If you are under the age of 16 and reading this, you might wonder how you can make money as a kid. It’s a common thought among those not legally old enough to work a traditional paying gig.
And according to the US Department of Labor, the minimum age of employment is 14 years old (for non-agricultural jobs), restrictions on the hours a youth under the age of 16 may work, and prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from being employed in hazardous occupations.
But just because you are young doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to make money.
And this is especially true today as there are so many options for you to earn extra cash at home, in your neighborhood, or online.
Remember that you should always have your parents’ or guardians’ permission and supervision to do these jobs.
How Can I Make Money Fast As A Kid?
Okay, so you’re ready to get started making money, but how? You’re a kid, so you can’t just go out and get a traditional part-time job.
Waiting until you’re 16+ to get hired is not an option. Luckily for you, there are lots of ways you can start making money right now. We’re going to tell you about 30 of them in this article.
Some of these options are only for teenagers or require special skills, but most of them just take work and time. And others might be seasonal, like making money in the Summer or making money in the Winter.
Whether you are 8, 15, or somewhere in between — there’s something on this list for you!
1. Do chores at home
There are always chores to be done. Chores like vacuuming, dusting, laundry, and cleaning the bathrooms need to be done every week.
Other chores like cleaning out the attic or the garage are big jobs that only have to be done every once in a while. Your parents will be thrilled if you offer to help.
If you do a good job, they may be willing to pay you. It’s worth a shot – ask them and find out!
2. Start a Youtube Channel
Lots of kids dream of being a Youtube star like Ryan Kaji or Jojo Siwa. You may not make millions, but you can still make hundreds or even thousands of dollars with your own Youtube channel.
Have some fun making videos about things you enjoy or think other kids might be interested in. Youtube has age restrictions, so if you’re under 13, you’ll need your parents’ help and permission to get started.
3. Walk the neighbors’ dogs
Love dogs? This one’s for you. Your neighborhood is probably full of dogs who would love a daily walk. Many of their owners are too busy to make it happen. That’s where you come in!
Put up flyers, knock on doors, or post on social media offering to walk your neighbors’ dogs before and after school. You could make $20 – $50 per week (or more!) for every dog you walk.
4. Start a lemonade stand
This one’s a classic way for kids to make money. It’s a favorite because start-up costs are low and the profit margin is high. You can sell cups of lemonade for $1 each while spending as little as $5 on lemonade mix and cups to get started.
The key to lemonade stand success is the location: make sure your stand is in an area where lots of people walk by. Neighborhood parks or ball fields are good options. Make sure you get a permit if your town requires one.
5. Wash and detail cars
Look around your neighborhood. There are lots of cars that need washing! If you’re willing to do some scrubbing, you can make money washing those dirty cars. Holding a car wash event is a great way to get started.
You’ll need a water hose, bucket, soap, and a sponge, but that’s about it. $5 – $10 per car is a good starting rate. If you do a good job, some neighbors may hire you to wash their cars every week.
Older kids can offer to detail cars. This is hard work and takes more time, but you can charge $50 – $150 depending on the level of detail.
6. Sell your arts and crafts
People are always looking for jewelry to wear and give as gifts and for art to decorate their homes. If you’re creative and like to draw, paint, knit, quilt, make jewelry, or do other crafty things, consider selling what you make.
Local farmer’s markets, flea markets, craft shows, and maybe certain thrift stores are great places to sell. You can also sell online with an Etsy shop or your own website, but you will probably need your parents to help here.
7. Mow lawns and other yard work
Yard work is hard work, and many people are happy to pay other people to do things like mow the lawn, weed the flower beds, trim bushes, and spread mulch.
If you have access to a lawnmower and other tools, you can make money fast working for your neighbors. Mowing a yard will take you 1 – 2 hours and you can make $10 – $40 per yard. For other yard work, you can charge $10 – $20 per hour. That adds up fast!
8. Babysitting
This one is best for teenagers. Parents are always looking for someone trustworthy to watch their kids for a few hours while they run errands, do some work, or go on a date. You can make $60 – $100 to babysit 2-3 kids for a few hours on the weekend.
You might even be able to get a regular gig watching kids after school or in the summer, especially if you can drive. Start by asking your neighbors and people you know if they could use a babysitter. You can also advertise on your neighborhood Facebook group or Nextdoor app.
9. House sitting
When people go on vacation, they often need someone to do things like checking the mail, pick up packages and water plants. Sometimes they just want someone to stop by and check on the house to make sure everything is okay.
Depending on what they want you to do, you could make $10 – $20 per day house sitting for your neighbors. Older teenagers can offer to stay at the house and pet sit, as well. That could be worth over $100 for a weekend.
10. Garage sale with parents
All those boxes of old toys, clothes, and other things piled up in your parents’ attic or garage could be worth some money. Talk to your parents about having a garage sale.
If you offer to do all the work of cleaning out, setting up, and advertising, they’ll probably allow you to keep some or even all of the profits.
And if you make $200 and get to keep 25%, you’ll walk away with $50 without having to spend any money at all.
11. Doing chores for the elderly
Elderly people can’t do all the things they used to take care of when they were young. You can offer to do things like cleaning, moving furniture, taking out the trash, and carrying groceries for your elderly neighbors.
Sometimes older people just need some company. Their families might pay you to do something like spending an hour every day after school playing games.
12. Offer painting services (windows, doors, fences)
Painting takes some skill to do well, so this one is best for teenagers. Start your painting business by offering outdoor painting services for your neighbors.
Painting windows, doors, and fences are great ways to make money as a kid and practice your painting skills. You can make $10 – $20 per hour doing this kind of work.
If you’re ambitious and work to perfect your painting, you can move on to painting rooms indoors, as well.
13. Tutor others (math, English, computers, etc.)
Everybody’s good at something. If you’re good at a subject in school like math, English, or history, you can tutor others who struggle with the subject.
The work involves helping with homework or getting ready for a test. You can easily make $20 for an hour of tutoring.
Good at computers? You can make money by teaching older people basic skills for using smartphones, smart TVs, tablets & computers.
14. Sell and flip items on eBay
Have you heard the saying “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? It’s true, and it means you can make money buying and selling toys, clothes, books, and other things that people don’t want anymore.
You can find these things at thrift stores and garage sales and sell them on eBay. Make sure to research items that sell well, and to get your parents’ permission to sell online. Once you get started, you can buy things for $5-$10 and flip them for $20 – $50.
15. Start a blog about your hobbies
People make money blogging about all sorts of things – cooking, pets, travel, books, video games, sports – you name it and there’s a blog about it! If you like to write, you can start a blog about your hobbies.
It’s a lot of fun and can be profitable. You won’t make money right away, but, if you stick with it, you could start making hundreds or even thousands of dollars every month from advertising or merchandise sales.
16. Fix and Clean Bikes
Your neighbors’ garages are full of bikes with flat tires, rusty chains, grinding gears, and worn-out brakes.
If you know how to do basic bike maintenance, you can make money fixing them up. Most of the tune-up tasks don’t take long to do.
You could make $20 for something as simple as fixing a flat tire or over $50 for a more complete tune-up.
17. Become a personal assistant
If you’re a responsible older kid or teenager, you can make money as a personal assistant for someone you know who works in an office.
As a personal assistant, you would be asked to do things like answer phones, sort mail, make copies, stuff envelopes, or even make coffee.
The pay varies depending on who you work for, but, no matter how much you make now, you’ll also get good experience to help you with future jobs.
18. Become a photographer
You probably can’t get hired as a wedding photographer yet, but you can start taking photos and selling them to stock photo sites such as iStock & Shutterstock or to people you know.
You can also work as a photographers’ assistant to start learning about lighting, angles, equipment, and other photography essentials.
19. Shovel snow
Snow is fun and beautiful – until it’s covering your car or blocking your driveway when you’re already late for work. That’s why people will pay you to shovel snow.
During the winter, your neighbors and local businesses will pay you to keep their driveways and sidewalks clear.
20. Start an online business
You might think starting a business has to wait until you’re grown up, but lots of kids make money with online businesses. One of the most popular online businesses for kids is designing and selling t-shirts, but it’s not the only option.
Do some research, pick a product, and then get started building your business! Depending on how old you are, you may need your parents’ help to set up your website and get your business started.
21. Play games
Mistplay
Game developers use Mistplay to test new games on Android phones. You can get paid in cash, gift cards, and game credits to play and review new games. You must be 13 or older to use Mistplay.
Twitch streaming for video games
If you build up a loyal Twitch audience, you can get paid to play video games. There are several Twitch partnership levels, but all of them require time and commitment to be profitable. You must be 13 to participate.
22. Take online surveys
Believe it or not, companies really want to hear from kids and teenagers. Several apps and websites will pay you to take surveys, watch videos, and give feedback on ads and products.
You can earn cash and gift cards, but to make very much requires regular participation. Some of the most popular online survey sites are SurveyJunkie, Swagbucks, and InboxDollars.
You have to be at least 13, and sometimes older, to use these sites, so this opportunity is only for teenagers.
23. Graphic design work
Put your creative skills to work doing graphic design for local businesses and churches. You can design t-shirts, logos, and even websites for people who need them.
There are lots of good design software platforms you can use, and many of them are free.
24. Sell baked goods
Just about everyone has a sweet tooth. That means there’s always a market for tasty homemade treats.
If you have a talent for making cookies, cakes, brownies, or other sweets, consider selling your creations. You can sell them in your neighborhood or set up a table at local farmers’ markets or ball fields.
People will gladly pay $2-$3 for something sweet. You can make even more if you can make beautifully decorated cookies for baby showers, birthday parties, and other special occasions.
25. Start a cleaning service
Know how to clean a house? Great! Other people will pay you to clean their house for them. Since you’re a kid, you may have to offer to do the first cleaning for free.
Once you’ve proven you’re a thorough cleaner, you can make as much as $20 per hour to clean houses for people you know.
26. Teaching music
Can you play the guitar, piano, violin, or another musical instrument? If so, you can give lessons to other people with less experience than you.
It’s a great way to practice your skills and to make money. Depending on your skill level, you could make $20-$50 per lesson.
27. Deliver newspapers
Kids have been making money delivering newspapers for a very long time. You’ll have to get up really early, but you can make money delivering morning newspapers on a regular paper route.
Check with your local newspaper to find out about available routes and delivery requirements.
28. Window washing
Window washing is a chore that most people procrastinate and never get around to doing. Your neighbors will be more than happy to pay you to do it, though.
With a bucket, some window cleaner, a squeegee, a soft cloth, and some hard work, you can make some money. Pay will vary, but $5 – $10 per window is a reasonable rate.
29. Carpet cleaner
Carpet cleaning is another needed but neglected chore. If your family has a carpet cleaner or you can rent one, you can offer to clean your neighbors’ carpets.
You can charge per room or a fixed rate to do the whole house. Do a good job and your customers may ask you to do cleanings regularly.
30. Power washing homes
Power washing requires equipment that can be dangerous, so this is another one that’s best for teenagers. With the proper equipment, you can power wash driveways and houses in your neighborhood.
Your neighbors will be amazed at how much cleaner things look and will be more than happy to pay you for a job well done.
Learn the Value of Money By Working
Although you might be a kid or maybe the parent reading this, it’s great to understand the value of a dollar and working for money. Your kids will learn early on how to respect money and eventually, how to make money go to work for them too.
Unfortunately, schools aren’t teaching a whole lot about money and finances, so you (or your kids) can get some strong money lessons just by starting to work or get paid to do chores.
Some simple money lessons that kids can learn are:
- The value of working for money
- How to save money for a purchase
- How to grow money by saving more
So are you ready to start making money as a kid? Then use the above list as inspiration and get started!