17 Ways For Teens to Earn an Income

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As a teenager, the thought of having your own income is hugely appealing.

Just think about all the possibilities – saving up for a car, taking your friends out for pizza after school, buying the latest video game without asking your parents for money.

However, earning money as a teen isn’t always easy.

Getting a traditional part-time job isn’t always feasible due to student commitments, transportation limitations, or a lack of work experience.

So today, we are sharing 17 ways for teenagers to start earning an income, all of which you can do without much start-up costs or needing to leave your home.

From making money on YouTube to tutoring other students to dog walking in your neighborhood, there are plenty of creative income-earning options perfect for busy high schoolers.

Keep reading to discover some untapped ways you can start making money today.

#1. Recycle

You can get paid to recycle aluminum cans.

To get your hands on them, collect them from your home, friends, and neighbors.

You may even want to reach out to small businesses in your area.

Once you have them, crush them down to save space and then recycle them for cash.

You might even want to look into recycling cardboard and scrap metal too.

#2. Sell Printables

If you have basic graphic design skills, you can create and sell printables.

These are digital downloads that people pay a few bucks for.

They include budget templates, wedding to do lists, daily planners and more.

Do a quick search on Etsy and you will get hundreds of ideas.

While you won’t make a lot per sale, the money adds up over time.

#3. Tutoring

One way to use your knowledge and skills is by offering tutoring services to your peers if you excel in a particular subject.

This can be done online or in person and can help you earn money while helping others.

Be sure to tell your parents as they can help spread the word to other parents as well.

#4. Paper Route

You can also offer to deliver newspapers in your neighborhood. This can be a great way to earn money while getting fresh air and exercising.

To start delivering newspapers, you can contact your local newspaper or distribution center to see if they’re hiring.

They’ll typically provide you with a list of neighborhoods and the number of papers you’ll need to deliver each one. You can choose how many areas you want to cover and how often you wish to provide the papers.

#5. Babysitting

Do you enjoy spending time with kids? Consider offering babysitting services as a way to earn money.

You can ask your neighbors or family friends if they need a babysitter or advertise your services on social media.

#6. Social Media Setup

It’s common for older people to have trouble setting up and understanding how new social media programs work.

If you know the ins and outs of these programs, you can make serious money setting up profiles and showing basic functions.

#7. Pet Sitting

Pet sitting is quite popular nowadays, and you can leverage it as a teenager.

It’s easy to check in on a pet before or after school. And in the summer months, when people travel, you can pet sit for multiple families increasing your income.

List your services in local Facebook groups and tell your neighbors. Before you know it, you’ll have clients.

#8. Raking Leaves

Fall cleanup is a major problem many homeowners deal with and need help.

Raking leaves and cleaning up their yards during the fall season is time consuming work and most would rather not do it.

In some cases, they pay hundreds of dollars by hiring professionals.

You can offer your services to help them out. Charge a little less than the pros and you have a job that pays decent money.

#9. Snow Shoveling

During winter, you can offer your snow shoveling services to your neighbors.

Many homeowners need help clearing their driveways and sidewalks of snow.

Shoveling them out can earn you $20 or more for an hour’s worth of work.

And if you are an older teen and have access to a snowblower, you can get the job done even quicker and with less effort.

#10. Lawnmowing

Many homeowners need help mowing their lawns, trimming hedges, and cleaning up their yards.

If you have a lawnmower and some essential equipment, you can offer your lawn care services to your neighbors.

Estimate how long it will take to mow based on the size of the yard and price accordingly.

As your business grows, hire friends to help you so you can maintain two lawns at the same time, increasing your income.

#11. Run Errands for Elderly Neighbors

Do you have a helpful heart? Consider helping elderly neighbors who need help with errands such as grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, and running other errands.

They may not want to venture out because of the weather, or they don’t like to drive at night. Or maybe, they no longer have access to a car.

Not only will you earn money helping them out, you will keep good about yourself for providing aid.

#12. Pool Cleaning

Maintaining a pool is a lot of work for many homeowners.

While some look to outsource the job, the expense can be quite pricey.

This is where you come in.

You charge a lot less to get the job.

Your duties include skimming the surface of the pool, vacuuming the bottom, and maybe even checking the water balance and adding some chemicals.

If you are good, you can get quickly sign up many clients.

#13. Photo Books

Everyone has hundreds, if not thousands of pictures on their cameras. Most do nothing with them, even though they want to.

If you are good at design, you can create photo books.

Ask if they want a certain theme or design and get to work.

You can even use popular services like Shutterfly and charge a little more to cover your costs and put cash in your pocket.

#14. Party Prep

One thorn in the side of many parents with young kids is setting up for parties.

Not only do they need to set everything up, they need to keep their kids entertained.

You can either offer to do the set up or you can entertain the kids while the parents prepare.

Either way, you’re making money.

#15. Push Carts at a Grocery Store

Many grocery stores hire teenagers to push and return carts in the parking lot.

This can be a great way to earn money while also getting some exercise.

#16. Sell Crafts on Etsy

If you’re creative and crafty, why not sell your homemade products on Etsy? 

You can choose to open up a virtual store and start making money with items like jewelry, art prints, home decor, clothing, and more.

Setting up a store is easy, and with the site handling shipping and returns, you can get started as soon as you have something to sell.

#17. Capture The World Around You

Your photos could become a source of income if you’re willing to upload them to stock photo sites like Shutterstock or iStockPhoto. 

People are always looking for high-quality images they can use for their projects, which means they might be interested in buying yours.

Don’t want to go the stock photo route? Other options include headshots for dating profiles, family photos, landscapes, and more.

Jobs That Pay Cash

If you need cash right away, a typical job won’t work for you. You will have to wait a week to get paid, or in some cases, two weeks.

Luckily there are other options out there. Here are the best places to make cash under the table and walk out with cash in hand at the end of the day.

BEST UNDER THE TABLE JOBS THAT PAY CASH

Legit Ways To Make $1,000 Fast

Are you in need of cash fast? There are many things you can do, but a lot of the ideas out there only allow for a limited income.

Here are over 25 great ways to make up to $1,000 in a short amount of time.

BEST WAYS TO MAKE $1,000 FAST

Make Money While You Sleep

Yes, you can make money while you sleep. There are a handful of jobs out there that will earn you an income even after you stop working for the day.

The trick is finding the right one for you.

HOW TO MAKE MONEY WHILE YOU SLEEP

How To Get Free Money

The idea of free money sounds like it can’t be true. But it actually is.

There are many ways you can get free money, from playing games, to watching videos, and more.

Here are the best ways you can get free money without having to work for it.

HOW TO GET FREE MONEY

47 Ways To Get Free Gift Cards

Nowadays, people are looking for every means possible to make extra cash. One unique idea is to get free gift cards. Gift cards are a great way to help pay for the things you need without spending any money.

You can earn free gift cards for completing simple tasks in many ways. This includes getting paid for simple online tasks like playing games, completing surveys, and shopping.

Here is a complete guide on how to get free gift cards so you can spend less money on the things you buy.

47 PROVEN WAYS TO GET FREE GIFT CARDS

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