So, you're a teenager who's looking to make a bit of extra cash and you're thinking of starting a new side hustle.
This is an excellent goal for any teenager or young adult. And the great news is that there are plenty of incredible side hustles for teens out there that you can use to begin building wealth.
I'm happy to share my experience with making money as a teenager. I've been using hustles ever since my time in high school and college to earn money and develop new skills. Here are some of my all-time favorite ideas.
The Best Side Hustles For Teens
This guide contains numerous online money-making ideas and in-person side hustle ideas for teens. Think about your skills and interests and then dive in!
- Start Freelance Writing – Freelance writing is how I make most of my income these days, and I began writing back in highschool to practice!
- Sell Stuff – You can sell things like candy at school, or consider selling things like clothing online. Plenty of people make money flipping things on eBay, Amazon, or Facebook Marketplace.
- Sports Coach – Get paid to teach younger students and kids how to play your favorite sport. You can also work at summer sports camps like I did.
- Landscaping – This is one of the best summer side hustles for teens. Go door-to-door in your neighborhood and offer to cut people's lawns or do basic landscaping.
- Survey Sites – Online survey websites like Branded Surveys and Swagbucks let you share your opinion to earn quick cash. My post on the best teen survey sites has plenty of options to check out.
- Babysitting – This is a classic side hustle for teens. You need your babysitting credentials like first aid training, but this just takes a quick course and you're ready to go.
- Run Errands – Get paid to stand in line, shop, and run errands for people. You can use apps like TaskRabbit to find clients.
- Start Affiliate Marketing – If you grow an online audience, you can begin making money with affiliate marketing. This is possible via YouTube or even with social media pages.
- Build Theme Pages – Speaking of social media, one awesome online side hustle for teens is to build and sell theme pages on social media. This means building niche pages on TikTok and Instagram and then flipping them to buyers.
- Host A Garage Sale – If your family has a lot of unused stuff laying around, you can get quick money by hosting a garage sale one weekend.
- Become A Referee – I played soccer growing up. A lot of my highschool friends made great money each year by being referees.
- Become A Tutor – You can make decent income tutoring your fellow students in-person. There's also online tutoring jobs for teens if you prefer working online.
- Virtual Assistant – Become a VA and help online business owners and entrepreneurs with day-to-day tasks.
- Upwork Freelancer – Earn money online by completing easy Upwork jobs and get into freelancing.
- Graphic Design – Create logos, websites, and branded material for companies in your city.
- Pet Sitting – Get paid to take care of pets, walk dogs, and more! I suggest using gig apps like Rover to find early clients.
- Cleaning Jobs – Offer to clean people's houses or offer more niche services like window washing or gutter cleaning. You don't need much money for supplies, so it's an easy teenager side hustle to start.
- Sell Handcraft Goods – Can you make candles, soap, blankets, jewelry, or some other handmade goods? If so, consider making and selling them at flea markets or through shops in your city.
- Social Media Manager – This is one of my favorite online jobs, and it's perfect for teens. Contact local businesses and offer to run their social media accounts for a small monthly fee.
- Craigslist Gigs – Look for local cash gigs and odd jobs on Craigslist. People need help with things like moving, cleaning, errand running, and other easy gigs all the time.
- Wash Cars – This is the perfect summer side hustle for teens. And you can do this one with a few friends to try and start a bit of a business for yourselves.
- Photographer – Have a knack for taking photos? Why not offer your skills as a freelancer. Portrait, event, and product photography are all lucrative niches to explore.
- Build Websites – Offer to create websites for business owners or people in your city and try out this type of freelance gig.
- Start A Blog – I make a full-time income blogging, and I can make $50,000 a month or more some months. But I actually started my first blog back in highschool, and I think anyone can do the same.
- Waste Removal – Get paid to pick up trash, or offer to clean people's backyards from pet waste.
- Start Podcasting – This is one of my favorite online side hustles for teens since you can get started with a cheap microphone and can also do this with a friend or two.
- Deliver Newspapers & Flyers – Delivering flyers is another straightforward hustle you can use. I like this one since it gets you active and outdoors as well.
- Teach Music Lessons – Work with a local music school or offer in-person tutoring for cash.
- Write A Book – You can self-publish with Amazon KDP or try the traditional publishing route.
- Flip Trading Cards – Niches like Pokemon cards or even sports cards can be incredibly easy and lucrative to flip if you learn the market.
- Make Money On Reddit – You can earn money with Reddit by offering freelancing services on dozens of subreddits.
- Teach Yoga – Work with a local studio or offer private yoga coaching.
- Make Money On YouTube – This is a creative teen side hustle that's also incredibly fun. I make money with YouTube every day through AdSense ads, and you just need your phone to get started.
- Get A Part-Time Job – Find a business looking for part-time labor that hires teenagers.
- Clean Carpets – This is a high-paying, niche side gig you and some friends can offer.
- Use Microtask Websites – Various microtask sites like Amazon MTurk or Clickworker pay you to complete short tasks in your spare time.
- Groom Pets – Offer to wash and groom dogs and other pets.
- Dropshipping – You can try out Shopify dropshipping and launch your own store in a few days to begin testing new products. I tried this during college, and it was an excellent learning experience.
- Sell Drinks – Buy packs of bottled water, a cooler, and some ice from Walmart. Next, sell bottles of water for $1 to $2 per water on hot days at local sports games or similar events.
- Etsy Selling – You can start an Etsy print on demand store or sell handmade goods on this massive marketplace.
- Pizza Delivery – This side hustle for teens requires a license, but it's a stable side job that can pay well, especially if you get tips.
- Modeling – You can contact local modeling agencies and submit a portfolio if this is up your alley.
- Flip Electronics – Smartphones, laptops, and other electronics are a popular thing to flip.
- Create Apps – If you learn how to program, you can create mobile apps for Android or iOS devices and make money by displaying ads in those apps.
- Play Games For Money – Speaking of mobile apps, there are numerous pay to play game apps out there that let you earn gift cards and cash. Rewarded Play and Cash Giraffe are two of my favorites.
- Video Editing – This online teen side hustle is growing in popularity since brands increasingly need video content to help them market.
- Start Investing – You can begin investing for income, even if you're a teenager. Work together with your parents to open a custodial account with your bank and learn the basics of investing.
- Yard Work – Offer to rake leaves or do basic yard work for people.
- Earn Passive Income – Teens can use a variety of passive income apps to earn small amounts of cash each day. I did this during college, and it was one of my first hustles.
- Snow Shoveling – My friends and I did this multiple winters in Canada when we were teens. It's an easy way to make $10 to $20 a driveway you shovel, and it's excellent exercise.
- Flip Shoes – Shoes and sneakers are another amazing thing to flip if you understand the market and fashion trends.
- Call Center Gigs – Some call centers or customer service roles hire teens 16 or older.
- Help People Move – Everyone hates moving. So, offer to help out for cash on Craigslist or by putting up flyers around town.
- Print On Demand Selling – Upload your unique designs to products on marketplaces like Redbubble and earn commissions whenever you make a sale.
- Test Websites – Companies like PlaytestCloud and UserTesting pay you to test out new websites and apps and then give your feedback.
- Help Your Family Save – Look for coupons, research new budgeting methods, and become the family finance guru in your household to help everyone save money.
- Pool Cleaner – This is a classic summer job for students, and it can pay very well. You can also be a lifeguard if you qualify.
- Do Homework For People – You can make money doing homework or even by selling notes to your fellow students.
- Earn Cashback – Learn how to use the best reward apps and help your family save money each month.
- Caregiving Work – Help out the elderly or people who need at-home care.
- Amazon FBA – Buy and resell products on Amazon with this popular method of retail arbitrage.
- Streamer – Start streaming on Twitch or YouTube and give content creation and entertainment a try.
- Creative Writing – Try making money with creative writing, poems, articles, and short stories. I actually won a poetry contest back in highschool, and it was the easiest $100 I ever made.
- Amazon Influencer – Try earning with Amazon affiliate marketing or join its new influencer program.
- Painter – Offer to paint or look for these gigs on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
- Start A Rental Business – You and your family can earn passive income by renting out things you own. Parking spaces, spare rooms, or even gear your family owns are all viable options.
- Flip Domain Names – Domain names are basically digital real estate. So, why not try your hand at buying and selling them?
- Upload Receipts – Use receipt scanning apps like Ibotta and Fetch to earn gift cards or cash whenever someone in your family goes shopping.
- Watch Videos For Money – You can use various reward sites and actually get paid to watch ads and videos in your spare time.
- Download Apps For Money – There are numerous websites that pay you to download apps and try them out. A lot of these sites promote fun gaming apps as well, so it's a fun side hustle to test out.
- Use Fitness Money Apps – Did you know you can get paid to walk or workout? That's right: plenty of apps actually pay you for getting active.
- Design Business Cards – This is a nice teen side hustle, but you can offer it to business professionals you might know.
- Door-To-Door Sales – Many companies hire teens for commission-based sales jobs.
- Busking – If you know how to play an instrument, sing, or to perform some trick, this can be a very lucrative side gig.
- Event Staff – Plenty of local events hire students to help out with things like ticket administration, security, or just general event management.
Which Side Hustle Is Best?
I hope this list of the best side hustles for teens helps you make some extra money this month.
At the end of the day, my main piece of advice is to focus on learning. The skills you develop from trying different hustles can be incredibly valuable. In fact, some of my most unsuccessful side hustles in the past ended up landing me high-paying jobs or freelance gigs.
So, don't be afraid to get creative and to give an idea or two a try! You never know where you'll end up, and that's half the fun.
Happy hustling!
Want even more side hustle ideas? Checkout:
