How to Make Money as a Teen (Safe, Legit Ideas)

The best way to make money as a teen is to start local and legal, with a parent or guardian involved: babysitting, pet sitting, yard work, tutoring younger kids or a part-time job once you're old enough. You can also earn online, but most platforms require you to be 18, so online earning as a teen usually runs through a parent's account.

This guide explains what work is allowed at your age in the US and UK, which ideas are realistic, which platforms you can and can't use, and how to spot the scams that target teenagers. Share it with a parent; the best plans are made together.

What jobs can you legally do as a teen?

It depends on your age and where you live. Child labor laws limit both the type of work and the hours, and when federal or national rules differ from local ones, the stricter rule applies.

In the United States

The U.S. Department of Labor's rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act set the basics:

• Under 14: most non-farm employers can't hire you. Exceptions include delivering newspapers, acting, babysitting on a casual basis and minor chores around private homes.
• 14 and 15: you can work limited hours in non-hazardous jobs outside school hours.
• 16 and 17: you can work unlimited hours in any job not declared hazardous.

The Department of Labor's YouthRules site explains these in plain language, and your state may have stricter rules, including work permits.

In the United Kingdom

GOV.UK says children can work part-time from age 14, and some council areas allow 13-year-olds to work. You may need an employment permit from your local council, and you can't work in places like factories or in any job that could harm your health, well-being or education.

Working hours at a glance

Sources: U.S. Department of Labor Fact Sheet 43 and GOV.UK, as of 2026. UK rules also require a two-week break from work during school holidays each year. In Canada and Australia, rules are set by each province or state, so check your local government's website.

What are the best ways to make money as a teen?

Local, in-person work is usually the safest and best-paid starting point, because you work for people your family knows.

• Babysitting: ask parents in your family's network. A first-aid course makes you more trustworthy.
• Pet sitting and dog walking: reliable, repeat work, especially during holidays.
• Yard work and chores: mowing, raking, snow shoveling, washing cars for neighbors.
• Tutoring younger students: reading, math or a language you're strong in.
• Selling things you make: crafts, baked goods or art at school fairs or local markets, with a parent's help.
• Part-time jobs: once you're old enough, stores, cafés, cinemas and summer programs often hire teens.

Can you make money online as a teen?

Yes, but usually with a parent owning or managing the account. Most online platforms require account holders to be adults because they involve contracts and payments. Rules change, so always check the platform's own help pages together.

Online ideas that work with a parent

• Selling crafts or art through a parent-owned Etsy shop.
• Making videos about a hobby, with a parent managing any earnings and privacy settings.
• Simple services for family contacts, like setting up a relative's phone, editing photos or helping a local business with social media, paid through a parent.

Never lie about your age to open an account. Platforms can close it and hold back any money in it.

Which skills should teens build?

Skills you learn now make every future job easier. Good ones for teens include writing clearly, basic design, video editing, spreadsheets, a second language and customer service from a first part-time job. Our guide to skills to make money online explains which skills adults get paid for, so you can see where practice leads.

Free options are a good place to start: official tutorials from the software you use, school clubs and library resources. Our guide to making money online for free shows why you should never pay to start earning.

Which scams target teens?

Scammers know teens want to earn and may not recognize the tricks. The FTC says honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job. Walk away and tell a parent if you see any of these:

• "Get paid to like videos" or rating apps that show a growing balance, then ask you to deposit money to withdraw.
• Requests for gift cards or crypto for any reason.
• Offers to receive money or packages and send them on. This can make you part of a crime.
• Anyone asking for your parents' bank details, passwords or photos of ID.
• Strangers who message you with job offers on social media or gaming platforms.

Our full checklist on how to tell if an online job is a scam explains the warning signs and where to report.

Do teens have to pay tax?

Sometimes. In the US, the IRS says self-employment tax applies once net self-employment earnings reach $400 in a year, and that rule doesn't depend on age. If you run your own small babysitting or yard-work business, that can apply to you. Rules for jobs with an employer are different.

In the UK and elsewhere, rules depend on the type and amount of income. Keep a simple notebook or spreadsheet of what you earn and ask a parent to check the official tax guidance with you.

How do you start? A plan to make with your parents

1. Check your age rules on YouthRules in the US or GOV.UK in the UK, plus your state or council.
2. Pick one or two ideas that fit your schedule and school workload.
3. Agree on safety rules: who you work for, where, how you get paid and who holds any online accounts.
4. Set a fair price by asking what others locally charge.
5. Tell people you trust that you're available, starting with family and neighbors.
6. Save part of what you earn and track it.

Next steps

Making money as a teen works best when it's local, legal and planned with a parent. Start small and build skills along the way.

• Learn which abilities pay later in skills to make money online.
• Protect yourself with how to tell if an online job is a scam.
• For more ideas for when you're older, see our guide to making money online.