34 Ways to Make Money as a Teenager Without a Job

Wondering how to make money as a teenager?

If you are a teenager and reading this blog post because you are looking out for ways to make some money, continue reading as I am going to reveal some ways to make money that are not tedious work rather exciting for a teenager.

While thinking about this topic, I went down the memory lane of my teenage days and what I did to earn some extra cash.

During the 90s’ there was no internet access where you could earn dollars on survey websites or providing services online.

Everything went by physically. You meet a person, provide the service and they would hand-over the payment check, that’s the deal.

I used to earn cash by helping the seniors of my block, and they used to reward me in terms of cash. Also, every weekend after studies, I used to help my mom cleaning up the house and get pocket money that I used to save for later.

Now, there are a hundred ways, probably more than that, to make money.

You don’t have to do a 9-5 job as a teen, obviously unless you have the degree you won’t qualify to get a decent job anywhere.

You are a teen, and you don’t need thousands of dollars monthly. You only need to earn the amount that will be enough to purchase a video game, maybe or movie tickets every weekend or the things you want to buy and not ask for money from your parents.

How does making money as a teen benefit them?

It is not mandatory that every teen should make money and bring a paycheck.

Even if you are an enthusiast about earning some cash, as a teen it will make you financially a responsible person.

At an early age, they gain financial literacy like how to make money legit way, how to save money, how to manage money and so on. 

Most importantly, you value money and grow an interest on financial stuffs.

When a teen makes money, they work under different circumstances, learn something new every time. As a result, it helps them build confidence and increase skillset.

Ways to make money as a teenager without a job

Create your own business

When you are a teen; you are not qualified for a job. But you can do several other part-time jobs or business which do not require an official degree. You can earn money, work for a limited time and continue with your academics.

Recently I finished watching Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club’ which tells a beautiful story about some teenage girls who came up with a baby-sitting business idea and trying to establish their business in their neighbourhood.

Even in reality, if you have a bunch of business ideas, talk to the elders and figure out which one should you do that is profitable.

Age is just a number. Many young and teenagers around the world have become successful entrepreneurs and making money.

Offer a babysitting service

You would probably have seen people having babies or toddlers in your block. If you love being around babies and kids, you can reach out to new parents of your locality and ask them to consider you for babysitting.

Parents are quite skeptical when it’s a question of the safety of their kids. If they know you and your family, they feel comfortable leaving their babies with you.

As a teen, you can babysit toddlers for an hour or two and earn your first money.

Sell things you no longer want or need

Selling unused products on a yard sell or Facebook marketplace is a good way to make some extra cash when you need as a teen.

You can sell old clothes, furniture, or any other things that you won’t need at home. You can sell them out. Ensure you let your parents know about them.

Sign up for online survey sites

There are a plenty of survey sites that are legit and pay for finishing surveys. However, the pay isn’t much but for a teen that’s a considerable amount.

You can try the most popular Swagbucks, Toluna, Survey Junkie, InboxDollars and many more.

If you have a PayPal account, you will get paid the easier way.

You earn points by completing the task they give online and redeem them when you reach a limit.

Among all the other survey sites, Swagbucks is the best legit survey platform for teenagers to make money online. 

Become a tutor

If you are good at maths or English and have been consistently getting good grades, you can think of becoming a tutor and make money.

You can make money both the way, “online tutoring & in-person tuition.” Either way, for teaching 2 hours you can get paid enough.

I have enjoyed providing tuition to my student. It is not a hard-working job. If you are a skillful tutor and have extensive subject knowledge, tutoring can make you financially stable.

If you want to provide tuition online websites like Chegg, Preply, TutaPoint are some of the worth visiting sites.

Start a YouTube channel

There is no age bar to start a YouTube channel. If you have something interesting to show to the world or have some knowledge about something specific, make videos and show it to the world.

Once you hit the subscriber limit and views, you can monetize your channel and within a few months make money.

The best thing about vlogging is you can do it in your comfort whenever you want and wherever.

Start a blog

When on YouTube, you can make money by consistently uploading videos, you can also make money with a blog.

As a teen you don’t have much responsibilities. Studying is definitely the thing that you must do to shape your career. alongside studies, if you are good at writing with a blog you can think of monetizing.

For example, if you are good at science, create a blog and post content with everything around science. There are a plenty of ways to monetize your blog. All you need is consistency in uploading post and patience.

Sell your designs online

There is one other way to make money as a teenager and that’s selling your designs online. You can make designs and upload them on websites like Cafepress where they will print on designs on T-shirts, tote bags, mugs and so on.

You don’t have to take any logistic related headache. You are pretty hands free to focus on your designs.

Another thing is to run your own design and printing business. However, I wouldn’t recommend this as this is for the adults.

Create an account to sell your photos

Are you a photography enthusiast? Do you love documenting your travel experience or anything that you find exciting and capture them on your camera lens?

As a teen, you can start making money by uploading your images on stock photo websites. When someone will buy/use your images, you will be paid.

However, their competition is pretty high but there are a lot of opportunities as well online.

If you get good results, gradually you can make photography as your career too. You can get a photography degree and work as a professional photographer later.

Freelance online

With websites like Fiverr and Upwork, you can find gigs and get paid. If you are good at web designing, proofreading, coding, video editing, there are people looking for such experts and are ready to pay to do their job.

It’s freelancing work, thus there is no fix timing or anything. You get hired, you work, deliver and get paid.

A perfect way to make money as a teenager without a job.

Become a freelance make-up artist

Do you love make-ups? Do you like giving make-ups to others?

If so, you can try freelancing as a make-up artist. Approach someone who is the in-charge of a birthday party or any party and ask them to give you the opportunity to give make-ups to the guest. If they like, then pay you what you deserve.

Work as a camp counsellor

On summer vacation, parents love sending off their kids to summer camp. You could volunteer as a camp counsellor, managing the kids, look out for their safety and get paid hourly.

Many camps across the States have been operational for 100 years. Kids literally wait for their summer camp sessions. It is fun, exciting, adventurous and you get to learn something new each year.

Thus, there is always a demand for a responsible camp counsellor who could manage the camp activities, scheduling, resolve issues calmly, planning and great with kids.

Not only does it help you with making money, it will be a learning experience for you too.

You will be responsible for managing so many things, it will give you a life-time experience.

Pet Sitting

How about you have nothing much to do yet can earn around USD 20 per hour just for pet sitting.

People adore their pets and they like them to be cared for. You can make use of your free time. Instead of sitting at home and playing video games, you can pet sit and earn.

Manage social media accounts

There are several small companies who hire freelance social media managers who could manage their accounts and post viral posts on behalf of them.

These are hourly paid work. You can work from home as per your workable time. After done with studies, you can give an hour or two a day to manage their social media accounts like replying to the comments, post images and reels. Check on the analytics and so on.

Deliver groceries

The need for delivering services is booming as a gig ever since the pandemic. People prefer to get delivered their orders at their doorstep.

Convenience has become exceedingly important for people. Apps like DoorDash, Instacart, Swiggy, Dunzo, Shipt provide grocery delivering services.

They hire delivery guys both part-time and full-time.

On per delivery, you could earn an average of $10-$12 plus tips.

Tech has updated everything and aims to make your life easier. With the change in tech, there are a plenty of work opportunities for teens as well to make money.

Delivering groceries is one of them.

Deliver food

Not only groceries, you can work as a food delivery guy as well on a pizza outlet or for a burger restaurant and get paid for each delivery on time.

These kinds of gig do’t require any degree or hard work. You can do when you need money or have time apart from your studies.

Work at a movie theatre

With everything else, I wish I could have the experience of working at a movie theatre. I don’t know why I am so fascinated by this gig.

You get to stand at the counter with glass boxes full of popcorn smells of cream and caramel. Movie enthusiasts waiting on the queue to have popcorn and coke. I love the thought of standing on the other side of the counter and giving the audience what they need.

For any teen, this would be a great experience to have and make money too.

Teach music lessons

Care to teach kids’ music and earn money?

Indeed, this is a great way to make money as a teen without a job and hard work. You are doing what you love.

If you are into music or play any musical instrument and someone from the neighbourhood has asked you to teach their kids, for which you will be paid, you do that.

Be the mentor of kids and teach them music while you can make money too.

Volunteering at an amusement park

Amusement park needs volunteers who can check the rides, keep a tab on the safety of children, manage the crowd, raise money for a cause, and so on. Those who volunteers they make a small amount of money from the park as they aren’t employed, they work temporarily.

As a teen, you can work at an amusement park during your summer holidays and make some money.

Wash cars

This is one easy way to make money as a teenager. It doesn’t take a lot to learn how to wash and clean a car. If your parents have a car, you must have noticed how they clean it or have done it yourself. You know the details and procedure of washing a car.

If you are looking for ways to make some cash, you can assemble the tools, foam, cleaning tools and whatever you need to clean a car and gather around at a vacant spot where you can ask neighbours to bring their car to wash.

Or, you can visit their houses and provide the cleaning services yourself at a cheaper rate.

Depending on your area and size of the car, you can charge $10 per car.

Teach a foreign language

If your native language is Spanish, French, German or even Hindi, and if there is some kid who wants to learn a foreign language, you can teach them and charge hourly from their parents.

You can also teach a foreign language online. There are several websites where an expert on a language will teach a kid in-person.

Work at an ice cream shop

Working at an ice cream parlour is fun. You get to be around a lot of ice cream flavours. You would an ideal fit if you know a little about ice cream. As a teen you certainly can work at an ice cream parlour as a part-time employee and enjoy making money.

Become a DJ

If you are a teen who is passionate about music and love mixing tapes, creating new music, you could be a DJ. Let your neighbours and family friends know you are available to be get hired for any parties.

Create your music and show them the sample. Tell them if they like your music and enjoy, pay whatever deserving they think. This way you can be on the good notes of every neighbourhood family and promote yourself.

After sometime, once they like your music, you can charge them hourly like a professional. Make a good relation with the families around your block.

Give discounts on your charges, that will make them hire you again and refer you to their friends and others.

Teach a sport

Been playing rugby or football since childhood? You are exceedingly well in a sport and have won several trophies. How about teaching sport to the kids?

For example, you can give karate lessons to the young kids. Whatever you know, teach them all and when they show interest to their parents to learn it from you, imagine what could happen?

Their parents might hire you and pay you to teach their kids.

Similarly, you can teach football or any sort of sports in which you are good at on your vacation time and earn a few dollars as a teen.

Volunteer as a life guard in a swimming pool

Have you ever wondered how great would it be if you could save lives and look for the safety of the tourist/guest in a swimming club?

All they need is a great licensed swimmer and a responsible person.

Can you make money out of it?

Indeed, the elite clubs usually pays rewards that you can use in cash or credit when someone volunteers in services.

Publish Your E-book

You have a story to tell and penned that into the digital format. You have created an E-book and promoted it on different platforms.

When people will buy or download your e-book, you will earn money. As long as people will buy, you will continue to earn your profit over the years.

You certainly can’t invest a lot of money in the marketing and promotion of your e-book.

The least you can do is to create a Facebook and an Instagram page. Try to organically grow your audience and reach out to the potential customer who can buy your product.

Website Design

If you are a tech savvy teen kid and have made quite a number of websites. You can start freelancing as a website designer.

Now a days every business or company has their website and they always hire from the outside to design websites for them.

You can either apply or promote your skill in the social media platforms and let the others reach out to you.

This is a quite lucrative thing to start with.

As a teen, you must not focus on the amount of money much.

Enhance your skill and if you are truly passionate into this profession, tell your parents to get you enroll in different courses that teaches advance website designing skill.

Assist Your Parents at their Business

You must always help your parents in household chores, and other work stuff.

If they run a small business like a coffee shop, restaurant, boutique store or any other business, assist them. Help them with the accounting, sit at the counter, manage customers, help promoting their business, take it online and so on.

Make a deal with them that by the month end they will give you pocket money as reward.

Help senior

You can also help the seniors of your neighbourhood. Assist them in daily care if needed. Help them bringing groceries from the store, medicines, scheduling their medical appointments, help them in gardening, read them stories or news and so on.

How will you benefit by doing all these?

Either you can start a ‘Help Senior Services’ along with a few friends with the help of adults. Where they will pay a fix amount for aiding the seniors.

This is something a good work that you can think of doing. Elderly people love the company of teen boys and girls, it makes them feel lively again.

Turn your hobbies into cash

Everyone has a hobby that they are passionate about. An activity that brings peace, motivates and keep you patientful.

But if you know how to turn a hobby into a money-making profession, you can become rich if you start early.

For example, you love painting and sketching, you have to think of ways where you earning money from your hobby. Like, you can start a YouTube channel where you provide drawing tutorials.

You can work as a freelance animator sketch. You can sell print and paintings on canvas. Thus, you are keeping your hobby intact while switching it into a small business.

Work as a paper delivery guy

In my hometown, teen boys deliver newspapers early in the morning riding a bicycle. Not only are they responsible teens but also good at academics. I have seen them growing up and love how they respect their work.

Once I asked them, “why do you work as a paper delivery boy?” Your parents have enough money. Why do you work then?

The boy Rishab replied, “I work as a paper delivery boy because I love waking up early in the morning and riding bicycle. Also, by delivery paper I could earn money which I am saving.”

Such great upbringing.

Part time boat cleaner

If you live near a harbour, you can make money by cleaning boats. Get associate with an adult and assist him/her in the cleaning job.

Final Words –

I guess the list is enough to help you figuring out what you could do as a teen to make money.