Finding a well-paying job as a teen that fits into your demanding schedule is much easier today than when I was growing up in the 1990s. Back then, a lack of technology limited us to a few traditional part-time jobs like flipping burgers at a fast food joint, working retail, babysitting, or lifeguarding during the summer.
Enterprising teens could come up with an in-person side hustle like house cleaning, which is what I did to create a flexible job that fit my schedule and earned more than minimum wage. But I’m sure I sound ancient when I say we didn’t have the benefit of the worldwide web until I was in college.
But these days, thanks to the Internet and the prevalence of social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, the sky’s the limit when it comes to earning spending money online. If you have a passion, there’s likely a way to turn it into a part-time job to make extra cash in your spare time.
Best Online Jobs for Teens
Online jobs let you work from home, so you don’t need transportation, making these jobs ideal for teens without a car or driver’s license.
Plus, many online jobs let you work on your terms. You can often set your schedule and rates if you opt to go into business for yourself. So your job doesn’t have to conflict with schoolwork or your social life, and you can typically make more than minimum wage.
Another huge benefit of online gigs: Many have minimum age requirements as low as 13. That includes many of the same side hustles adults use to earn extra money, like freelance work or selling crafts.
Teens have plenty of options to make money online. So if you’d rather avoid slinging burgers or mowing lawns, explore an online job instead. We’ve ranked the best online jobs for teens that are likely to earn you the most money.
1. Freelance Web Developer
Age Requirement: 16 and up
Members of Gen Z aren’t deemed “digital natives” for nothing. Today’s teens don’t know a world without the Internet. That doesn’t necessarily mean web development comes naturally. But if you have a knack for coding, you can pick up the skill easily — especially with the prevalence of beginner-friendly development software commonplace on hosting sites using WordPress.
Moreover, it’s one of the few jobs grownups are likely to trust to today’s teens, considering how well they’ve been stereotyped (deserved or not) as tech proficient. Additionally, so many older folks start blogs and side hustles that you won’t lack a customer base.
Compensation
According to Career Karma, a freelance web developer can expect an average of $60 per hour.
You can choose to charge by the hour or project. Many developers do the latter. For example, you may charge anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 to design an entire website, depending on the business and how much time you estimate will be involved.
How to Get Started
You can market your services on your own by approaching small businesses or spreading word of mouth through friends and family. Or go with a platform for marketing freelance services like Freelancer.com, which is open to teens 16 and older.
2. Course Creator
Age Requirement: 13 and up
One of the best ways to earn money online, regardless of age, is by creating an online course. Many people are willing to spend money to learn about their favorite hobbies. So if you have one you’re knowledgeable and passionate about, whether that’s how to draw, play the guitar, or master Minecraft, you can create a course around it.
Better yet, once you’ve created your course, it could serve as passive income. In other words, you only have to put it together once, with maybe a tweak or two as you learn more. But you can sell it over and over, continuously.
Compensation
In general, online course creators make anywhere from $1,000 to $100,000 or more per year. As with selling anything online, how much you can make depends on how many people you can attract to your online course and what they’re willing to pay.
For example, if you can get 1,000 visitors to your course sales page monthly, and just 2% of them buy your $250 course, you could make $5,000 per month. But you’ll have to work hard to get that kind of traffic. You may have to invest money in paid search or social media ads as well.
How to Get Started
You’ll need a platform for posting all your course content so your students can access it. Teachable is a top choice, and it allows teen creators as young as 13 as long as they have parental consent.
Moreover, Teachable provides plenty of tutorials to help you create your course. And it makes it easy to sell your course and earn an income. Teachable processes payments from customers and then pays you what you’ve earned, minus some site fees.
3. Online Tutor
Age Requirement: 13 and up
If you’re stellar at a particular subject like math, science, or English, you can help others catch up. You can even offer to tutor others in your favorite hobby, like playing piano, building websites, or mastering chess.
Tutoring is best for older teens who have in-depth knowledge of the subjects they’re tutoring. But there’s no reason a younger teen couldn’t tutor if they have special knowledge or advanced learning in a subject. Teens can use their knowledge and skills to tutor younger kids. As with other online jobs, you can set your schedule, so you can tutor whenever it fits into your spare time.
Compensation
According to Indeed, the national average pay for a tutor is nearly $25 per hour. So use that as a guideline when deciding on your rates.
How to Get Started
While there are many platforms for online tutoring jobs, they all require tutors to be at least 18. And in many cases, you also need a bachelor’s degree. But that doesn’t mean online tutoring opportunities don’t exist.
You can advertise your services independently by getting the word out in your community that you’re available for virtual tutoring via Facetime, Zoom, or Google Meet. Talk to elementary or middle school teachers or after-school program directors. Try posting to local community boards or putting an ad in your local community paper.
As a bonus, private tutoring typically pays more since you can set your rates, and there’s no platform to demand a percentage of your income.
4. Freelance Writer
Age Requirement: 13 and up
Freelance web writers, often called “content writers,” create online blog articles for businesses or other content sites, such as online newspapers or magazines.
Although you can start your own website and blog to earn money through your writing, it can take a while before you make any money. And many bloggers never do. But if you find established websites willing to pay you, you can sidestep that hurdle.
And, fortunately, many websites are open to submissions from younger writers, including teens. I know several freelance content writers who got their start in high school.
Compensation
According to Indeed, the average salary for freelance writing is about $23 per hour. If setting your own rates, use that as a starting point for pricing projects. As you gain more experience, you can raise your rates.
How to Get Started
It’s tough as a teen to write for major websites and publications, which require you to sign legally binding contracts. However, some places specifically solicit content written by teens. Although it wasn’t online at the time, my first published article was for a regional newspaper when I was 16.
To find places open to submissions by minors, look for an online guide like the ones from New Pages or the New York Times.
Alternatively, look for opportunities on freelance job boards that allow minors, such as Fiverr or Freelance.com.
It’s a good idea to create a portfolio that showcases your talents before marketing yourself or applying to freelance job postings. If you don’t have your own website or blog, self-publish your best work online using a platform like Medium, which allows minors as young as 13 to post their writing.
5. Virtual Assistant
Age Requirement: 13 and up
Highly organized teens with good interpersonal skills can make a lot of money as a virtual assistant. VAs help busy business owners run their businesses, just like in-person assistants. But VAs do it all remotely.
Morse specifically, VAs typically perform tasks like:
- Answering emails
- Taking phone calls
- Posting social media content
- Making appointments
- Organizing calendars
- Maintaining records
- Organizing documents
At all times, you need to be highly professional, as you’ll be representing your client. That includes being skilled in verbal and written communication. You also need to be proficient with using the Internet, email, and social media.
Compensation
Indeed reports VAs make an average of $22 per hour. But how much you can make depends on your experience level and ability to perform specific tasks. So younger teens are likely to earn much less.
How to Get Started
There are no specific requirements to be a VA, including age requirements. But if you’re looking to answer job ads, try searching for “virtual assistant intern” on a site like FlexJobs to maximize your chances of finding work open to teens.
Alternatively, you can advertise your services on a platform like Fiverr or approach small businesses in your area to see if they’re looking for some help.
6. Social Media Manager
Age Requirement: 13 and up
This is an ideal job for a social media-savvy teen. Your parents may see all the time you spend on your phone as a waste, but as a social media manager, you have an opportunity to put your skills to work earning good money. And since nearly all social media platforms have a minimum age requirement of 13, this a doable job even for younger teens.
Though keep in mind it requires excellent written communication and interpersonal skills because you’ll regularly publish sales blasts and react to comments on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, and TikTok. More experienced social media managers may even run social media ad campaigns adapted to the latest trends.
Compensation
According to Indeed, the average base pay for a social media manager is about $21. However, it varies significantly by region. For example, where I live in Ohio, the average is closer to $16 per hour.
As a teen without experience, you’ll probably have the best luck offering $10 to 15 per hour if you’re setting your own rates. The more experience you gain, the higher you can set your prices.
How to Get Started
Businesses worldwide rely on social media to reach new customers, from corporations to local enterprises to solopreneurs. Thus, one way to start is to look for postings on a job board site like Indeed. To maximize the potential for finding jobs open to teens, try searching for “social media intern.”
Alternatively, reach out to small businesses in your area. Start with your favorite business, especially if they haven’t posted to their social media accounts in a while. Do your research and impress them with information about how social media interaction can improve their business.
7. Freelance Video Editor
Age Requirement: 13 and up
Enterprising teens can offer their services editing video content for YouTube or TikTok. Many companies use video content and need freelance video editors who take raw footage and edit it for length, sound, and quality to create a compelling story. Video editors are also sometimes involved in production.
Compensation
According to Indeed, video editors earn an average of nearly $21 per hour.
How to Get Started
Search a job board site like Indeed or Monster for video editing jobs. To maximize your chances of finding one open to teen applicants, search using the keywords “video editing intern.”
Alternatively, you can go into business for yourself. Start by developing a portfolio of short videos before marketing yourself, as paying clients will want to see what you can do.
Then advertise your services on a platform for freelancers like Fiverr, which allows users as young as 13. However, anyone under 18 must have a parent open and supervise an account for them.
Note that many gigs on Fiverr start at $5, hence the name. But Fiverr users can set their own rates, so you’re not limited to a lowball amount.
You can also offer a range of services and charge a premium for those that are more involved. Browse the site to see what others charge for similar services before setting your rates. And keep in mind that Fiverr takes a percentage of whatever you earn.
8. Freelance Graphic Designer
Age Requirement: 13 and up
Graphic designers create digital art that companies can use on their websites, for their logo, or in printed materials like brochures. It requires being familiar with graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator or InDesign.
It’s an ideal job for artistic teens who are comfortable using design software.
Compensation
According to Indeed, graphic designers average $20 per hour.
However, you’re unlikely to get hired at a company as a teenager. That means you’ll be responsible for running your own business and finding your clients. This allows you to set your own rates as a freelancer, either hourly or per project.
You want to set your rates at the lower end when starting out. As you gain experience, you can raise your rates.
How to Get Started
To entice clients to hire you, you must first develop a portfolio. You can do this by volunteering to create designs for student organizations, nonprofits, local businesses, or friends and family.
Once you’ve organized your portfolio, find clients on a freelancer marketplace like Fiverr, which is open to teens as young as 13, as long as you use a parent account, or Freelancer.com, which is open to teens aged 16 and up.
9. Crafter or Designer
Age Requirement: 16 and up
If you have a skill for making stuff, it’s possible to find online platforms where you can sell your handicrafts. This includes everything from knitted scarves and beaded jewelry to printables you design yourself using graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator.
An on-demand printer can print your graphic designs onto a range of products, including:
- T-shirts
- Mugs and tumblers
- Tote bags, make-up bags, or pencil cases
- Stickers
- Stationary, cards, and journals
- Phone cases
- Wall art
Compensation
ZipRecruiter reports the average crafter’s income as $19 per hour. However, your income will vary widely depending on what you’re selling. You’re limited only by how much of your craft you can reasonably make in your spare time and how many customers you can attract to your online shop.
For example, if you can knit ten scarves monthly and sell them for $30 each, you could make $300 per month before expenses. But if you make a design that can be printed on demand onto a T-shirt or phone case for $30, and you can attract 100 buyers to your shop every month, you could make $3,000 per month before expenses.
How to Get Started
It’s possible to sell your handmade products online as a teen, but most sites require a parent to set up and manage your account. Be sure to read the policies at whichever sites you use to sell your crafts. Each has its own procedures for setting up a seller account as a minor.
Some of the best online marketplaces for selling handmade goods include:
- Amazon Handmade. Sellers on Amazon’s platform sell various handcrafted goods, from artwork to jewelry to beauty products. To sell on Amazon, you need to use a parent’s account.
- Etsy. This is a top marketplace for selling any handicraft or digital download, such as print-at-home artwork. See our article for how to set up an Etsy shop, though understand it’s geared toward adults. You need an adult to set up and supervise your shop as a minor selling on Etsy.
- Redbubble. This print-on-demand marketplace lets you upload your designs, which can be printed onto a bunch of merchandise. It handles all order fulfillment. A bonus: the service allows designers as young as 16. For those 15 and under, a parent must sell their designs under their account.
- Society 6. Like Redbubble, Society 6 is a print-on-demand marketplace that lets you upload your designs onto merchandise like T-shirts, coffee mugs, and stickers. It services and fulfills all orders and allows designers as young as 16.
- Storenvy. Like Etsy, Storenvy showcases handcrafted goods like offbeat clothing, jewelry, and cellphone cases. But you can also sell recorded music and books. Sellers under 18 must have a parent set up and supervise their account.
10. Virtual Intern
Age Requirement: 16 and up
It’s never too early to get a head start on your future, especially since more and more companies are emphasizing work experience as being just as important, if not more so, than a college degree.
Internships are a time-honored way to gain experience in whatever industry you’re interested in. And if you’re unsure what you want to do with the rest of your life, which isn’t unusual for a teen, an internship can help you figure out what you’re interested in.
As a bonus, you don’t necessarily need to go anywhere. Just as many jobs have gone remote these days, so have internships. According to a 2021 Indeed report, 20% of internships are remote. This is up from 2019, when only 5% were.
Some top fields for remote internships include IT and software development, media, arts and entertainment, and customer service. But the industry that tops the list is marketing. If you can land a marketing internship, the experience can benefit almost any future career, as every business does marketing.
Compensation
According to ZipRecruiter, remote interns earn an average of $30 per hour. But that only applies to about 9% of jobs. It’s more likely you’ll make closer to $15 per hour, which is the typical range for 21% of jobs.
How to Get Started
Search a job site like Indeed or Monster using the search term “remote intern.” You can also add keywords for the field you’re interested in — like “marketing” or “finance” — if you know.
11. Social Media Influencer
Age Requirement: 13 and up
“Influencer” is another money-making option for social media savvy teens. It involves getting brands to pay you to review or show off their products. And believe it or not, you don’t need to have the following of PewDiePie, one of the most-followed people on YouTube, or Khaby Lame, the most-followed person on TikTok as of June 2022.
According to Vox, even a “nano influencer,” someone with between 1,000 and 10,000 followers, can make significant money with social media sponsorships.
That’s because influencers connect directly with their audience and are, therefore, able to sell more products than traditional advertising. Thus, plenty of brands are willing to pay teens to promote their products and services.
Compensation
ZipRecruiter reports a social media influencer’s average annual income is nearly $40,000, though the range can fall between $14,000 to $75,000. Either way, that’s a nice chunk of change for a teen.
Here’s a breakdown of how much you can earn on each platform:
- Facebook: $25–$250 per post
- Instagram: $10–$100 per post
- Snapchat: $10-$100 per post
- TikTok: $5–$25 per post
- Twitter: $2–$20 per tweet
- YouTube: $20–$200 per video
How to Get Started
First, choose which social media platform you’ll start with — Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, or Snapchat. All of them allow users as young as 13.
Next, spend some time researching what the top influencers do there and what your content focus will be. For example, will you focus on fashion, music, movies, or books?
To get to the influencer level, you’ll need to regularly post content, tag it correctly, and analyze your metrics — because you need to reach a minimum follower count before you can even think of pitching yourself to brands. Additionally, the amount of money you can make depends on how many followers you have and how engaged they are.
Here are the minimum followers required for each of the most popular social media platforms:
- Facebook: 1,000
- Instagram: 1,000
- Snapchat: 100
- TikTok: 10,000
- Twitter: 100
- YouTube: 1,000
You can make money from partnering with brands through sponsored posts, where they pay you to showcase their product. You can also directly sell other companies’ products or services, or sell your own products or services, such as your homemade crafts or online courses.
If you grow a large enough following, brands may pitch themselves to you, or else you can directly approach the ones you want to work with. Otherwise, get started with a platform that connects you to sponsorship opportunities like RewardPay.
12. Clothing Flipper
Age Requirement: 13 and up
If you have a talent for seeing the potential in thrift store or flea market finds, you can earn a decent income as a clothing flipper, no matter your age.
Sometimes flipping is akin to “retail arbitrage,” where you buy a product at a lower price and then resell it for a higher one.
For example, you might come across a cool-looking old blazer at your local Goodwill that’s in excellent condition. Depending on its age, you can rebrand it as vintage and post it for sale at a higher price on an online clothing marketplace without having to do much more work than snapping a few photos.
Alternatively, you can find clothing in need of some repair or refurbishment. For example, maybe that blazer needs a seam sewed or could use some embellishment before anyone will pay a higher price. Altering or fixing goods before you resell them is true “flipping.”
Compensation
The average clothing flipper makes $300 to $500 per month, minus the cost of buying the clothes. However, your income depends entirely on what you can find and resell it for. Some clothing flippers report making $1,000 or more per month.
How to Get Started
Post your finds or refurbished pieces for sale at an online clothing marketplace that’s open to minor sellers, such as Depop.
Minors can buy and sell clothes on this popular resale platform, but all transactions are via PayPal. Unfortunately, that means you must use the PayPal account of an adult since PayPal isn’t available to users under 18.
Note that some of the most popular resale platforms — such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Poshmark, and Mercari — don’t allow sales by minors.
But you can get around that by having a parent open an account in their name, as pointed out in a Shopify blog post about a 17-year-old who makes $13,500 per month selling watches.
However, be aware that if you do this, your parents will be liable for the income tax on your earnings, since everything will be in their name.
13. Vlogger
Age Requirement: 13 and up
A vlogger creates and shares online content through video rather than writing. So it’s ideal for teens who prefer to talk rather than type or are interested in filmmaking.
You’ll need to be engaging when you’re on film. So those with a talent for drama, public speaking, or comedy are best suited to vlogging.
But just like starting a blog, the No.1 thing you need for success is a passion for your topic, whether that’s fashion, make-up, books, video games, music, or personal finance. It’s your energy and passion that draws viewers to your channel.
Compensation
According to ZipRecruiter, vloggers make an average of $36 per hour. But this figure is skewed by the outlying high earners. Nearly half of all vloggers make between $18 and $27 per hour.
More specifically, YouTube videos earn between $3 to $5 in ad revenue for every 1,000 views, although this isn’t the only way to monetize on YouTube.
How to Get Started
Though you can make videos with nothing but a smartphone, you’ll produce higher quality ones with specialized equipment, including:
- A camera
- Lighting equipment
- Editing software
Once you’ve made your videos, you’ll need somewhere to post them so you can start earning money.
YouTube is the primary platform for vlogging. It allows minors as young as 13 to create an account and start a channel, which is where you will post your video content for viewers to find. However, those between the ages of 13 and 17 must have parental permission.
Understand that just like starting a blog, you need to grow an audience before you can make any money. Once you have enough subscribers, you can monetize your channel with ads, affiliate marketing, and brand sponsorships.
Google, YouTube’s parent company, has a guide on how to earn money on YouTube. Also, check out Learn Hub’s user-friendly breakdown of how to make money with your YouTube channel.
14. Blogger
Age Requirement: Age 13 and up
Bloggers produce written content for the web. Generally, the term refers to someone who creates their own website and posts regularly, as opposed to writing for others in exchange for one-time or ongoing payments. The bloggers who do the best focus on one niche they become a go-to resource for, such as music or fashion.
It will take time to grow your following to a size you can monetize. But once your audience is large enough, generally at least 10,000 views per month, you can start to make money from your blog through affiliate sales, sponsored posts, or pay-per-click advertising.
Compensation
The hard reality is most bloggers make less than $500 per month. According to an analysis by Thrive My Way, only the top 5% to 10% earn more than $5,000 per month.
But $500 per month is pretty good money for a teen, especially considering you can work on your own time sharing a topic you’re passionate about with the world. And the more time and effort you consistently put into your blog, the more you’re likely to make over time. But realize it may take up to a year of consistent posting — perhaps more — before you see any income.
How to Get Started
There’s no age requirement for starting a blog. So as long as you can write well, any teen can start one. It also helps to have proficiency in creating a website, as you’ll need to maintain your own if you opt for self-hosting.
Some of the top website hosts include:
Self-hosting isn’t a requirement. There are sites where you can post your blogs without creating your own website. However, you have much more control and ability to monetize your content when creating your own website.
Sites where you can post your blogs without needing to create your own site include:
15. Podcaster
Age Requirement: 13 and up
Starting a podcast is one way to share your interests with a larger audience. It’s especially great for teens who love to talk or perform. You can have a podcast that merely entertains, like one where you do comedy or share stories. Or use it to share your opinions on various topics, from music and movies to politics.
Teens who monetize their podcasts by selling ad space to companies can also rake in some dough. Companies are willing to pay to advertise their goods and services in podcasts because it’s a more direct way to connect with audiences than traditional advertising like TV and magazine ads.
Compensation
You’ll need to have a significant number of followers before you can expect to make any money with podcasting. But if you can get at least 10,000 downloads per episode, Best Media estimates you can earn anywhere from $500 to $900 per episode in affiliate sales or $300 to $600 per episode in advertising revenue.
Some niches are more profitable than others. For example, Independent Podcast Network lists finance, tech, and health and fitness among the top niches for 2022. Focus on those if you can.
How to Get Started
You’ll need specialized equipment to record and edit your podcast, including:
- A laptop or desktop
- A microphone designed for recording vocals
- Editing and production software
You also need to sign up with a podcast hosting site, which will store your media files and create your podcast feed the same way a server stores a website.
The best podcast hosting platforms open to those 13 and up include:
Once you’ve created and hosted your podcasts, you can upload them to a podcast distributor. That’s the place where your audience will find and listen to your podcasts. The top distributors include:
You need a parent’s consent to use these platforms as a minor.
Once you have a sizable following, you can start selling ad space on your podcast or making money through affiliate marketing. That’s where you get paid a commission for selling a company’s product.
16. Gamer
Age Requirement: 13 and up
While you can’t become a pro-gamer until you’re at least 18, there are ways to make money playing video games as a minor. These include using an app for game playing or starting your own streaming channel.
So if you live and breathe gaming, this could be a path to an online teen job for you. And, who knows? Maybe all that playing will lead to a lucrative career in esports someday.
Compensation
As with all online content creation jobs, how much you can make largely depends on how big you can grow your following. But consistent effort can pay off. The average streamer can make anywhere from $50 to $1,500 per month.
Expert-level streamers who average 1,000 views can make between $2,500 and $5,000 per month.
How to Get Started
Sign up with an online app like Bananatic, which gives you rewards redeemable for prepaid debit cards, gift cards, and free games in exchange for playing games and leaving reviews. Bananatic allows users as young as 13.
Or, if you’re serious about earning money for playing video games, record live streams of yourself playing and post them to Twitch, a video-streaming service known for its gaming content. Twitch also allows users as young as 13.
You’ll need to build up an audience, but once you do, Twitch allows you to monetize your content through paid subscriptions, ads, and affiliate marketing.
17. Website or App Tester
Age Requirement: 13 and up
According to a 2018 Pew Research survey, nearly all teens have access to a smartphone, and a full 45% are online “almost constantly.” So why not learn how to make money by testing apps and websites while you’re online anyway?
Companies need people to test their products so they can market the best version possible, whether it’s a soap dispenser, a website, or a smartphone app. Testers try out the products and then answer surveys or complete reviews that let the companies know how well (or not) their product works.
These opportunities are open to minors because many companies create products for younger ages. And they need opinions from the types of individuals buying and using their stuff.
Compensation
A brief website or app test can earn you between $0.50 and $2 in a couple minutes. Tests that involve more complexity can pay up to $10 for 15 or 20 minutes of work.
Companies tend to want tests performed by individuals of specified demographics, such as a particular age group or being from a specific region. And you may not be able to get enough testing work to turn this into a full job.
How to Get Started
Apply to be a website or app tester with a platform that specializes in user testing, such as:
- UserTesting. Lets you review various products, including websites and apps, and allows minors of any age, as long as a parent or guardian is present for the test and they sign the Minor Contributor Addendum.
- Enroll. Lets minors as young as 13 test apps and websites.
18. Online Survey Taker
Age Requirement: 13 and up
Many companies want to know what teenagers think about retail brands and social trends, especially those marketing directly to teens. To improve their products for their customer base, these companies are willing to pay teens money to share their opinions on things like clothing brands, TV-watching habits, and mobile phone usage.
You won’t get rich taking surveys. In fact, this online job may pay below minimum wage. But what it lacks in income, it makes up for in convenience. Since all you need is a mobile phone and a few minutes to spare, you can take surveys whenever and wherever: between classes, during study hall, in the evenings, or alongside other online jobs.
Compensation
Each survey could earn anywhere from a few cents to $10. But most fall on the lower end of that range. So doing a few per day in your free time could get you enough to buy a tank of gas or a video game once a month. Only you can decide whether that makes paid surveys worth your time.
Payouts are typically cash via PayPal or gift cards from prominent retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, or Target.
How to Get Started
With most paid online survey websites and apps, you just have to download the app, sign up, and start answering questions. Many credible survey sites and apps are open to teens as young as 13.
These include:
- American Consumer Opinion: Take surveys about brands and companies in exchange for points redeemable for cash paid via check or PayPal. Open to teens 14 and over.
- iPoll: Give your opinion on trending news, your favorite TV shows, and favorite brands through surveys, quick polls, product testing, and real-world missions. Payment is via a PayPal, Amazon, or Apple gift card. Open to teens 13 and over.
- Life Points: Answer surveys on products and trends in exchange for points redeemable toward gift cards or PayPal credit. Open to teens 14 and over.
- MyPoints: You earn points by completing online surveys and other online tasks like shopping, redeeming coupons, watching videos, and playing games. Points are redeemable for prepaid Visa gift cards, PayPal gift cards, or any variety of gift cards from thousands of retailers. Open to teens 13 and over.
- Opinion Outpost: Complete surveys in exchange for a check, PayPal deposit, or gift cards. Opinion Outpost also holds a monthly drawing for a cash prize. Open to teens 17 and over.
- Paid View Point: On this survey site, you earn points for each question rather than per survey. Your trust score increases as you take more surveys, allowing you to make more per question. Payouts are cash only. Open to teens 13 and over.
- Rakuten Insights: Answer surveys on products and trends in exchange for points redeemable for PayPal credit or an Amazon gift card. Open to teens 16 and over.
- Swagbucks: One of the biggest paid survey sites, Swagbucks offers tens of thousands of survey opportunities daily and thus the best income potential. You can also earn cash or gift cards for doing Internet searches, taking daily polls, and watching videos. Open to teens 13 and over.
- Survey Club: Answer surveys on products and services in exchange for cash or an Amazon gift card. Open to teens 16 and over.
- Survey Junkie: Take daily surveys where you can answer questions about your interests in exchange for points redeemable for PayPal credit or a gift card. Open to teens 16 and over.
- Survey Savvy: Participate in surveys matched specifically to you and get paid by cash or check. Open to teens 13 and over.
- Toluna: You can earn by completing surveys or playing games, testing products, and creating polls. You can trade in their points for sweepstakes entries, merchandise, gift cards, or cash. Open to teens 16 and over.
- YouGov: A little different than the average product survey, YouGov lets you give your opinion on politics, sports, and entertainment in exchange for points redeemable for cash or toward gift cards to stores like Nike, Old Navy, Amazon, and iTunes. Open to teens 16 and over.
Tips for Teens Working Online
Before you agree to a job or sign up with an online platform, consider several tips for working online as a teen.
Check Age Requirements
Read the terms of use policy at any platform you plan to sign up with and verify the age requirements. Most online platforms are designed for adults.
That’s for several reasons, including that minors aren’t legally able to enter into binding contracts. Most sites that sell goods or services involve contracts. Even if the contract isn’t explicit, it’s usually implied, such as when sellers agree to abide by the site’s policies by using the platform.
Also, note that there are tons of articles on the web about making money online as a teen, but many recommend opportunities that aren’t actually available to minors. So you need to be careful not to take others’ words for it and double-check site policies yourself.
For example, here are a few online jobs often recommended to teens, but that are actually closed to anyone under 18:
- Voiceover Artist. If you find an agent who can get you gigs, you can be a voiceover artist at any age. But you can’t sign up for online platforms like Voices.com unless you’re at least 18.
- Data Entry Clerk. Platforms like Amazon’s MTurk, Clickworker, and Appen offer easy data entry jobs and transcription opportunities. But none of them allow users under 18.
- Customer Service Representative. Customer service jobs like phone support at U-Haul can be great remote options for adults. But U-Haul no longer offers positions to anyone under 18. In fact, most larger companies have a minimum employee age of 18 for customer service jobs.
- Phone Call Reviewer. Humanatic makes it onto many online teen job lists. The service hires people to listen to recorded telephone support calls and rate them. But it’s only for those 18 and up.
Get a PayPal or Bank Account
To make money online, you need a bank account. Since companies send “cash” payments via electronic transfer, you’ll need account numbers. Few places will mail a paper check.
Fortunately, there are plenty of options for teen bank accounts. You just need a parent or guardian to open a joint or custodial account for you.
Unfortunately, most online platforms use PayPal. And PayPal doesn’t allow anyone under 18 to open an account with them. So if you sign up for a platform that uses PayPal, the only go-around is to use a parent’s account.
Never lie about your age. If you do and PayPal discovers you’re a minor, they’ll shut down your account. And once it’s shut down, you’ll never be allowed to open another one, even as an adult.
Track Your Money
Most of these “jobs” are actually contract positions — basically, miniature business enterprises.
Knowing how much money you’re earning and spending on your business is essential. It helps you see if you’re making a profit and if the job is worth your time and effort.
If you are making a profit, you may need to pay income taxes, depending on how much you earned. See our article on income taxes for kids for more info on whether you need to file taxes.
Also, be aware that if you use a parent’s PayPal account or their name and information to sell on a platform not open to minors, such as Amazon or eBay, your parent will be liable for your earnings. In other words, since you will make all transactions in their name, they will need to pay the income taxes on your profits.
Beware of Scams
Unfortunately, scams are prevalent on the Internet. And for every legit opportunity, there’s an equal number of fraudulent ones.
So remember the adage: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. For example, you won’t become a millionaire taking online surveys.
Otherwise, be on the lookout for these red flags, which are signs of a scam:
- Requiring you to pay to apply
- Asking for bank information before you’re hired
- Asking to meet in person (that shouldn’t be necessary for a remote job)
- Asking too many personal questions (this is a way identity thieves steal your credit profile)
Be Realistic About Time Commitments
Your education should always come first. So don’t take on more than you can reasonably balance with your schoolwork. If your side hustle impacts your grades and sets back your plans for college or even delays your high school education, it could actually damage your long-term earning potential.
Final Word
Any one of these jobs could help you build valuable job skills and experience for the future, including starting your own business. In fact, putting the effort in now could mean reaping huge rewards down the line as your business grows.
For example, the creator of Teens Got Cents started her blog when she was 16. By 21, she was earning a full-time, adult-size income of over $5,000 per month, according to The Write Life.
However, if you’re a teen who knows exactly what you want to do, and it doesn’t involve an online business, you might want to skip the time and effort. For example, if you want to be an engineer, it probably doesn’t make much sense to put all your time into starting a fashion blog.
Instead, consider jobs that don’t require you to grow a massive following before you can make any real money. Or opt to work for someone else so you don’t have to hustle to see a paycheck.
