Almost every teenager wants to make money. In this article, I’ll be going over five proven ways to make money as a teenager. Hopefully, as a teenager myself, I can offer a unique perspective and not give the same old advice. 

General advice 

When finding a way to make money as a teenager, it’s essential to understand your skills and evaluate how you can use them to your advantage. Whatever your skills are, whether you’re a talented artist or a fast writer, think about how you can use them to make money. 

A traditional job

Even though it isn’t very glamorous, getting a job and working for minimum wage at a fast-food restaurant or local grocery store can be a great way to make money and gain work experience. It’s much simpler to work consistent hours after school or on the weekend than to start a business or freelance. Even though this method is often the easiest, it might be less fun and lucrative than other ways of making money. 

Additionally, some states require teenagers to get a work permit before their legally allowed to work, so make sure to check your state’s requirements. Also, child labor laws specify how many hours you can work. Make sure to understand and comply with these regulations. 

Investing

Investing can be a fantastic way to make money, and you don’t have to be an adult to do it. As a teenager, you can open a custodial investment account and invest with your parent’s help. Because it requires money to start investing and how much you money you make depends on how much you invest, investing probably shouldn’t be your main money-making method. However, investing is a crucial skill to learn, and starting as a teenager might help you avoid making big mistakes as an adult.

Freelancing

Sites like Fiverr make it easy to use your skills, like video editing, writing, or drawing, to make money. However, going down the freelancing path may be more difficult than getting a traditional job, and it may take time to get orders. I haven’t personally sold services on Fiverr, but from my research, it seems like Fiverr is a great way for teenagers with valuable skills to make money. While the possibilities are almost endless, here are some common ways teenagers make money on Fiverr:

1. Writing

From blogs to books to articles, good writing is in high demand. Freelancing can be a great way for talented authors or quick writers to make money. It’s common to charge up to $100 to research and write a 1000 word post or article. This can translate to a substantial hourly wage, depending on how fast you can write and your work quality. 

2. Illustrating 

If you have a talent for art, you can create a service where you illustrate images, create logos, or design icons based on other peoples specifications. Providing these services can be an enjoyable way to make money in your free time. 

3. Editing 

If you have the skills and software to edit photos, videos, or music, you could make a lot of money by selling your services. In this increasingly digital world, the demand for editing is skyrocketing. Editing images for social media and videos for advertising are just two examples of important services that both individuals and businesses need. If you have these skills, take advantage of the growing demand to make some money. 

4. Music

If you are a talented musician, recording music for other people can quickly make you some money. Whether you play an instrument or make electronic music, playing and recording music for other people can be a fun and fast way to make money.

5. Coding

In the digital age, coding is probably the most sought-after skill. The ability to code games, apps, websites, etc., is a fantastic skill that you can monetize by your selling services. Because programing is in such high demand, you can charge high prices and make a significant amount of money.

eBay

Personally, I’ve been selling things on eBay for more than two years and have made over $2,500. eBay is a way to make money by selling anything from electronics to books that doesn’t take much time. I make an average of $20 per listing, and the whole process of listing, packaging, and shipping takes about an hour. Additionally, selling items on eBay is flexible, fun, and can be done on your own schedule, making it a great job for teens.

Start a Business 

Depending on what skills you have, it could be a good idea to start a business. Here are some specific businesses that teenagers often start: 

1. Photography business
2. Pet Sitting/dog walking
3. Teaching and tutoring

The takeaways

• Understand your skills and evaluate how you can use them to make money.
• Working a traditional job can be simpler than freelancing or starting a business but may be less lucrative.
• Investing is a crucial skill to learn and is a great way to grow your wealth in addition to another job. 
• Learning to invest as a teenager builds good financial habits and will help you prevent making big mistakes as an adult.
• Freelancing can be an effective way to turn a skill into a way to make money. 
• Writing articles on Fiverr can be a lucrative way for talented authors and quick writers to make money.
• Illustrating icons, logos, and other designs is a good way for artists to harness their talent to make money.
• In the digital age, editing videos, photos, and music are in high demand. People with the skills and software to edit should seriously consider the potentially lucrative path of freelance editing.
• Playing, recording, and creating music for other people is a fun way for teens who play an instrument or create digital music to make money. 
• Starting a business such as taking photographs, pet sitting/dog walking, teaching, and tutoring are all great ways for teenagers to make money.
• Selling items on eBay is flexible, fun, and can be done on your own schedule, making it a great job for teens.