While there are plenty of different ways to make money online, many of them are not open to minors. If you’re between the ages of 13 and 17, there are some legit online jobs for teens, but you need to know what to look for.
In this article, we’ll cover ways for teens to make money that actually work. We’ll also look at why these opportunities are well-suited for teens.
If you’re over the age of 18, check out our article on the best online jobs for college students.
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1. Do Creative Jobs on Fiverr
Fiverr is a popular freelancing platform that allows you to make money by offering many different services (see a few examples below). Most jobs are for digital and creative services, like graphic design, web design, writing and voiceovers — but there are hundreds of different job categories. The minimum age to sign up is 13 years old, making it an excellent opportunity for teens.
Freelancers can receive payment in a few different ways, including bank transfers. As a Fiverr freelancer, your customers/clients will pay Fiverr, and then you can withdraw the money you’ve earned after a 14-day waiting period.
There’s no end to the kinds of services you can offer on Fiverr, so it really comes down to finding what you’re good at and what others need help with. Because there are so many possibilities, you can take advantage of the skills you already have, regardless of what they are.
Some examples of services that might make for a good teen job include:
- Design graphics for social media.
- Help entrepreneurs and small businesses with social media marketing.
- Edit videos for YouTube, Instagram and Tiktok.
- Write or record music.
- Edit photos (remove backgrounds, add effects, etc.).
After your Fiverr account is set up, you’ll create specific gigs so buyers can hire you. For example, you might create a gig for designing images to be used on Pinterest. Your gig can have different packages for 10 images, 25 images or 50 images (for example), so customers can order whatever is appropriate for their needs.
Fiverr is ideal for teens because it can easily be a part time job that gives you full control over your schedule. Each gig has a turnaround time listed, which you get to set. That means you can set your delivery times to fit into your schedule, and you can adjust them as needed. You can also pause gigs when you’re busy, so customers won’t be able to order unless you’re able to complete the job.
For more details on how the site works and how to get started, read our complete beginner’s guide: how to make money on Fiverr.
2. Be a Twitch Streamer
What could be better than making money by playing video games?
Twitch is a streaming platform known mostly for gaming-related content, but the site now covers much more than just games. Art is also a popular topic on Twitch, and they also have a category called “Just Chatting” that includes conversational content, including streams that resemble a talk show or podcast.
The minimum age to create a Twitch profile is 13 years old, so it’s another legit option for teens who want to make money. However, it’s important to note that you’ll need a parent or guardian who is willing to agree to Twitch’s terms of service.
Of course, you can stream content whenever you’re available, so it can easily work around your existing schedule. If you have serious skills with a particular game, or if you’re able to create a channel that’s memorable and different, Twitch offers significant earning potential.
Building a following on Twitch will take time, so you’ll need to have some patience and put in a lot of work before it pays off. However, you don’t need millions of followers to have success, and there are many different ways you can make money once you’ve built your audience.
Ways you can make money on Twitch include:
- Ads within your streamed content.
- Affiliate marketing (promoting products or services sold by other companies).
- Sponsorships and brand partnerships.
- Subscriptions.
- Donations.
You can learn more about how to get started here: how to make money on Twitch.
3. Make Content for TikTok and Snapchat
Another fun option for teens who want to make money is to focus on platforms like TikTok and Snapchat. The age requirement to create an account on each platform is 13 years old.
Both of these popular apps allow you to make money by creating entertaining video content. There are some ways to make money directly from TikTok and Snapchat, and there are also ways to make money indirectly as a result of your following and influence.
Chances are you’re already using social networks and taking videos with your smartphone, so why not make some money from it?
Ways you can make money on TikTok and Snapchat include:
- The Tiktok Creator Fund: A TikTok-owned method of compensating certain users for content.
- TikTok Coins: In-app currency that can be used to “tip” a creator like yourself.
- Snapchat Spotlight: Earn money from Snapchat for creating viral videos.
- Sponsorships: Partner with brands looking to reach your audience.
This is a money-making opportunity that will be appealing to many teens who are already using these platforms. Growing a following and becoming an influencer will require some effort, but many have been able to achieve success relatively quickly.
Of course, while the income potential is outstanding, the downside to this opportunity is that you might not make any money at all.
For more details, read our guides on how to make money on TikTok and how to make money on Snapchat.
4. Take Surveys
Some, but not all, online survey websites and apps are open to teens. The following sites are among the best options.
- Swagbucks (must be at least 13): Earn points by taking online surveys, watching videos, playing games, installing apps and more. Convert your points into gift cards or cash (paid out by PayPal). Swagbucks provides the best income potential among online survey sites.
- Survey Junkie (must be at least 16): You won’t find other making-making options here aside from taking surveys, but Survey Junkie is one of the best options for getting paid to answer questions about your interests and preferences.
- Lifepoints (must be at least 14): Another site that offers paid surveys. It’s similar to Survey Junkie, but the payout is typically a little lower.
When it comes to surveys, it’s important to have realistic expectations. This could be a good side hustle if you want to make some extra spending money, but you’re not going to earn a significant amount. If you were to calculate your hourly rate, it would be pretty low (possibly below minimum wage).
But what surveys lack in income potential, they make up for in terms of flexibility. You can take surveys whenever you have a few minutes to spare. It’s extremely convenient since you can use your phone to take surveys wherever you are.
Many of the other opportunities covered in this article involve building an online business. That’s an excellent option if you have a long-term approach or if you want to maximize your income potential. But if you simply want to make a little extra cash and you want to start earning right away, online surveys could be a good option.
Related: The best survey sites for making money.
5. Sell on Etsy
In general, you need to be at least 18 years old to sell on Etsy. However, teens who are 13-17 can sell on Etsy with “appropriate permission and direct supervision” of a parent or legal guardian, according to the site’s terms of service. In this case, your parent’s information will be used to create the account and your shop’s “About” page must list the adult as the shop owner.
Although there are a few hoops you need to jump through, this does work (I have a niece who sold on Etsy as a teenager by following these guidelines). Once you’re set up, you can start making money by selling your handmade, vintage and/or digital products.
Some examples of things that teens can sell on Etsy include:
- Stickers.
- Printables.
- Jewelry and accessories.
- Art and wall prints.
- Original t-shirts.
Starting an Etsy shop is a good option if you’re into arts and crafts or using your creativity. You can use your talents and work on the types of things you enjoy.
Building a profitable Etsy shop will take some time, but it provides excellent long-term potential. If you’re looking to create a business that can generate some money in the short term while also opening up more doors for the future, Etsy could be a good choice.
Additionally, you’ll also have the option to expand by selling your products on other platforms or directly from your own website, if that’s something you want to pursue.
For more details, read our guide on how to make money on Etsy.
6. Sell Custom Merch on Redbubble
Redbubble is a global print-on-demand marketplace. You can create an account (if you’re at least 16 years old) and upload your own artwork or designs. Redbubble’s visitors can then purchase a wide range of products that feature your designs or art.
The appealing aspect of Redbubble is that it’s a great passive income business. They handle all the details related to taking orders, printing the products and shipping them to customers, so all you need to do is upload your work and create enticing listings for your products.
Selling on Redbubble can be an ideal online job for a teen that enjoys art and design. If that’s you, you’ll probably enjoy the time you put into your efforts to make money on the platform. It’s also completely flexible, since you can work on new designs whenever you have the time.
You may already have some designs or art that you can upload to get started quickly. However, you’re likely to get the best results by creating designs with specific types of products in mind.
Making some extra cash on Redbubble is definitely possible, but you shouldn’t expect to earn a fortune.
Some examples of merch you can sell on Redbubble include:
- T-shirts and hoodies.
- Hats.
- Stickers.
- Phone cases.
- Posters and other wall art.
- Water bottles.
If you’re going to sell on Redbubble, it’s important to understand laws related to copyright and intellectual property. The designs and artwork that you upload must be 100% your own, and you cannot depict copyright-protected characters, logos, etc. without permission.
For example, you cannot create an illustration of your favorite Disney character because that would violate copyright law. These types of violations could result in Redbubble closing your account, and you could also face bigger issues like lawsuits.
However, Redbubble has on occasion struck deals with copyright owners to allow artists to sell fan art on the site. For example, Rick & Morty and Steven Universe merchandise is allowed, if it adheres to certain guidelines.
Editor’s Note: Many websites suggest that teens sell custom-designed merch on CafePress, which is even more popular than Redbubble. However, you have to be 18 to use that site.
Related: How to become a freelance graphic designer.
7. Start a Blog
There’s no age requirement to start a blog. You may need a parent or guardian to set up your web hosting account and domain name, but you can install WordPress for free and have complete control over your own site.
The possibilities for blogging are wide open. You can choose a topic that interests you, which makes your work much more enjoyable and less like real work.
Much of the information you’ll find online about making money with a blog focuses on creating content that provides value through teaching or education. However, as a teen, you may want to take a slightly different approach. You may have more success by specifically looking at a topic from the perspective of a teen and writing for other teens.
Examples of blogs you could start as a teen include:
- A tourism blog highlighting stuff to do around your home town.
- Fashion trends from a teen’s perspective.
- A personal finance blog for teens.
- Technology that interests teens.
- Hobbies of interest to teens (e.g., offering tips about a sport or video game).
Blogging is an ideal option for those who want to build an online business and are willing to put in some work before making any money. Most new bloggers make very little, if anything, for several months.
You may need to work on your blog for six to 12 months before it starts to generate income. However, once you’ve got some steady traffic, there are many ways to make money blogging.
The most common ways to monetize a blog include ads, affiliate programs, publishing sponsored content and selling your own products (especially downloadable products). For example, you could create products on Redbubble (see above), and then use your blog to promote those products.
Starting a blog as a teen could be an excellent decision for your future because you’ll learn valuable skills like writing, search engine optimization, social media marketing and more. Any of those skills could prove to be very valuable in your career. Plus, blogging is one of the best online jobs in its own right — with hard work and experience, it’s possible to make well over six figures per year as a blogger.
For more details, read our guide on how to start a blog and make money.
8. Sell Lessons About Your Hobbies on Teachable
Teachable is a platform for selling online courses. If you’re between the ages of 13 and 17 years old, you can use Teachable with your parent or guardian’s permission.
Teachable makes it easy to create your own course or lesson (video or text) on any topic of your choice. They process payments from customers and then pay you what you’ve earned, minus some small fees.
Your course at Teachable can be priced as low as 99 cents, so it’s not necessary to create an in-depth, high-end course. You could create a low-priced course that teaches something very specific.
The key to success with an online course is to think about what you know really well that you could teach to others. Consider hobbies that you’re really good at. Many people are willing to spend money on their hobbies, so your skills or expertise could be very valuable.
Examples of lessons or courses you could offer include:
- How to play a specific song on guitar or drums.
- How to master a game or video game.
- How to build a following on social media.
- Martial arts.
- Drawing or painting.
Creating an online course is a good option for teens because you can tailor your course to your own interests and your unique knowledge or expertise. It’s also highly flexible.
Another benefit that may be appealing is the ability to start building a long-term business. You could start with a simple course now, and you may ultimately decide to add more courses and continue to grow the business in the future.
Plus, since you create the course once and keep selling the same materials over and over, it’s a great passive income business.
9. Publish a Newsletter on Substack
Substack is similar to blogging or publishing platforms like Medium, but it’s focused specifically on delivering content by email.
People can subscribe to receive updates when you publish something new. You can offer your newsletter for free, or if you want to make some money, you’ll charge a monthly subscription fee. You can also publish some posts for free and select others to be accessible only for paying subscribers.
People are using Substack to publish everything from comics to financial content, so the options are truly unlimited.
Writers keep 90% of the revenue charged by Substack, minus credit card fees. Here’s a table that shows how much you could make per month based on your subscription price and number of active subscribers (this is before credit card fees, which are usually between 2-3%)
| Subscription Fee | 50 Subscribers | 100 Subscribers | 250 Subscribers |
| $5 per month | $225 | $450 | $1,125 |
| $7 per month | $315 | $630 | $1,575 |
| $10 per month | $450 | $900 | $2,250 |
Of course, the revenue would continue to increase if you’re able to gain more subscribers or charge a higher monthly fee.
To have success, you’ll need to provide content that keeps people interested and wanting more. For example, you could cover news or current events for a particular topic or audience.
Publishing a newsletter on Substack could be a good online job for teenagers (you need to be at least 16 to create an account) because it’s flexible work and you can create your newsletter on the topic of your choice.
It’s also ideal for building a business that will grow with you. As long as you have subscribers who continue to pay a monthly fee, you’ll continue to make money. This is a business that you could continue to run part-time in college or when you begin your career.
Some ideas that you could cover:
- Newsletter about local events and topics of interest.
- A weekly email that recaps events from your high school (think of it as a digital version of a school newspaper).
- Video game news (upcoming releases, reviews, gift guides, etc.).
In addition to subscription fees, you can also monetize your Substack newsletter in other ways, like affiliate marketing and sponsorships. In fact, you may choose to publish free content with no subscription fee to grow your audience faster, and then monetize it with these other methods.
10. Sell Clothes on Poshmark and Depop
Teens who are interested in fashion and clothing may want to make money by selling clothes online. Poshmark and Depop are two popular platforms, but you could also sell on eBay and Mercari, or sell to people in your local area by using Facebook Marketplace and other sites like Craigslist.
Some of these platforms will require you to be 18 or over or to receive payment via PayPal, so you may need a parent’s help with getting set up.
The best way to get started and gain some experience is to sell some of your old clothes that you no longer wear. That way you’re not spending money on inventory, and you can get a little experience with virtually no risk.
Once you have an idea of what prices items are likely to sell for, you can look for underpriced items at thrift stores and closeout sales. Of course, you don’t want to overpay since you’ll need to be able to sell the item for a higher price to make a profit. You’ll need to look around and only buy items that you’re confident are underpriced.
Here are a few key things to keep in mind about setting up a clothes flipping business:
- Determine the shipping costs ahead of time so you don’t lose money.
- Don’t overlook clearance racks. You may be able to get some new items that you can resell for a profit.
- Take excellent photos. Your photos will be one of the most important factors for making the sale.
- Optimize your listings by including all the keywords and phrases that people might use to search for the item.
One good thing about selling clothes online is that it’s possible to start making money almost right away. You won’t need to spend months building a business before you start earning. Also, many teens are very familiar with current fashion trends, so you may be able to easily identify items that are underpriced.
11. Tutor Kids via Video Chat
As a teen, you have the opportunity to tutor younger students who need some guidance or assistance with a particular subject. While there are many online tutoring platforms, they all require you to be 18 years old (and in many cases, you’ll need a degree). However, that doesn’t mean that no tutoring opportunities exist.
Instead of using an existing platform that matches tutors with students, you can make money as a tutor by finding your own clients. You could do the tutoring in-person, or use Zoom, Skype, or some other video conferencing service to conduct the tutoring sessions virtually.
Finding clients may not be as difficult as you think. You could talk to elementary or middle school teachers, reach out to after-school programs, talk to families you know, place ads on local bulletin boards, start a Facebook page and even create and post some videos to YouTube.
(You can even make money on YouTube if your videos do well.)
Tutoring is an outstanding opportunity for teens because you can use your existing knowledge to help younger kids. You can also do the work outside of your school hours, whenever it fits into your schedule. And best of all, you can earn a better hourly rate than you might earn with some of the other options that have already been covered.
Bonus: Start Investing
While it’s not exactly a job, another excellent way to improve your financial situation as a teen, and to build a solid foundation of financial skills for the future, is to start investing. With the help of a parent or guardian, you can create a UTMA (Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) account so you can begin investing.
Of course, you’ll need some money to invest, so an ideal situation would be to combine investing with one of the other online jobs covered in this article. At the same time, many investing platforms are now free to join, with no minimum account size and no trading fees; that means you can get started even if you only have a few dollars.
If you start saving and investing as a teen, you’ll be well ahead of most people you’re age, and you’ll significantly increase your odds of achieving long-term financial success. Compound interest is a powerful force, and the earlier you start, the better off you’ll be.
For more details, read our guide on how to start investing as a teen.
Ways That Don’t Work
There are a lot of articles online about making money as a teen, but many of them erroneously recommend opportunities that aren’t available to people under the age of 18. Here’s a brief list of some of the most commonly-cited online work opportunities that aren’t worth looking into if you’re a minor.
- Delivering food. Gig economy jobs like delivering for UberEats and DoorDash are a great way to make extra income, but they all require you to be at least 18 years old (and you’ll have to upload an ID to prove your age). There used to be an app called Skratch that was aimed at connecting teens to gig economy jobs, but it was shut down a number of years ago.
- Doing microtasks. Amazon’s MTurk is a popular website that offers easy, low-paying online tasks (like collecting data and filling out spreadsheets), but you have to be 18 to work on the platform. That’s true for all the micro-tasking websites we’ve reviewed — so this isn’t a good online job for teens.
- Playing mobile games. Mistplay is a free mobile app that pays you for testing out new games, but you have to be 18 to use the platform. (There may be other ways to get paid to play games as a teenager.)
- Reviewing phone calls. Humanatic hires people to listen to recorded telephone support calls (to make sure the support agents are providing good customer service). However, you have to be 18 to work for the company.
- Reviewing music. Slice The Pie pays you to listen to new songs and rate them, and the platform is open to anyone over the age of 13. Unfortunately, the amount you can earn is so low that it’s not worth your time (and some users have trouble getting paid what they’re owed).
- Testing websites: UserTesting.com pays people to provide feedback on new websites and apps, but you have to be 18 to work for the company.
- Working as an online chat agent. The moving truck rental company U-Haul used to have chat support jobs that were open to teens, but that’s no longer the case.
Online Jobs for Teens FAQ
Yes, there are some legit and legal options for teens. However, many opportunities are not available to those under 18. It’s important to read a website or app’s terms of service to make sure you’re eligible to work on the platform, as well as to make sure you have a way to get paid.
In general, no — most companies do not check or verify your age. However, assuming that the company will not check up on you is not recommended. Most companies will have age requirements listed in the terms of service that you must agree to. If you misrepresent your age, you could be violating the terms of service.
If the company finds out you’re below their minimum age, they could withhold a balance that you’ve earned or close your account (and you may not be able to use that platform in the future).
Overall, it’s not worth the risk and you’re better off considering only opportunities that are available to people your age.
PayPal requires you to be at least 18 years old to open an account, or the age of majority in your state. Many teens who aren’t old enough to open their own PayPal account will simply use a parent’s account to receive money. Depending on the company that is paying you, you may have the option to receive payment via bank transfer instead of PayPal. You can have the money sent to an existing bank account, or open a new bank account if you don’t already have one.
Many companies on this list send payment via PayPal or a direct deposit to a bank account. PayPal’s user agreement, however, requires you to be 18 to open an account.
More so, there are reports online of users who opened a PayPal account when they were under 18, and therefore falsified their information, which resulted in the account being shut down. You want to avoid that, as once you’ve had an account shut down, you’ll never be allowed to open another one.
An alternative is to use Capital One’s MONEY account, which is an account for teens with zero fees that can come with your own debit card to pay for business expenses. An important note is you will need parental permission to set up the account.
Selling things can be one of the best ways to make extra income online as a teenager. However, most major online marketplaces and platforms — including eBay, Amazon and Shopify — are only open to people who are at least 18 years old.
In most cases, they’ll allow teens to operate businesses on the platform as long as a parent or guardian is the one legally responsible for the enterprise, as noted in this Shopify blog post about a 17-year-old who makes $13,500 per month selling watches.
If you’re interested in getting started, there are two main business models you should consider.
The first is dropshipping, where you sell items on a website and have them sent directly from a supplier to your customer. This is a great teen job because you don’t need money to buy inventory upfront and you don’t need space to store it. Shopify has a free tutorial that goes over how to start a profitable dropshipping business.
Another option is using Fulfillment by Amazon, a program where you send items to an Amazon warehouse, sell them on the site, and have Amazon take care of all the packing and shipping to your customers. The one downside is that you need money to buy your inventory. Learn more about how FBA works and other ways to make money on Amazon.
Most online typing and data entry jobs require a person to be at least 18 years old, but there are a few online typing jobs available to teens. You can learn about some of the best options in this post, but make sure to review the specific requirements of each company before applying and logging hours.
