Saving money during your teen years is the perfect way to get a headstart on your financial future. If you’re looking for a job as a teen, one of the best places to look is online. The internet is your oyster – there are so many different job opportunities available for people of any age. Teens are also digital natives, meaning that they’re typically more comfortable with modern technology than people of older generations.
Working online is a great way to save for major purchases, like your college education, a new car, or your own apartment. Online jobs also don’t require you to interact with anyone in person and can be done anywhere, which makes them a great solution for the current pandemic environment. They’re extremely flexible part-time jobs.
With so many different jobs available, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here are some of the most accessible online jobs for teenagers and how to get started.
Online Jobs for Teens
1. Take Surveys
Taking surveys is one of the most commonly cited jobs for teenagers, and for good reason. Surveys are very easy to complete on your phone or computer, and many survey companies actually seek out teenagers for opinions on products, current events, and more. Surveys aren’t the most lucrative job opportunity for teenagers, but the payouts do add up – most surveys pay anywhere between $0.50 to $5, so taking several during the course of a month can give you a little bit of useful pocket change.
The best way to make money taking surveys is to sign up for several different survey websites and check each one every day for survey opportunities. They’ll also send you regular emails with links to survey opportunities. You may even qualify for higher-paying focus groups over time, which require more in-depth interviews.
There are plenty of excellent survey sites out there. Each survey site has their own age requirements, but many allow you to start as young as 12. There are too many to list them all here, but some of the most popular include:
If you have an Android phone, you can also sign up to take Google Surveys. They’ll send you very short surveys to complete for Google Play cash, which you can use to buy apps and other media in the Google Play store.
2. Get Paid to Watch Ads
Another easy way to make a bit of extra cash online is by visiting sites that will pay you to watch or click on ads. Like surveys, these won’t pay much, but they do add up over time and can be a handy way to make extra spending money. InboxDollars, which we’ve already mentioned as a survey platform, will also pay you to watch ads, play games, and complete other online activities. Similar sites include MyPoints, Qmee, MintVine, and CashCrate. You can also join Slice The Pie, a review site where members rate commercials as well as songs, products, and more. These ratings are used for market research.
3. Make Money On Social Media
Do you have a strong social media presence on a platform like YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok? You can make money with sponsored brand posts. Start by building up your following, and look at what types of brand deals similar influencers are doing. Then, reach out to independent brands that might be looking to grow their online reach, such as clothing or makeup brands. If you already have a substantial following on any of these platforms, you might have already had brands come to you to collaborate on a sponsored post.
As your following grows, you can charge more for sponsored posts and develop a steady stream of income. A huge perk of working on sponsored posts is that brands will often send you free products to review and feature in your content. Some brands will provide guidelines that you should follow when creating your post, while others will give you more creative freedom. Brands love working with teenagers because they typically have a very strong social media presence and write honest and authentic product reviews.
You can also consider starting a blog about the things you love to do. If you’re a strong writer and enjoy taking pictures, managing a blog can be a fun creative outlet. Once you’ve built up a significant blog readership, there are a number of different ways you can use your blog to make money. You can create sponsored posts the same way you would on social media profiles. You can also promote products in your posts using affiliate links, which you’ll make commissions from every time someone clicks on them. Finally, you can sell ad space directly on your blog.
4. Sell Your Art On Etsy
If you’ve got a talent for arts and crafts, Etsy is the perfect place to promote your work. Whether you make jewelry, pottery, visual art, clothing, or something else, there’s likely a market for it on Etsy. Consumers love supporting independent creators, so with a little bit of effective advertising, you can build a successful Etsy shop and draw in customers from all over the country. Getting your online business started can take some time – you’ll need to invest in materials and spend time promoting your products. However, once you start making sales, you’l be making money doing something you enjoy. Before getting started, keep in mind that Etsy does require teens to be supervised by an adult while running your shop.
5. Resell Clothing, Electronics, and Other Items
Another easy way to make money is to sell your old items online that you no longer use. You’ll need to keep your items in good condition, but this is a great way to reduce waste and earn extra money at the same time. These are many sites that focus just on reselling clothing, like DePop and Poshmark, but there are also marketplaces for selling books, electronics, and other popular items. If you’re particularly enterprising, you can even turn this into a business by purchasing items online or from thrift stores at under-market prices and selling them for a higher value.
6. Design Graphics on CafePress
If you enjoy visual art, you can make money designing graphics on CafePress. CafePress is a website where you can create your own designs and put them on many different types of items, including clothing, homeware, stationary, stickers, and other accessories. The CafePress website has their own design platform, and it’s very easy to create graphics for any theme or occasion. For each item you sell, you’ll get up to 10 percent of the sale price. If you have a knack for creating trendy designs, you can create a steady income without investing much time.
7. Use Your Talents on Fiverr
If you have a very specific talent or skill, you can use the Fiverr marketplace to find gig work. Unlike many other freelancing sites, Fiverr allows anyone ages 13 and up to join. There are gigs available in a huge range of field, including video editing, writing, illustration, animation, and voiceover work (just to name a few). Gigs start at $5 each, but can go much higher depending on the quality of your work and your experience. Fiverr is a great way to use skills you already have to make money and start building your resume from a young age. The great thing about starting freelance work in your teen years is that you can later transition it into full-time work as an adult.
8. Try a Micro-Task Site Like MTurk
Micro-task platforms allow you to earn money by completing short task that are typically very simple. Like survey platforms, these platforms don’t always pay very much per task, but the rewards can add up quickly if you are diligent. Amazon’s MTurk is one of the largest and most prevalent microtask sites currently running. You can complete tasks like proofreading, data entry, writing online reviews, taking surveys, and more. While MTurk is the largest and most popular of these sites, there are other options as well, including Microworkers and ClickWorker. Since these tasks are short, this is an easy way to get started working online.
9. Work As A Tutor
If you’ve done well in school and enjoy teaching other people, you can make a consistent income as a tutor. Tutors are in high demand right now, as kids are completing their studies from home and parents may not always have the time or energy to supervise. Since Zoom and other advanced video calling platforms are so advanced, you can easily host tutoring sessions with just a computer and an internet connection.
There are a few different ways you can find clients as a teenaged tutor. The first is to reach out to friends and family and ask if they know anyone who needs a tutor. This word-of-mouth advertising is a good way to get your first clients. There are also plenty of online tutoring platforms that can connect you with tutoring clients around the world. While many sites require you to be at least 18 to tutor, some sites allow you to start at the age of 16.
10. Test Mobile Apps and Websites
Another fun way to earn extra cash online is by testing apps and websites. Sites like UserTesting, TryMyUI, and UserFeel will pay you to complete tests of upcoming websites and mobile apps. These tests can be fairly lucrative if completed regularly – many of them pay $10-20 and take less than 30 minutes. When you take these tests, you’ll need to download a plugin for your computer or smartphone. This plugin will record your screen just for the duration of the test. Then, you’ll record yourself sharing your thoughts about the experience and answering questions as you go through the test. These tests provide very valuable insight for companies as they develop their apps and websites.
11. Review Customer Service Calls with Humanatic
Humanatic is an online agency that reviews the quality of customer service calls for businesses in many of different industries. You can sign up to reviews these calls for money. This job is a relatively easy way to make money – all you have to do is listen to the audio file carefully and answer the questions provided. You can review calls whenever you have time and receive weekly payments. While this job isn’t the most lucractive, it’s very easy to start and complete jobs in your free time.
12. Transcribe Audio Files
If you have a good ear and can type quickly, you can make money transcribing audio files online. There are a huge number of online transcription agencies with gig work available, and each has their own pay scale and age requirements. If you can type quickly and commit to completing several audio files each week, the pay can be fairly lucrative. While some transcription agencies do require their workers to be at least 18, some will hire teenagers as young as 16.
Before applying to work as a transcriptionist, practice your typing skills and read through the agency’s transcription standards carefully. Most agencies have very strict standards for how transcriptions should be formatted, and you will typically need to complete a transcription test when you apply. Practicing ahead of time can increase your chances of getting the job. Once you get the hang of it, transcription is fairly easy, and it can be very interesting. You’ll be listening to a wide range of audio files, including interviews, meeting transcriptions, legal files, podcasts, and much more.
13. Work As A Customer Service Rep
If you are looking for a job that is on the challenging side, but will teach you important real-life skills, consider becoming a customer service representative. Companies in many different industries will hire online customer service reps to answer phone calls, emails, and social media messages, all of which you can do from the comfort of your own home. You’ll need to be very professional and comfortable talking to people, and you’ll also need to make sure you have a reliable internet connection. Most customer service jobs will require you to be at least 16 years old to start. The benefit of these jobs is that you can make a very steady income – most customer service gigs pay an hourly wage of at least $10.
14. Become a Virtual Assistant
Older teens who learn quickly and have good organizational skills can work online as a virtual assistant. This job can be challenging, so it isn’t for every teen, but if you have the right skill set, you can make a steady income and learn invaluable skills that will help you in college and at your future jobs. As a virtual assistant, you’ll help entrepreneurs and other successful professionals stay organized by managing their schedules, helping with emails and social media posts, and organizing their documents. Many teens have excellent technology skills, which can actually give them a leg up in this position when compared to older adults.
Tips for Managing Your First Online Job
If you’ve never had a job before, your first online gig will be exciting – but it can also feel a little overwhelming. Start by making a schedule for yourself and sticking to it. Many online jobs will allow you to work whenever you want, but having a schedule can help you get more done without getting burnt out. Make sure you schedule time for schoolwork, hobbies, and socializing as well.
You’ll also need to keep track of the money you make while working online. Your teen years are a great time to start learning important budgeting skills and prepare yourself for the financial challenges of adulthood. Make sure you have a secure bank account as well as a PayPal account. Use a spreadsheet or a budgeting app to keep track of the money you are making each week as well as your spending and saving habits. If you have any savings goals, commit to putting at least some of your paycheck into a separate savings account each week. If you get in this habit early on, you’ll be able to save more effectively as an adult.
Finally, don’t be afraid to try new things and learn new skills. The internet makes it easier than ever to learn, and you might surprise yourself with the things you are good at. Your teenage years are the perfect time to experiment with different types of jobs and find out what you’re passionate about.
The internet is one of the best ways to find a job as a teenager. Working online gives you the flexibility to make your own schedule and make money using the skills and talents you already have. It can take time to hit your stride working online, so don’t get discouraged. Apply for many different online gigs to see which one is the best fit for your skills and your schedule. Many of the skills you’ll learn in your online jobs as a teen can transfer to the jobs you’ll work as an adult.
