The toughest thing about finding good jobs for teens is that you’ll need to balance your schoolwork with your work responsibilities. However, there are many job options that are less likely to interfere with school schedules and study requirements.
That’s why we did a deep dive, consulted a school psychologist, and made a list of the 20 best jobs for teens that you can choose from.
Let’s take a look at how you can find them and how to get yourself started!
Key Takeaways
- The best jobs for teens are currently: fast food worker, gardener, babysitter, and barista.
- Some of the most popular online jobs for teens at the moment are teaching, customer service, and web design.
- If you’re looking for a quick and fun summer job, you can become a lifeguard or even a camp counselor.
- To find a job as a teen, you can ask your friends or family members if they know of any open positions, or you can search for jobs for teens online as well.
8 Best Jobs For Teens
Here are some of the best jobs for teens with no experience requirements:
Fast Food Worker
One of the most common jobs for teens is a fast food worker.
Job requirements: Your main job is to take orders, answer customer questions, prepare food, and serve it. Sometimes, you’ll also be asked to stock items and clean around the kitchen.
To get you started, the manager will most likely offer you on-the-job training. Besides that, all you need to start working as a fast food worker are great customer service and communication skills.
Food service workers can make around $10–$13 an hour.
Gardener
A gardening job is a fun and active job you can do as a teenager.
Job requirements: The main duties of a gardener are to mow lawns, trim hedges, and even rake leaves. The number one priority is to keep the garden clean, but specific duties may vary depending on the employer.
Usually, the employer will provide the gardening equipment, so all that’s left on your end is to be in great physical shape.
The salary for a gardener is around $16 an hour.
Babysitter
Babysitting is a great option for those who enjoy spending time with children and taking care of them.
Job requirements: Babysitting jobs are a popular choice among teens because they can teach them responsibility. A babysitter’s job is to watch children carefully, take care of them, and play with them. Any type of work with kids requires you to be very patient and understanding.
A babysitter (or nanny) can expect to make around $17 per hour.
Cashier
If you’re quick with numbers and enjoy meeting new people, working at a store as a cashier might be a great fit for you.
Job requirements: As a cashier, you’ll get to work for all types of stores. All you need to do during your working hours is run the products through the register and bag them once they’ve been paid. You’ll also be required to have some good stamina, as you’ll be mostly working on your feet.
The average hourly wage for a cashier is around $14.
Barista
If you’re quick, artistic, and detail-oriented, becoming a barista is a great way to showcase these skills.
Job requirements: As a barista, you will get the chance to work in a café where lots of people circulate. You’ll be the one who makes the coffee, makes the latte art, and provides customers with the energy boost they need to get through the day.
If you’re interested, you can also check out our guide on how to make a barista resume to get started.
Baristas usually make $13 per hour.
Dog Walker
If you’re a dog person and love being active, becoming a dog walker can be the best decision you will make. Here’s why:
Job requirements: Dogs need consistent love and care, and sometimes their owners aren’t always available to provide that to them. That’s where you come in to help.
Owners will ask you to take care of their pets and take them for walks while their owners are at work. All you need to get started is unconditional love for doggies.
As a dog walker, you can expect to make anywhere from $13 to $20 per hour.
Delivery Man/Woman
A delivery driver position is a great option for teens who love to drive.
Job requirements: Plenty of restaurants and fast food chains in your area will need delivery drivers at one point or another, as it assures great customer service for the clients. All you need to get started is a driver’s license.
Delivery drivers usually make around $16 per hour.
Waiter/Waitress
One of the best jobs for teens that pays well is definitely that of a waiter or waitress. You will receive a salary from the owner of the cafe, hotel, or restaurant, but you can also earn extra cash from tips from patrons.
Job requirements: As a waiter or waitress, you’ll need to be on standby for every customer’s request. You will be asked questions about the menu and service, and your main job will be to take orders and serve food. All you need is a friendly personality and lots of stamina.
The average hourly wage of a waiter or waitress is around $16 per hour.
6 Best Online Jobs for Teens
Here are some of the best at-home jobs for teens:
Teacher/Tutor
Do you enjoy working with kids and teaching them about things you know about? If the answer is yes, give teaching or tutoring a try. It’s a nice job for teens who want to work from the comfort of their own homes. You might even be able to choose your own working hours.
Job requirements: As a tutor, your main job will be to work with students and help them understand a subject they’re having trouble with. You will get to explain difficult concepts by breaking them down into terms that are easier to understand.
What salary you can expect: Although this will highly depend on your demands and what the parents can agree to, you can still expect to make from $17 to $24 per hour as a tutor.
Customer Service Representative
It comes as no surprise that customer service positions have been all the rage lately. It is a simple job that anyone can do; no experience is required, and you’ll get paid quite handsomely for it. That’s why a lot of teens are applying for customer service representative jobs.
Job requirements: Customer service representatives can work for different businesses. Your main job would be answering the phone, making additional phone calls, and helping customers with their issues. You will usually be offered on-the-job training to help you understand the company’s phone system better.
A customer service representative can make around $18 an hour.
Content Creator
If you spend most of your day scrolling through TikTok, Instagram Reels, or Youtube Shorts, why not start making content that can also make you money? Becoming a content creator means you can make videos and create posts based on your own interests, and you can decide when or where you work.
Job requirements: All you need to become a content creator is a stable internet connection, a phone or camera, some nice creative skills, and a dream! Put your creativity to use and create content that you will enjoy making and that your viewers will enjoy watching!
A content creator can make around $20 per hour.
Proofreader
Being a proofreader is a great fit for those who enjoy checking for grammar and spelling mistakes, and it’s one of the best-paying jobs out of the bunch. It’s a great option if you’re on the lookout for jobs for teens with social anxiety.
It can be easily done from the comfort of your own home, at your own pace.
Job requirements: The main requirements of a proofreader are to be great in English as well as have some good writing skills. It’s a job that requires a lot of patience, as it is the last stage of writing an article, and a lot of attention needs to be put into it.
Proofreaders usually make around $24 to $31 an hour.
Writer
If you’re creative and enjoy writing more than speaking, becoming a writer is a great option for you! As a writer, you get to work at your own pace and use your creativity while writing articles for a client.
There are different types of writing you can do, such as technical, content, and copywriting. Choose one that fits well with you and get started!
Job requirements: Depending on what type of writing you’ll be assigned to do, you will need to have great attention to detail as well as some good research and writing skills. You will be asked to deliver a set number of words or articles and be paid according to that number.
Writers can usually make around $30 an hour, but it highly depends on what content you’ll be writing and who your employer is.
Editor
Last on this list is an editor. If you’re not that great at writing content from scratch but you love to correct people’s grammar and spelling mistakes, try becoming an editor! You’ll be assigned to edit content in different industries, which can also help you learn new things.
Job requirements: If you want to become an editor, you will need a working PC or laptop, a stable internet connection, and editing skills. Your job will be to check for mistakes and fix articles (or content in general) before they get published.
As of 2023, editors can make around $36 an hour.
6 Best Summer Jobs for Teens
Let’s take a look at some of the best summer jobs for teens:
Camp Counselor
If you want to get paid while having lots of fun in the sun, give camp counseling a try! It’s a great option for those who like to work with kids and teach them new things while doing fun camp activities. It’s also a great way for you to awaken your inner child and have some fun as well!
Job requirements: If you possess problem-solving and leadership skills, camp counseling is definitely for you. You’ll get to travel around with kids while you teach them new things. That’s why you’ll also need quite a lot of patience and good communication skills.
Don’t forget stamina! You’ll be on your feet for the entire day.
The average hourly wage for a camp counselor is $25.
Amusement Park Worker
An amusement park worker is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face, whether they work in gift shops, wear costumes to entertain, or assist on fun and crazy rides. Who wouldn’t want to be around such fun times?
Job requirements: All that’s asked of you is to have a friendly persona and a warm smile! On-site training will be provided for you once you start working, so no prior experience is required.
An amusement park worker can make around $12 an hour.
Lifeguard
If you enjoy bathing in the sun and hearing happy people laugh, becoming a lifeguard is a great option! Your job is to ensure that everyone is safe and can enjoy the time by the pool or sea without having to worry about anything else.
Job requirements: You will be asked to learn CPR or earn lifeguard certification, as you need to know how to help people in case an emergency happens. If you don’t have this certification, you can ask the organization you’re applying to if they can provide it.
The average salary for a lifeguard is around $15 per hour.
Swim Instructor
Another great way to get the most out of your summer (while still getting paid) is to become a swim instructor. This is a fun and fairly easy job to do, as long as swimming comes naturally to you.
Job requirements: A swim instructor’s main job is to teach and coach other people of all ages on different swimming techniques and what works best for them. One major requirement is to have a CPR certification.
The average salary for a swimming instructor is $24 per hour.
Virtual Assistant
Not only is working as a virtual assistant a great summer job, but it’s also a great option if you want to work from home! As a virtual assistant, you’ll get to help with various online tasks.
Job requirements: Since someone will rely on you, it’s important to have good general knowledge and skills in multiple areas. You will be the first person your employer contacts when they struggle to finish a task on time, and this task can be related to anything from design to marketing.
A virtual assistant can expect to make around $10–$25 per hour, depending on the area of work and what your employer can offer.
Tour Guide
Lastly, try becoming a tour guide if you enjoy talking about your city’s or country’s monuments. There are a lot of tourist attractions that foreigners want to know about, and that’s where you can help.
Job requirements: As a tour guide, your main job will be to assist others. This includes everything from helping tourists find good spots to eat to directing them towards different monuments and attractions. You need to be quite engaging, as you’ll be asked to make the whole experience worth it for the travelers.
A tour guide can make around $16 an hour.
How to Find a Job as a Teenager
Here are some of the next best ways to find a job as a teenager:
- Ask around. You can try asking your teachers, family, or friends whether they know someone who is hiring teenagers for some low-intensity labor. This way, you’ll get direct insight and get a job through references.
- Search online. A lot of websites online will have plenty of job listings in one place from different companies or businesses. It’s quick and easy to search for jobs on these websites, as you’ll get the chance to narrow down available positions based on your interests.
- Go to local stores. Most stores will stick flyers on the doors mentioning that they’re looking for new employers. Take a stroll around your neighborhood or city and check to see if you find any.
- Go to a company’s website. If you already know where you want to work, go to that company’s website and check if they have listed any job positions. Many employers announce job openings through their social media accounts, so check out those as well.
- Check your local newspapers. Newspapers might sound ancient to you, but they are still a good place to find new job listings. Besides, newspapers are also available online nowadays, so you can give those a try as well.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re looking for a quick summer job or you want to get some work experience, finding the right job as a teen is one of the best things you can do to kickstart your career.
Make a list of things that you’re good at to get yourself started. Head over to your local stores or go online to find job listings that might interest you. There are plenty of online jobs or summer jobs for teens available, so make sure to give some a try.
We hope this guide has helped you find a job you’re interested in, and we wish you luck on your job-hunting journey!
