35 Best Jobs for Teens in 2024, Pay Info, & How to Get a Job

Lifeguard

Your job revolves around staying alert and keeping an eye out for any problems, as well as always making sure that you’re quick to act whenever someone needs help.

Working as a lifeguard requires responsibility and knowing how to swim, making it a skill-based and well-paid job.

Lifeguard resume examples

Pet Sitter

Working as a pet sitter allows you to earn good money while spending time with animals. Who doesn’t love to get paid for hanging out with a sweet pooch or a cuddly cat?

It is a job, though, and it requires a solid level of responsibility. You’ll be dealing with things like feeding, walking, and playing with pets, as well as ensuring their safety and well-being while their owners are away.

Actor

Acting can be a high-paying job for teens with talent and dedication, offering opportunities for creativity and self-expression. You don’t have to aim for Hollywood in order to make some extra cash on the side, and the hourly pay is typically high once you do land a gig.

As a teenager, you may participate in community theater productions or even pursue roles in commercials, shows, or movies. This requires the ability to memorize lines, portray emotion, and be a team player.

Beginner acting resume examples

Acting cover letter examples

Caddy

Being a caddy can provide you with the chance to earn good money through tips while enjoying outdoor activities like golfing.

Responsibilities involve carrying golf clubs, offering advice on course strategy, and maintaining a positive attitude while assisting golfers during their rounds.

Tutor

Tutoring is sort of a win-win situation if you’re particularly great at a given subject. Not only do you help others (and get paid for it!), you also reinforce your own knowledge.

To be a tutor, you’ll need to have a lot of patience. You’ll be explaining concepts, assisting with homework, and providing guidance in specific subjects or areas of difficulty.

Tutor resume examples

Tutor cover letter examples

QA tester (quality assurance tester)

Working as a QA tester during the summer allows you to gain valuable experience in the tech industry while ensuring the quality of software products like video games. It’s not all fun and games, though; it can actually get pretty tedious sometimes.

Responsibilities often include identifying and reporting bugs, testing software functionality, and providing feedback to developers.

Quality assurance resume examples

Hair salon assistant

If all your friends turn to you when they want to look extra great, the beauty industry might be a good idea. Assisting at a hair salon during the summer can give you some hands-on experience in a creative environment.

Duties may involve shampooing clients, sweeping hair, and assisting stylists with various tasks.

Junior hair stylist resume examples

Hair stylist cover letter examples

Gardener

Working as a gardener over the summer lets you enjoy the outdoors. If you have a green thumb, it’s a great way to combine your hobby with earning some money.

As a teen, you’re likely to be given tasks like planting, watering, weeding, and maintaining gardens or outdoor spaces.

Farmhand

If you live in a rural area, you’re no stranger to helping out on the farm. You may have been doing this for free up until now, but you could also gain experience in agriculture and animal care while getting paid for it.

Tasks may include feeding animals, mending fences, cleaning, and assisting with crop harvesting.

Summer camp counselor

Working as a summer camp counselor allows teens to make a positive impact on children while enjoying outdoor activities and building leadership skills.

Counselors usually spend their time supervising kids, leading games and activities, and ensuring the safety and well-being of campers.

Summer camp counselor resume examples

Babysitter

Babysitting is often one of the first jobs teens take on, providing valuable experience in childcare and responsibility. If you have younger siblings, chances are you’re already a seasoned babysitter.

This gig includes supervising children, preparing meals, and playing with the kids to entertain them while ensuring they’re safe.

Cleaner

Working as a cleaner is more useful than it seems. It allows you to earn money while gaining valuable skills in organization and attention to detail.

Duties may include dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and sanitizing various spaces to maintain cleanliness.

Cleaner resume examples

Paper round

Delivering newspapers is a good first job for teens and kids alike. You’ll be working on your own, out in the open, but often in a familiar neighborhood.

Unsurprisingly, you’ll often be asked to work early mornings, although some deliveries take place after school.

Food service

Working in food service isn’t easy, but there’s a reason why many people say that everyone should spend at least a month serving tables. It introduces you to the fast-paced hospitality industry and teaches important customer service skills that’ll come in handy later on.

The job usually involves (a combination of) taking orders, preparing food, washing the dishes, serving customers, and maintaining cleanliness in a restaurant or cafe setting.

Food service worker resume examples

Odd jobs

Taking on odd jobs is a good idea if you don’t want to commit to a schedule. You’ll earn money by helping with various tasks in their neighborhood or community.

These tasks can vary widely and may include lawn mowing, pet sitting, house sitting, or helping with household chores.

Dog walker

If you love dogs, there’s no better part-time job than to work as a walker. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though—some of the dogs you work with may prove to be quite a challenge!

Responsibilities include walking dogs, ensuring their safety, and following instructions from pet owners regarding routes and care.

Movie theater concession worker

Being a movie theater concession worker gives you the chance to work in a fun environment while gaining experience in customer service and food preparation.

Duties include selling tickets, serving snacks and beverages, and maintaining cleanliness in the concession area.

Delivery driver

Working as a delivery driver is pretty great. It’s flexible, and as you’ll often be riding a bike (or a car if you can drive), you’ll get plenty of exercise.

Delivery jobs can vary, but you’ll usually be delivering food, groceries, or packages to customers’ homes or businesses, following set routes, and ensuring timely and accurate deliveries.

Delivery driver resume examples

Library assistant

If you’re a bookworm, working in a library is a fantastic option. It’s a quiet and educational environment, and when there’s not much going on, you can read or do your homework.

During shifts, you’re likely going to be checking out books, shelving returned items, assisting with research, and maintaining library organization.

Event staff

Working events is a fast-paced environment. Once you’ve worked this job once or twice, you’ll gain more skills than some gigs will teach you in a year.

Duties may include setting up and breaking down event spaces, assisting guests, serving food and beverages, and ensuring the smooth execution of events.

Event server resume examples

Clothing store assistant

Working as a clothing store assistant offers teens the opportunity to gain experience in retail while keeping up with the latest fashion trends. It’s a great job for anyone, but if you’re into fashion, you’ll enjoy it a little extra.

Your duties will include assisting customers with their purchases, restocking merchandise, and keeping things clean inside the store.

Grocery store cashier

Being a grocery store cashier sends you right into a fast-paced environment. It’s a good way to hone your skills in customer service, working in a team, and even calculating on the fly.

The job involves scanning and bagging groceries, handling cash transactions, and providing friendly service to customers.

Grocery store cashier resume examples

Barista

Who doesn’t love a caramel macchiato? Working as a barista puts you right into one of the coffee shops you’ve probably been to on several occasions. You’ll develop skills in food and beverage preparation while working in a social environment alongside people your age or slightly older.

Baristas spend their shifts taking orders, making coffee and other drinks, maintaining cleanliness in the cafe, and providing excellent customer service.

Barista resume examples

Barista cover letter examples

Shelf stocker

Being a shelf stocker in a retail store is a good middle ground between full-on retail and working independently.

Responsibilities include restocking shelves, organizing merchandise, and maintaining store appearance.

Hobby shop assistant

Working as a hobby shop assistant allows teens to engage with their interests while gaining experience in retail.

As someone knowledgeable and interested in the store’s products, teens can assist customers with product inquiries, as well as restocking inventory and cleaning.

Family helper

What if you could do chores and get paid for it? Picking up little jobs as a family helper is a valuable support to busy families.

Tasks could include tidying up, running errands, helping with meal preparation, caring for pets, or whatever else suits your family.

Looking after siblings and cousins

This is babysitting, but not really. Keeping an eye on siblings or little cousins can teach teens responsibility, but it’s not as difficult as working with clients.

Responsibilities include supervising playtime, helping with homework, walking home from school, and more.

Recycling helper

No one likes a littered lawn. Helping with recycling and picking up trash in your local area can contribute to a greener environment and give you a little money for your trouble.

Responsibilities may include sorting recyclables, collecting items for recycling, taking items to recycling points, and cleaning up the local area.

Car washer

Working as a car washer is a relatively easy job but also teaches care for other people’s belongings. It’s also fairly easy to get such a job, as many people are happy to pay a certain sum of money to get out of having to do this themselves.

Duties include washing and drying vehicles, cleaning windows, and vacuuming interiors with the help of an adult.

Plant carer

Whether it’s mowing the lawn or watering the plants while your neighbors are away, caring for plants is a viable way to earn some cash.

Young teens can help out by watering plants, repotting as needed, and ensuring plants are getting the sunlight and nutrition that they need.

Selling crafts

If you’re an artsy person, you can make money selling crafts and handmade products online. It’s great for high school students focusing on art-related subjects.

The job includes creating crafts, taking appealing photos, writing product descriptions, and managing online sales platforms.

Freelance writing

Freelance writing offers teens the opportunity to develop their writing skills while working remotely on various projects. They can take on tasks like guest-writing on blogs or writing promotional content for local businesses.

Jobs involve researching topics, writing articles or blog posts, meeting deadlines, and communicating effectively with clients.

Freelance writer resume examples

Online garage sales

Surprise, surprise—garage sales have moved out of the garage and onto the internet. If you or your family have stuff that you no longer need, selling it online can be a great way to earn money.

To make sales, you’ll need to take photos of items, write descriptions, set prices, and manage online listings on platforms like eBay or Facebook Marketplace.

Graphic design

Graphic design can mean anything from drawing to making logos, and to work as a designer online, you’ll need more than just creativity—you’ll also need to keep up with deadlines and work with customers.

Common tasks include designing logos, social media graphics, posters, or website elements using graphic design software.

Graphic designer resume examples

Graphic designer cover letter examples

YouTube/social media content creator

If you’re already fond of scrolling on TikTok, you might as well become a creator. This lets you share your interests and talents with a wide audience while potentially earning money through ad revenue or sponsorships.

To succeed, you’ll need to create and edit videos or posts, engage with followers, and grow your online presence.

Content creator resume examples