10 of the Top Online Jobs for Teens

We often think that you need to wait until 16 to work, or even 18 for online jobs. In fact, teens can earn extra money in a variety of ways without compromising their schoolwork or social lives.

The internet has introduced numerous opportunities for kids as young as 13 or 14 years old. This article will cover a few of the best online jobs for teens around high-school age.

We’ll also outline the pros and cons of each option along with who it’s best for. Even a small amount of experience as a teen will set you up for long-term success in your target field.

1. Survey Junkie

• 

  Survey Junkie: Best for Surveys

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  • Basics: While taking surveys isn’t actually a job, you’ll be surprised by how much you can earn. It’s probably more lucrative to find part-time work, but answering questions is a much easier way to make money.
  • Pros: Anyone 13 or older can sign up, and you can take surveys as often or as rarely as you want. Most surveys take around 15 minutes or less, making them convenient any time of the day.
  • Cons: Surveys generally pay well below minimum wage, so you probably won’t earn as much as you would with a job. Most surveys start with screener questions designed to make sure you qualify. You’ll get much fewer rewards if you’re turned away from the full survey.
  • MINIMUM AGE ELIGIBILITY

    13+

  • VALUE PER POINT

    $0.01

  • PAYOUT INFORMATION

    $10 (1,000 points) minimum, payable via PayPal, bank transfer, and electronic gift cards

Taking surveys might not be a full-time job, but it’s an easy way to earn additional income.

Survey sites allow you to work as much or as little as you like depending on your schedule. This is a great place to start if you’re interested in taking surveys for money.

Survey Junkie is a unique online opportunity in that anyone at or above 13 years old can join. There are surveys covering a wide range of topics and interests, and you can take surveys either online or on your phone.

You’ll be matched to surveys based on your personal information, so there may be more surveys at some times and less at others. Survey Junkie starts with some personal questions that gather data in order to match members with new surveys.

All Survey Junkie members can redeem rewards as cash through PayPal. If you’re living in the United States, you can also request a bank transfer or gift card.

Most surveys take about 15 minutes to finish, so you can answer questions whenever you have free time.

The downside to Survey Junkie is a problem with most survey websites. In short, these services offer relatively little in benefits, and you’ll likely earn far less than minimum wage.

Similarly, every survey starts with a screener questionnaire to make sure you qualify for the rest of the questions. While you’ll still get some points if you’re turned away, it can be frustrating to start a number of surveys before qualifying.

You should think of taking surveys as a way to earn a few extra dollars, not a full- or part-time job.

2. Care.com

• 

  Care.com: Best for Caretaking Jobs

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  • Basics: Care.com connects caregivers with people who need a wide range of care. You could work with children, pets, the elderly, or anyone else who needs care.
  • Pros: Anyone at least 14 years old can sign up to provide care through Care.com. You can also set your own rate and hours depending on your school schedule.
  • Cons: Providing care is a serious responsibility, and clients may be reluctant to trust teens in that position. It could take some time to build your profile and get interest from more clients.
  • MINIMUM AGE ELIGIBILITY

    14+

  • MINIMUM WAGE

    $7.25/hour

  • JOB TITLE

    Care Provider

Babysitting and similar tasks are some of the most common ways for kids and teens to start working. Care.com facilitates connections between caretakers and a wide range of people in need of care.

Their website lists housekeeping, pet care, senior care, tutoring, and child care, giving you plenty of options.

While clients need to be at least 18 in order to receive services, anyone at or above 14 can sign up to provide care. That said, minors need to be sponsored by a parent or guardian who signs up as a Parent Registered User.

Parent Registered Users can view communications and send messages to other users.

Caregivers can create a profile and set their own rates, giving you the flexibility to select contracts based on your schedule and desired earnings. You’ll receive feedback from each client, helping you build your profile and find better contracts.

You’ll likely earn far more on Care.com than on survey sites and other low-paying services. Of course, you’ll need to arrange transportation if the client doesn’t live nearby, which could be difficult if you don’t have a license.

Furthermore, with so many types of jobs available, you could work with kids, pets, the elderly, or anyone else looking for care.

On the other hand, people are cautious when looking for caregivers, so it may be tough to find jobs as a teenager. If you’re new to babysitting, you may have better luck getting started by working for a relative or family friend.

3. Etsy

• 

  Etsy: Best for Creative Work

  Open your Etsy Shop

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  • Basics: Etsy is simply a platform for sellers and buyers to connect. Anyone who can create something valuable has the opportunity to earn a decent amount of money on Etsy.
  • Pros: Etsy allows creative types to make money using a variety of products, so you can work online by doing almost anything people are interested in. Etsy’s fees are relatively small compared to other online buy/sell platforms.
  • Cons: You’ll only earn money if people buy your products, and getting an online store off the ground can be difficult. You should consider asking an older relative to help promote and grow your store, especially in the early stages.
  • MINIMUM AGE ELIGIBILITY

    13+

  • FEES

    • $0.20 listing fee
    • 5% transaction fee
    • 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee

  • ACTIVE BUYERS

    45.7 million buyers as of 2019 Q4

Like Care.com and Survey Junkie, Etsy is open to people of all ages, but it’s another great choice for teens. Rather than selling your time, you’ll sell products to any interested buyers.

With that in mind, clients are much less interested in your age or previous experience. Anyone who creates something unique and worthwhile has the chance to reach an audience on Etsy.

Etsy allows for virtually unlimited creativity, so you can turn talents of any kind into a sustainable source of income. You can sell anything people are interested in buying, and this gives you the freedom to work as much or as little as you want.

As an Etsy seller, you’ll ship items to buyers and receive funds through PayPal.

If you have any success, you can keep creating and selling products on Etsy. You can create an account as long as you’re 13 or older, although minors need parental approval.

Etsy offers a much higher earnings ceiling than most other websites. Even if you’re a teen, you can make a lot of money by creating a high-quality product.

That said, the majority of Etsy sellers start relatively small, so don’t be disappointed if it takes time to scale your business.

Etsy charges 20 cents per listing in addition to a number of other fees. You’ll lose a 5% transaction fee plus an optional $10 per month for Etsy Plus.

All things considered, these add up to a relatively small percentage of your earnings, but they’re still significant.

4. Fiverr

• 

  Fiverr: Best for Freelancing

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  • Basics: Fiverr is an open platform for freelancers in virtually every field. Freelancers set rates for certain types of projects and receive offers from clients.
  • Pros: Fiverr is open to teens as young as 13, making it the best freelancing site for young people. You’ll be evaluated based on performance, so you won’t earn less simply for being younger.
  • Cons: There’s a lot of talent on Fiverr, so you’ll be competing against qualified professionals. It may be tough to convince professional clients to take a risk on a teen when there are adults available. Of course, they’ll care less about your age if you have an impressive portfolio.
  • MINIMUM AGE ELIGIBILITY

    13+

  • REQUIREMENTS

    It's free to join Fiverr. There is no subscription required or fees to list your services. You keep 80% of each transaction.

  • WAGE

    With Gig Packages, you set your pricing anywhere from $5 - $995 and offer three versions of your service at three different prices.

Fiverr is a freelance platform covering a variety of tasks and open to users as young as 13. For those reasons, it’s currently one of the top online jobs for teens as well as adults.

Many kids and teens already have skills that can easily be transferred to a freelance work environment.

Clients look on Fiverr for nearly every kind of freelancer. For example, you could work as a graphic designer, digital marketer, translator, or almost anything else.

Pay scale varies widely from one field to another, and you’ll earn more as you gain more experience.

Fiverr is similar to Etsy in that your profile will get more exposure as you work on successful projects. While prior experience can help you find jobs, anyone can develop a portfolio over time.

This can help you earn money now and learn more skills to apply later on.

As a Fiverr freelancer, you’ll post bids on specific projects at a certain price point. For example, I found a graphic designer offering logo design for just $40.

This gives you fine-grained control over the kinds of work you do (and for how much money).

Fiverr takes $1 from the buyer out of every contract that adds up to $20 or less. After that, buyers are charged 5% of the total.

Furthermore, 20% of the total is taken from the seller. These fees add up to a large portion of what you earn.

If you’re interested in freelancing, you could find a lower fee on a website like Upwork. Unfortunately, Upwork is currently only open to freelancers aged 18 and above.

5. eBay

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  eBay: Best for Auctions

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  • Basics: Like Etsy, eBay is a platform for buyers and sellers that takes a percentage of each sale. In addition to fixed prices, you can also set listings up in an auction format.
    
  • Pros: eBay has listings for almost anything you can think of. You can make money by creating products or selling things you no longer need. Auctions are a great way to maximize the value of your items.
  • Cons: eBay takes a 10% cut of most sales, and there are a few other small fees. The website technically requires sellers to be 18, but you can create an account with parental permission.
  • MINIMUM AGE ELIGIBILITY

    18+

  • FEES

    • 2.9% + $0.30 fee for each sale for Paypal fees
    • Free 50 listings per month, then $0.35 per listing
    • 2% - 12% final value fee depending on the product category

  • ACTIVE BUYERS

    182 million users reported as of 2019

Like Etsy, eBay is essentially a platform connecting buyers and sellers. You could sell items from around the house or create something for sale on eBay.

Sales can be created either as auctions or as set prices. You can also accept offers on set-price listings.

eBay is technically only open to sellers ages 18 and above, but you can create an account with parental permission. Most listings are subject to a 10% seller fee, although this increases for certain kinds of items.

This is twice as high as the 5% seller fee charged by Etsy.

Since eBay is so varied in its items, you can make a living selling almost anything. It doesn’t take much time to set up listings, so even kids and teens can find ways to make money.

On the other hand, eBay doesn’t focus on handcrafted goods to the same extent as Etsy.

The other downside to selling on eBay is that you’ll technically be operating a parent’s account. In other words, your parent or guardian will be the one with control over the account, so you’ll need to work something out with them.

This shouldn’t be a problem if your parent is supportive of your attempts to earn more money.

6. YouTube

• 

  Youtube: Best for Content Creation

  Create a Youtube Channel

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  • Basics: Rather than selling products, Youtube allows you to create videos and earn money through ads and subscriptions. While developing a following is hard work, there are numerous examples of channels that made it big on Youtube.
    
  • Pros: Youtube rewards you for creative work and gives you a place to develop your own content and personality. Major channels can turn into a full-time job and generate an incredible amount of revenue. Youtube takes 45% of ad revenue, leaving you with a 55% cut.
  • Cons: Most channels never reach sustainable success, and making videos for little reward can be tiring. Earning money through content creation is inherently unpredictable, especially on a platform like Youtube.
  • MINIMUM AGE ELIGIBILITY

    13+

  • FEES

    Youtube takes 45% from ad revenue

  • MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

    • At least 1,000 subscribers
    • 4,000 hours of watch time within the past 12 months

Youtube is becoming a more common way for kids and teens of all ages to earn money. Its system works like Etsy’s in that anyone above 13 can create an account, but minors need parental permission.

Similarly, the only requirement for making money is that people stay interested in your content.

Youtubers of all kinds have become incredibly popular, and building a following is all about finding a niche. While only a tiny percentage of channels reach large-scale success, even smaller channels can generate a decent amount of revenue.

Content creators currently receive 70% of revenue from premium subscriptions, with Youtube pocketing the remaining 30%. As on Twitch, a gaming-focused platform, subscriptions are $5 per month for each individual channel.

You can also earn money from ad revenue, although the specific amount is unpredictable.

If you’re a creative type looking for a way to monetize your talents, Youtube is the perfect place to start and one of the best online jobs for teens.

Popular Youtubers can take advantage of other revenue streams such as product placement. You can keep creating content for as long as it earns money or until you get bored.

7. Slice the Pie

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  Slice the Pie: Best for Music Feedback

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  • Basics: Slice the Pie works similarly to many survey sites, but it focuses on gathering audience feedback for artists and producers. You’ll be asked for your impressions on things like music and fashion in exchange for rewards.
  • Pros: Like other survey sites, Slice the Pie is extremely flexible in terms of scheduling. It also offers mobile apps on both iOS and Android, although these have mixed reviews.
  • Cons: Taking surveys won’t earn you much money, and some users report issues with the app. It certainly isn’t as lucrative as some of the alternatives on this list.
  • MINIMUM AGE ELIGIBILITY

    13+

  • EARNINGS PER SONG

    $0.03 per song

  • PAYOUT INFORMATION

    $10 minimum withdrawal limit, payable via Paypal

Slice the Pie is another massive survey site accepting users as young as 13. You’re paid for your opinions, so you don’t need to produce anything tangible to make money.

Instead, you’ll have the opportunity to earn a few dollars here and there around your schedule.

Instead of asking questions about current affairs and other topics of interest, Slice the Pie asks users about music and a few other areas. Record labels and other music-related businesses contract Slice the Pie to gather audience feedback.

While the website focused on music alone at first, you can now review a wider variety of products. That said, users report limited availability for other kinds of surveys.

You should expect most surveys to focus on music.

Slice the Pie pays out rewards through PayPal, so you can turn your earnings into real money. While there’s a mobile app on both the App Store and Google Play, both versions have middling to negative reviews, and the interface looks relatively simple.

That said, it’s usually more convenient to answer questions on your phone instead of on a computer.

8. Samespeak

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  Samespeak: Best for Tutoring

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  • Basics: Samespeak connects English learners with native speakers in order to provide affordable lessons. The website also provides materials, so any native speaker can give decent lessons.
  • Pros: Samespeak pays $10 for each 30-minute session, more than minimum wage in any US state. Considering the low barrier to entry, it probably offers the best pay of any online job for teens.
  • Cons: You have to be at least 16 to sign up as a teacher, so younger teens will need to wait. Even though they offer materials, helping someone learn a language is still a relatively high-impact job. Furthermore, Samespeak currently has a surplus of teachers and may not accept all qualified applicants.
  • MINIMUM AGE ELIGIBILITY

    16+

  • PAYOUT INFORMATION

    $10 for each 30-minute session

  • BARRIER TO ENTRY

    Low

Samespeak is a tutoring platform focused on helping people learn English. Since it covers language skills rather than school subjects, you don’t need any particular expertise to be an effective tutor.

Anyone at least 16 years old can sign up to teach English on Samespeak.

Learners pay $15 for each 30-minute lesson. Samespeak keeps $5, leaving you with $10 per 30 minutes of work. This is significantly more than survey sites and similar platforms pay, making Samespeak one of the most lucrative online jobs for teens.

Tutoring might sound overwhelming, but Samespeak provides coaching materials to help you manage each lesson.

You shouldn’t have any trouble teaching as long as you’re a native speaker and comfortable getting to know new people. That said, you need to get verified in order to teach, and Samespeak is currently reporting a surplus of teachers.

If you’re able to register as an English tutor, Samespeak is arguably the top option on this list. $20 per hour is more than even the highest state minimum wage in the United States, and it’s much more than most teenagers can earn on their own.

Furthermore, you can set your own hours and work whenever your schedule allows.

9. Swagbucks

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  Swagbucks: Best for Free Time

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  • Basics: Swagbucks offers the same opportunities as other survey sites plus a wide variety of additional offers. You can earn money by watching videos, answering questions, or shopping at certain stores.
  • Pros: With so many ways to earn money, you can get a few dollars here and there without much effort. Swagbucks makes it easy to get cash for buying things you wanted anyway. You can take surveys on a computer or using the mobile app.
  • Cons: Even though Swagbucks has more choices, the pay scale isn’t particularly competitive. If you’re serious about making money, you shouldn’t spend too much time on survey websites.
  • MINIMUM AGE ELIGIBILITY

    13+

  • VALUE PER POINT

    40 to 200 SB points per survey (100 SB = $1)

  • PAYOUT INFORMATION

    At least 2500 points or $25, payable via Paypal

Swagbucks works like most other survey sites, although it offers more ways to earn money. The minimum age is 13, but minors are encouraged to get permission before signing up.

You can redeem earnings through PayPal or opt for a gift card.

Like other survey sites, Swagbucks surveys often begin with a questionnaire to determine whether you qualify.

Again, you’ll get at least some reward either way, but far less if you’re rejected. This leads to the same frustrating loop of taking numerous screeners before being accepted for a full survey.

In addition to surveys, Swagbucks provides a number of unique opportunities. For example, you can earn rewards and other incentives simply for making purchases from Swagbucks’ partners.

Swagbucks users can currently earn 4 points per dollar spent at Best Buy or $1 back on an HBO free trial through Amazon. These offers are constantly rotating, so don’t forget to consistently check in after signing up.

Swagbucks also allows you to earn a small number of points for watching promotional videos. You won’t get much, but it’s worth turning videos on while doing something else.

The goal with Swagbucks is to gradually build up funds by performing different tasks.

Finally, Swagbucks often offers rewards simply for purchasing specific products. You can make 1000 points right now by purchasing a certain protein drink from Target.

It probably isn’t worthwhile to make shopping decisions based on Swagbucks, but you can always check for offers when you get to the store.

Swagbucks is currently available on both iOS and Android in addition to its desktop website. Signing up is incredibly easy, and you’ll get an extra $10 welcome bonus.

You’ll simply need to enter your email address and a password. From there, Swagbucks will ask for some personal information to help match you with surveys.

Considering all the ways it allows you to make money, Swagbucks is clearly one of the most convenient options. That said, its pay scale isn’t much better than similar sites.

It’s better to find something that pays more than surveys, videos, and related offers whenever possible. Of course, if you just want a way to earn a little extra money in your free time, Swagbucks gives you the opportunity to do so with a very small time investment.

10. Bookscouter

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  Bookscouter: Best for Selling Textbooks

  Sell Your Textbooks

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  • Basics: Bookscouter aggregates textbook buyback offers from a variety of online purchasers. You’ll be able to quickly find the best deal on textbooks in any subject.
  • Pros: There’s no way to guarantee you’re getting the best offer unless you compare prices from multiple sites. Bookscouter streamlines that process and connects you with the right vendor for each book.
  • Cons: Selling textbooks isn’t exactly a job unless you can generate a sustainable supply for less than the resale value. Additionally, since Bookscouter is just an aggregator, you’ll need to deal with individual vendors in order to sell your books.
  • MINIMUM AGE ELIGIBILITY

    Depends on vendor

  • FEES

    Free

  • PAYOUT INFORMATION

    Depends on vendor

Textbooks are becoming increasingly valuable, and Bookscouter gives you an easy way to resell them. You can get an estimate on your book by entering its ISBN, and Bookscouter makes the process simple.

Rather than buying books itself, the website compares offers on your book from a variety of independent sites.

This process makes Bookscouter the best option if you want to make money off textbooks. You won’t have to enter the ISBN number on more than one site just to compare prices. Reselling textbooks can be a surprisingly lucrative side hustle.

That said, reselling textbooks isn’t a sustainable source of income. It’s more like taking surveys-a good way to get extra cash here and there, but not something to rely on.

Remember that you can also use Bookscouter to buy used books from other sites at discounted prices.

There’s nothing wrong with waiting to start working, but you can get ahead by looking for online jobs for teens. These are just a few of the best ways for teens to earn extra money on the side.