How To Make Money As A Teen: 19 Legit Ways

Are you looking for ways to make money as a teen to get a decent income before your college and professional life?

Well, many of you would resonate, and side hustles are the perfect option to help you achieve financial freedom and increase your savings.

But it is important to choose the correct and lawful path for doing so, as many will misguide you by luring you with extra money.

Plus, you will have to ensure to balance academics, extracurricular activities, health, and work simultaneously.

This article covers ways to make money as a teenager online for free and even offline.

 

 

 

Ways to Make Money as a Teen Online

 

1. Become a Proofreader

Are you a grammar nerd who quickly spots errors when reading something?

Despite the advent of AI, proofreaders are in high demand as AI has limitations. This is because tools often misunderstand context and can make errors in certain words and phrases.

In comparison, a skilled proofreader stays fully alert and does a full review before publishing any content.

To begin with, you just need an internet connection and a laptop or a smartphone. You can improve your skills and serve clients for around $15 – $20 an hour, even as a teenager.

To know more about how to acquire leads as a teenage proofreader, I recommend you attend this FREE Workshop.

Next Read – 17 Legit Entry-Level Proofreading Jobs

 

2. Answer Surveys For Quick Bucks

One of the evergreen ways to make money as a teenager online for free is to take surveys. You don’t need to be skilled in any sector for it.

Most teenagers enjoy working with these platforms as they also earn real cash for doing the things that most teenagers like to do with their mobiles. These include answering surveys, playing games, watching videos, shopping online, and many more.

Just create a free account for Swagbucks on your phone, and it pays a $5 free signup bonus. All the questions are easy to answer, and you need merely 10-15 minutes to complete a survey.

Swagbucks offers 10+ ways of fun activities to earn real cash for its users. Besides, other popular platforms include…

1. BrandedSurveys (Rated 4.1/5 on Trustpilot)
2. InboxDollars (Paid over $1.3 Billion in cash rewards to users.)
3. Freecash (Earn up to $250 joining bonus, Must try for everyone.)
4. SurveyJunkie (#1 survey platform in the world. Best and high-paying surveys.)

 

3. Sell Printables

Printables are the best-selling items on Etsy. Just use a simple platform like Canva to create them and sell them digitally online. One of my acquaintances, Julie from Gold City Ventures, quickly succeeded in it and now earns four-figure dollars monthly.

You can sell printables like:

• Budget templates
• Coloring pages for kids and adults
• Calendars
• Meal planners
• Checklists, etc

If you are a teen between the ages of 13 and 17, then you just need a legal guardian or a parent’s permission to register.

Julie’s even helping out teens by providing a free workshop that will show how you can start your passive income by selling printables on Etsy.

 

Must Read:

37 Lucrative Resin Crafts To Sell

How To Make $5000 Fast – 18 Super EASY Methods

15 Ways To Make Money With Canva

 

4. Sell Digital Products on Etsy

Etsy is even popular for non-printable digital products.

The things to sell to make money as a teenager include menus, albums, wall art, greeting cards, journaling stickers, logos, spreadsheets, business cards, templates, e-books, etc.

Thus, you can create such digital products and sell them for better profits for a very long time.

You simply work once and get paid forever with this side hustle.

 

5. Start a YouTube Channel

YouTube is the most common platform everyone is venturing to, as the number of consumers is too high. Thus, you can also start creating videos for monetization with ads and viewers.

Even companies collaborate with creators to promote their products and services, hence influencers are becoming millionaires.

But you need the correct approach to stand out in the crowd. One of the best tips is to define your USP, post useful content consistently, and optimize your videos well using SEO.

 

6. Become a Social Media Manager

Being a teenager, you would have a good exposure and knowledge of social media as compared to other generations.

You can use this skill as companies are paying good, stable income for those who have social media expertise. Alongside, you will have to create and share content.

You can opt for platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

Pinterest managers create pins and manage Pinterest accounts for bloggers and Etsy sellers to drive traffic to websites. This skill takes hardly a week or two to master, and you as a teenager, can charge between $300 – $1000 per month per client.

 

7. Start a Blog

If you have a hobby of writing like tutorials, reviews, sharing stories, or reviews related to various purposes, then blogging is the perfect way to make money as a teen.

As a blogger, you can display ads once you qualify, like for Ezoic or AdSense, or Mediavine, write sponsored articles, and sell your digital products. Based on audience engagement, you can make thousands of dollars every month from blogging.

However, you need patience as it doesn’t give results instantly. You have to spend time creating content and then attract your target audience. Besides, a structured approach is essential. 

Ever since I began writing blogs, it has changed my life for the better. I started by creating content, then marketing it, and now I know how to make plenty of money passively through my blogs. 

Similarly, you can create content around the topic you love or have knowledge that too a series of related ones and then monetize.

Must Read – How To Start A Blog & Make Money From It

 

8. Become a Virtual Assistant

If you own a personal computer and an internet connection, then working as a virtual assistant is one of the easiest jobs, yet it gives good exposure.

Bloggers and entrepreneurs always seek virtual assistants who can assist them in their daily tasks for their said fee.

Even you can work virtually and make anywhere between $10 – $50 per hour.

You can choose the kind of work you opt for, what kind of tasks they will be, and the duration for which you will work.

Earlier, as a side gig, many even do it full-time. This is because every online business wants someone to assist in simple tasks, but doesn’t want to hire full-time employees for it.

You can opt for work like general admin, finance, HR, social media, blogging, and more.

Rest, you can choose based on your lifestyle.

But if you want to earn a significant income as a teen without giving so much time, do check the FREE Virtual Assistant Training by Abbey Ashley. You can upgrade to the course if you like the training part. It’s up to you!

 

9. Work as a Video Editor

As vlogging and social media influencers are increasing, so is the demand for video editors. So, you can capitalize on it by learning video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, CapCut, and DaVinci Resolve.

Even schools, societies, and similar dwellings hire them for various needs.

All you need is a high-end laptop or computer, any of these software, and YouTube. Start learning, implementing, and searching for inspiration.

After learning, you can create a portfolio with some sample edits, reach out to content creators and influencers to work as a video editor.

 

10. Sell your Used Books

Most of the teens have their old books lying in the corner, filled with dust.

If you are one such, then put them to use by selling them on Bookscouter, which deals with used books and textbooks.

Ensure you have the ISBN number (a long series of numbers located above the barcode at the back) as it is necessary.

 

11. Sell used clothes on Poshmark.

If you are a teen who has used clothes, shoes, or handbags, then you can flip them on Poshmark for some bucks.

It is one of the most popular sites to resell your clothes and accessories. Some others include Rebag and Fashionphile.

 

Ways to Make Money As a Teen Offline

 

12. Babysitting

If you are a teen who loves babies, then babysitting is easy for you to make money as a teen.

You just have to take care of a kid, and you can learn it by babysitting your friend’s or relative’s kid.

After some time, when you become a bit experienced in the job, you can apply for better babysitting jobs, as it gets very good hourly pay in many other countries as well.

 

13. Start a Thrift Store

A thrift store is one that sells second-hand clothes, furniture, electronics, household items, and more at discounted prices.

You can buy products at affordable prices and resell them for a better profit. Besides, people do purchase them as they are affordable and still in good condition.

You can set it up online, but before you need a business plan, platform, set up your inventory, and then market your products.

 

14. Start a Baking Business

Baking is an incredible way to make money as a teen, especially in the spring and summer seasons.

One of the personal ideas I implemented for extra income is beginning a dog treat business at home. People treat pets like babies, and so are conscious about their health. Hence, a homemade dog treat business is good.

I had learnt from the Diva Dog Bakery course, which my friend Kristin had hosted. She herself made thousands of dollars in the beginning. Even I had scaled it to $1000-$1400 when I used to sell them from my kitchen.

So, if you are eager to earn this much by baking at home, then you can attend her free workshop, where she will even give a free recipe.

Must Read – How to Start a Dog Treat Business at Home?

 

15. Get a Part-Time Job

Every businessman says that it is useless and annoying to work for someone. While beginning a business is rewarding, the investment is high, and income can be equally bad.

I prefer part-time jobs as they give me certainty that I will get paid every month without worrying about customer acquisition.

Some of the best part-time teen jobs include:

• Dishwashing: Dishwashing at restaurants is a decent job, and most teens work at it for some extra pennies. Even 2-3 hours per day is enough to get a decent income.

• Fitness Instructor: If you know what to eat, how to work out, and other tips, tricks, and diets needed for achieving fitness goals, then becoming a fitness instructor will make you a good income.

• Delivering Food: Most people have food cravings but don’t prefer to eat outside. So they order food online, and here’s where you can take advantage by doing food deliveries in your vehicle.

• Working at a Movie Theatre: If you love watching movies, the theatre has several vacancies where you can work and watch movies daily for free.

• Teacher: To increase confidence, you can work as a part-time teacher in a school or tuition center.

• Rideshare Driver: If you are eighteen or nineteen with a driver’s license, you can become an Uber driver if you love driving to different places.

 

16. Take Dogs for a Walk

If you love dogs, then you can become a dog walker. You can watch dogs or do pet sitting. There are plenty of dog walking jobs on Rover.

Many dog owners comfortably pay $10 to $20 bucks per walk per dog. Or you can even offer them a monthly package.

Taking one dog at a time might pay a little less, but if you can manage multiple dogs at once, then you can earn more. In this way, you can earn $1000 every month by even working part-time.

You can opt for the services you will provide, set your price, and manage as per your schedule.

 

17. Deliver Food or Groceries

Delivering groceries is an easy task where you don’t have to use much of your brain.

You can decide the schedule as per your preferences and decide on which days you will work.

Join a local restaurant in your neighborhood or work with Uber Eats or DoorDash for food.

Similarly, you can opt for Instacart for food and groceries. This way, you can earn money faster, provided you know how to drive, have a vehicle, and love helping others.

Next Read – How To Make $500 A Week With DoorDash?

 

18. Home Tutoring

If you love teaching, communicating, and imparting knowledge, then become a home tutor. Choose your preferred subject and provide your services to teach others.

There are many students who struggle to learn and excel, so you can earn by spending your time. It will also increase your confidence in the corporate sector.

Some other easy options for tutoring if you have weak academics include:

• Sports Like Swimming, skating, and football)
• Games like chess, table tennis
• Drawing
• Musical instruments like the guitar and the piano
• Cooking
• Art and craft

So, understand your expertise and accordingly start providing your services.

 

19. Try Odd Jobs

Doing odd jobs is an easy side hustle to make money as a teen.

Many find it against their pride, but most of the millionaires and billionaires had humble beginnings. You have to always start from somewhere, just like most other teens, to make extra money.

Some of the popular odd jobs include:

• Doing food/grocery deliveries
• Washing cars
• Shoveling snow
• Mowing lawns
• Newspaper delivery
• Prepare garden beds
• Cleaning homes
• Cleaning pools
• Floor sweeping
• Vacuum cleaning
• Laundry
• Washing dishes
• Selling street food
• Cleaning bathrooms, etc

 

Tips to Make Money as a Teen

 

1. Tell Your Parents First

If you have decided to start earning by yourself, then it’s a good decision. But as a matter of safety and responsibility, always inform your parents about the new side hustle.

They can guide you better about savings, expenses, and whether you are paid fairly or not.

 

2. Balance your Studies and Side Hustle

Earning money gives a sense of self-sufficiency that feels fun, but completing education should always be your first priority. So, start by planning your week and ensure you get enough time for rest, work, and studies.

For example, allocate 1-2 hours daily for studying and use the rest of it for enjoying social life, sleeping well, and hustling.

 

3. Beware of Scams

Many people lure potential side hustlers, especially teens, with the promise of easy money-making. Therefore, research well before sharing any personal information. Anywhere, if you feel suspicious, then it might be true.

 

Make Money As a Teen – Final Thoughts

Achieving financial freedom at an early age always helps.

There are plenty of options outlined here to earn money online as a teen. Being so young, you have time to explore options and discover what works best for you.

You can even try doing different ones and freelancing simultaneously. With time, you will realize where your passion lies or what intrigues you by the time you start making money.

Most importantly, beware of “getting rich quickly” schemes and stay patient yet grounded in the path so you can reach the skies of success.

 

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