How to make money as a teenager in 2020

Figuring out how to make money as a teenager online can be one of the best ways for teens to make money.

This is because, unlike a job where you have to be there whenever you’re scheduled, making money online means you can work on your chosen side hustle whenever you have time.

This means that these can be particularly good for those with a fairly heavy study schedule or who have other after-school commitments.We are discussing

50 legit ways to make money as teenager in 2020

1. Play games

You’re probably playing games on your phone or computer anyway, so why not do the same but earn some money from it?

And on that point, Swagbucks has paid out over $300 million to its users since it was created, much of which was from playing games.

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It’s definitely a legit way to make money and you only have to be 13 years old to join.

It also comes with a completely free $10 bonus just for signing up and verifying your email address.

Related: Is Swagbucks Worth it? The Ultimate Review

2. Do your household’s grocery shopping

Your parents will likely be doing the household grocery shopping, but you can make money by offering to do it for them online with Ibotta.

It’s an app that gives you cash back on things you buy – including a ton of groceries and other things your household is using, like medicine, clothes and beauty items.

In fact, some people have reported earning $500 per month doing this with this app, which makes sense given that Ibotta has paid over $682 million to its users.

Plus you get a free $20 welcome bonus!

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You do have to be 18 years old to sign up so you’ll have to do this through an adult’s account. But if you offer to do the shopping for them based on their budget on the understanding that you keep the cash back, it’s a win-win for both of you!

Sign-up with Ibotta here and you can check out our Ibotta review for more information too.

3. Search the web

One of the best ways to make money, no matter your age, is from things you were doing already.

And making money from searching the web definitely falls into this category.

So you may be interested to hear that Swagbucks has a built in search engine which gives exactly the same results as if you search with Google.

But each time you use it, you’ll earn a bit of money. Over time and with more and more searches this can really add up.

Sign-up here with Swagbucks to find out more (and don’t forget that free $10 bonus they’ll give you just for verifying your email address!)

Related: The 42 Best Passive Income Apps to Make Money on Your Phone

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4. Start a blog

Starting a blog takes some time to build it up to a point where you’re making money but, when you get there, it’s a great way to make some extra cash.

And as some people have shown, it’s even proven to be one way that makes it possible that you can get rich as a kid.

For example, Tavi Gevinson started her Style Rookie blog when she was only 11. By the time she was 15, it had become a full-on business from which she’s making millions.

And there’s no reason why you can’t do the same, especially when it’s so cheap to get started.

I always recommend Siteground as a great, fast host for anyone launching their new site. And the best part is it’s only $3.95 per month!

They’ll even walk you through how to do it – get started to see how.

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5. Snapchat

As a teen, you probably already use Snapchat. Which means you’ve almost certainly seen people make money from using this app.

You may have even bought something yourself based on something you’ve seen in a snap.

So why not use your experience in this app to make some money yourself? With 218 million daily users, there’s definitely someone on there willing to part with some of their hard earned cash based on something you’re promoting.

Take a look at our article on how to make money on Snapchat to find out more.

teen finding ways to make money online

6. Start a YouTube channel

We’ve all heard of YouTube as a way for teens to make money – and serious amounts of it.

As an example, EvanTubeHD is 13 and is reported to make $1.3 million per year from his videos, while Danielle Cohn has 1.5 million subscribers from which she earned a cool $2.5 million per year by age 15.

And it’s even one of the ways for tweens to make money. Just take a look at the Ryan’s World channel which earns Ryan, who was born in 2011, $22 million per year.

Most of these people make money through advertising on their channels, so check out our article on 11 Legit Ways to Get Paid to Advertise to see how you can do the same.

7. Sell site designs

If you’re looking for how to make thousands of dollars as a teenager, putting your tech skills to work is one way to do it. And learning to code is one of the most valuable skills you can have these days.

By teaching yourself or even attending some in-person courses (check any universities in your area for what they have on offer), you can find out how to build websites – and then sell them.

Local businesses in particular may be interested in having you build a site for them. So once you’ve got your skills up to scratch, advertise on local community Facebook groups and other similar pages to get your client list started.

8. Sell your idea

If you’re the kind of person who has brilliant ideas from time to time that you’re sure someone would pay good money for – well, maybe they would!

There are a stack of companies out there that pay for good ideas, especially for new products or for updates to something in their existing product line.

Find out more in this article on 29 Companies That Pay For Ideas.teen making money by selling idea to a company

9. Install apps that track computer use

One way to earn passive income is by installing certain apps on your devices that pay you to simply run an app in the background that collects data on how you use your phone or computer. This covers things like the websites you visit and how long you spend on each one.

Nielsen is one company that offers this. They’ll pay you $50 per year, as well as automatically putting you in the running to win competitions and other bonuses.

And the data they collect is completely anonymous, with your personal information kept strictly confidential.

10. Online freelancing

Any sort of online task you can think of, there’s someone willing to pay someone else to do it for you.

So if you’re looking to freelance in any area, Fiverr is one of the biggest marketplaces in the world for offering your services.

Have a look at the site to get an idea of the massive range of services that people are offering – and to also get some inspiration of how you could make some money through the site.

Related: How to Make $100 a Day: 41 Ways That Actually Work

11. Sell stock photos

Businesses and other website owners constantly need stock photos for their content. So putting photos you take on stock photo sites can be a good option for you to get paid by the download.

You can also use sites like Fine Art America to sell your photos as prints, shirts, mugs…the sky’s the limit!

12. Enter competitions

Entering competitions isn’t going to give you a steady stream of income, obviously, but it can give you a cash boost from time to time.

Keep an ear out for competitions run on local radio stations and operated by businesses in your area, as there may be less entrants than big national competitions.

Another option is to download an app like Lucktastic. It’s a free app that lets you “gamble” with in-app scratch cards as well as enter competitions to win thousands of dollars – or more, in some cases!

(And you only have to be 13 years old to download it.)

Find out more from our Lucktastic review.

13. Stream on Twitch

If you’re a gamer, streaming can be one of the most lucrative ways for teens to make money. Many of the biggest Twitchers are teenagers and are making a small fortune from streaming.

For those looking for how to make money as a teenager without a job, this can certainly fit the bill.

14. Give your opinion

Remember Swagbucks, the app that we mentioned earlier? It also has a feature called Swagbucks Answer where you can get paid to give your opinion by doing surveys.

You’ll have to give some information about yourself to make sure you meet their requirements in terms of your age, interests and so on.

But once you qualify for a survey, it can be a good way to make some extra cash (in addition to the free $10 sign-up bonus).

15. Sell in-game items

Many people prefer to buy in-game items than do the work to find or earn it themselves.

So if there’s a particular game you’re good at where you’ve built up a valuable inventory, why not see if you can make money from it?

Just be sure to check the terms and conditions of the game to make sure this is allowed.

16. Sell designs

If you’re good at graphic designing, sites like CafePress let you create designs for things like t-shirts, mugs, totes, hoodies and more.

Your design will then be shown on the site and, if anyone wants to buy your design (including companies for wider distribution), you’ll be paid royalties!

17. Write web content

Many sites pay ghostwriters to write content for them. So for those who have a knack for writing, using this to create web content is one of the best ways for teens to make money.

In particular, you could take a look at Helium, which allows writers aged 13 and up.

Site owners often also mention they’re looking for writers in relevant Facebook groups or on the sites themselves, so keep your eye out for opportunities and be prepared to share examples of your work.

Related: 25 Websites Where You Can Get Paid to Type

18. Test websites

You’ve probably wasted time on countless websites in your adventures around the internet. So why not get paid to end up on random sites?

Sites like Respondent pay you to user test websites – and you can earn up to $125 an hour. This will involve looking around a site then you’ll be asked to fill in a questionnaire at the end with your thoughts on it.

Find out more about the sites where you can test websites for money.

19. Review songs

You’re probably already listening to music all the time, but did you know you can get paid to listen to songs and give your opinion on them?

MusicXRay pays you $0.10 per song to give your feedback on things like whether you like the artist, what you thought of the lyrics and how the song works within its designated genre.

And you only have to listen to 30 seconds of the song to qualify for the payout! Sure, the payout isn’t massive, but when you’d be listening to music anyway, why not earn a few bucks doing so?

20. Digitialize photos

Most people have dusty boxes of old photos in their attics that they “keep meaning to get to one day”. So having someone else offer to digitalize them may be just what your potential clients are looking for.

You’ll need to have a scanner to do this, although these are pretty cheap these days.

And from there, you can either do a letter drop offering your services in the area or post on local community Facebook groups.

It’s up to you to determine your fee, although places like Costco provide this service of $20 for 63 photos, so you may wish to price yourself accordingly.

How to make money as a teenager without a job
Before signing up at your local McDonald’s (and hey, there’s no shame in that – I’ve done it myself!), there are a ton of ways for teens to make money using actual, tangible items.

Whether it’s selling things that already exist or making brand new items, this can be an easy way to make money as a teenager without a job.

After all, it’s often simply a matter of getting your item before the right buyer and before you know it, the money’s yours.

This is also why this in particular can be one of the best options for those wondering how they can earn money at 14 or 15. In those cases, you’re probably too young for a job – but not too young to sell things!

Just make sure to check with your parent or guardian before putting half your house on eBay.

21. Sell your old stuff

If you’re wondering how can a teenager make a lot of money fast, selling their old stuff is definitely one of the best ways to do this.

And there are countless ways to do this. Whether you go to a local flea market, ask to set up a table at a neighbor’s garage sale or sell it online on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, these are all good options to get cash in hand for things you don’t need anymore.

22. Rent out your stuff

Renting out things you already own is a good option for making some money without totally giving something up.

You could do this with a range of things, including:

Books (including school books you don’t use anymore)
Video games
Sports equipment (such as your bike or a tennis racket)
Workout equipment (especially weights, which are always in high demand)

23. Sell creations on Etsy

Etsy can be one of the easiest ways for teens to make money if they have some sort of creative streak.

You have to be at least 13 years old to use Etsy and if you’re under 18, your account will be owned by your parent or guardian.

But once you’ve set this up, you can still earn money this way. Some ideas include:

If you have good handwriting, you can do wedding invitations or menus
If you can draw well, you can do drawings of photos that people send you
If you’re good at making jewelry, try selling earrings or necklaces

24. Collects bottles and cans

You won’t become rich from doing this, but collecting bottles and cans can get you a good amount of extra cash by trading them in to your local recycling facility.

In fact, if there are regular events near you where people are often drinking out of bottles and cans, you can make $100 a week from this easily.

25. Create and sell art

Creating art is something not many people can do well. Which means if you’re skilled in a certain style of art, you may be able to earn good money from this.

You can either sell it at local markets or make it available for sale online, including through some of the sites listed in this article.

26. Make things to sell at markets

This doesn’t just include art, as mentioned in the last point. In fact, anyone who’s been to a market will tell you that you can sell almost anything there.

Whether it’s something you’re particularly good at making, like jewelry, or a skill you have, like doing caricatures of people, local markets can be a goldmine for teens looking to make money.

27. Flip items

Flipping things refers to buying something secondhand and then reselling it for a higher price, often including some repairs or improvements you’ve made to the piece.

Meaning that this is one of the ways for teens to make money that will require you to use a bit of your own money upfront. The payoff can be unbelievably good though.

In fact, some people have literally made thousands through flipping. So if you’re looking for how to make $1000 a month as a teenager, keeping an eye on what’s available in local markets, yard sales and thrift stores could be the key.

How to make $1,000 as a teenager with your skills
Although we may not realize it, most people have a skill that someone else will pay for.

And this definitely also applies to teenagers. While you may not be at the stage yet of having formal qualifications in a certain subject, your knowledge and experience can certainly be useful for other people – making it the perfect way for teens to make money.

How much? Well, if you’re looking to make $1,000 as a teenager, doing the tasks below can, over time, be some of the best options around to earn you enough money to hit this goal.

28. Tutor in a school subject

This is one of the ways for teens to make money that can provide the steadiest income, besides having an actual job.

After all, if you’re doing well academically in a certain subject, parents of other students doing less well (and probably in a lower grade to you) may be keen to pay you to help their child.

Even just doing one tutorial a day can help you make $20 a day doing this, so ask around at your school or others in your area to see if this is a possibility.

29. Teach a skill

People don’t only want to learn about academic subjects. There are a ton of different skills out there that people will pay you good money to learn.

To go back to the skill mentioned above of being good at making jewelry, you could easily run classes of a few kids after school and show them how to do the same.

Think about something you can do that’s a bit unique or that sets you apart from other people – and then start to brainstorm how you teach others this same thing. For a fee, of course.

30. Foreign language classes

If you spend a second language, you’re sitting on a great way to get money without a job by being able to teach others your language skills.

And you don’t even have to limit yourself to in-person lessons, although they pay pretty well. Instead. check out websites that let you be an online language tutor, as your range of potential clients there is enormous.

31. Teach English

Even if you don’t speak a language other than English, you can still help others learn – and get paid for it.

For example, on Samespeak, you can either give actual English lessons or provide English conversations, for students to basically practice their speaking abilities on you.

32. Help people with technology

It’s pretty clear by now that technology dominates most of our lives. But for those who may not have grown up with this, getting left behind is a scary concept.

Which makes this one of the more unique ways for teens to make money, given that teenagers today are the first fully digital generation.

By offering your services through flyers, letter drops or on social media (although best to do it a way where even tech-challenged people can see your ad), you can make some extra cash by helping people to learn how to manage today’s technology.

33. Do people’s homework

Doing other people’s homework has been one of the ways for teens to make money for decades. Just make sure that it doesn’t cross the line into cheating for them…

34. Host a trivia night

Trivia nights are a great way for you and everyone else there to use their brains. And by charging a participation fee, you can make some great money from doing this.

Convincing local businesses to provide the prizes will also save you some money. Not to mention that many trivia nights include a raffle, which you could charge tickets for to make even more from this idea.

How to make money around the neighborhood as a teen
People have always been keen to pay others for jobs they don’t want to do, which is why figuring out how to make money around the neighborhood as a teen can be a dream money making strategy.

So the easy answer to the question of how to make money when you’re 14, 15 or even when you’re 16 or 17 is do those things that others can’t or don’t want to do themselves.

Most actual jobs have age limits. But if you’re wondering what jobs hire at 13 years old, one of your neighbors may have what you’re looking for.

This is why it can be a good idea to do a letter drop or put up flyers in your local community if you want to offer your services for any of the options on this list. Posting messages in local Facebook groups or other community forums can also be a great way to get your name out there.

35. Dog walking

Americans spend more than $72 billion on their pets each year. Some of this is on toys and vet care – but a lot of it is also on the general day to day care that their animals need.

Which means that there is definitely room in that industry for you. And offering yourself up as a dog walker can be a good way to get on board.

(In fact, it’s one of many great ways to get paid to walk.)

The best part is that you can even walk multiple dogs at once, meaning you’ll be making money from different owners at the exact same time.

36. Pet sitting

Pet sitting is also a good option for making money from people’s love of their pets.

This is an especially effective money maker during the summer holidays, when their owners may have to work but are looking for someone who’s available to watch their pets during the day.

And as teenagers are out of school then with all the time in the world, this is one of the easier ways for teens to make money.

37. Baby sitting

As a long time fan of the Baby-Sitters Club books, I can confirm that baby sitting is one of the oldest ways for teens to make money.

Word of mouth is usually the best way to grow your business in this area. As parents start to trust you, they’re likely to recommend you to other parents. And your money making can grow from there!

Related: 43 Amazing Under the Table Jobs that Pay Cash

38. Yard work

If you’re wondering how can a 15 year old make quick money, doing the hard work that homeowners can’t find the effort (or time!) to do anymore is definitely one way.

Whether it’s cutting the lawn, raking leaves or digging holes…for those that own a yard, the work is never done and many of them are more than willing to pay you to take care of it for them.

39. Car washing

Car washing is one of those tasks that car owners mean to do every once in a while…but life gets in the way and before they know it, it’s been a month and their car is embarrassingly filthy.

But if they can give you a call and know that you can come around that afternoon to wash it for them, the convenience of this is something that many people will be more than happy to pay you for!

(You could even set it up as a regular appointment to give yourself a steady stream of income every week.)

40. Wash windows

Washing windows is another job that many of us always mean to get to but for some reason, we never seem able to do so.

It’s also one of the easiest ways for teens to make money. All you need is a bucket, a cloth and a squeegee and your neighbors will probably be more than willing for you to come around and take care of their dirty windows for them on a regular basis.

41. Do errands

Some people just don’t have the time or energy to get all their errands done. And some can’t for health reasons.

Whatever the reason, doing all of these tasks for people (for a fee!) can be a simple way for you to make a few extra dollars. Things like picking up groceries may just be the lifesaver that someone else needs.

42. Clean houses

Cleaning may not be the most fun job in the world, but it always needs to be done. So if you can step in and do it for someone – and get paid for it – then why not?

43. Collect golf balls

Many golf clubs pay a fairly good fee for people to collect golf balls from around their courses.

It’s also a great way for you to get some exercise as hiking around 18 holes is definitely going to give you a pretty solid step count.

44. Clean out garages

It’s rare to see a garage that’s actually organized, tidy and clean. Shout out to my neighbors whose garage was so full of junk that they couldn’t park the car inside of it.

But one man’s trash is another one’s treasure. Or, in this case, the treasure for you is in tidying up their trash!

It’s often a hard, dusty job. But someone in your neighborhood will always appreciate your help in doing this, making it a good way to earn some money on a weekend.

45. Paint

Whether it’s a fence, a wall inside someone’s home or the entire outside walls of a house, many homeowners often mean to do some painting but never get around to it.

This is where you step in. You can offer this service with the homeowner providing the materials, making it a totally free (for you) option for making some extra money.

46. Landscaping

This isn’t quite the same as yard work, as mentioned above, but it’s just as appreciated by those who love their gardens.

That is, you can get paid to plant new plants or help to cultivate existing ones. You could even combine it with getting paid to do some yard work to really maximize your earnings!

47. Shoveling snow

Clearly this is only available at certain times of the year. But people really really hate shoveling snow – making it one of the really really good ways for teens to make money.

After all, one person’s hated job is another person’s money making opportunity!

Spread the word about your services at the start of winter. That way, when it does start to snow, people will already have your name in mind rather than those who try to do this after the snow has fallen.

48. Clean out gutters

Cleaning out gutters is one of those jobs people never get to but really need to, especially after the leaves have fallen and clogged them all up.

This means that you could offer your services all year round or seasonally. If you live in an area with heavy rain at certain times of year, about a month before that starts could be a great time to take advantage of this.

49. Makeup for events

If you’re good at makeup, people will happily pay you to do this for them even if you’re not a professional makeup artist.

It would be best to target this at other teens for proms and other events, as people like brides are more likely to want to pay a pro.

But you can also take advantage of social media by combining this with someone offering to be a photographer for, say, an Instagram photo shoot.

This is one of the ways for teens to make money where letter drops and things may not be as effective. Instead, market yourself on your social media platform of choice. Instagram and Snapchat in particular work really well for this.

50. Photographer

Again, you’re probably not going to be hired to shoot weddings as a teen photographer.

But people always want photos of their parties or going to proms or similar events. And, as mentioned, social media photo shoots are a real thing.

So if you work on your photography skills, this can definitely be one of the more specialized ways for teens to make money.

Putting examples of your portfolio on Instagram can be a great way to attract clients. And, as mentioned above, think about combining your services with someone who’s good at makeup and hair to make yourself a package deal.

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how to make money as a teenager in 2020

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