as you’ve taught your kids good values in life, they’ll know when to avoid a scam, perhaps even better than you.