Making extra money is something most people wish to do, but it can be a little tougher for teenagers, thanks to the age requirements that most companies have, as well as their busy schedules juggling school, extracurricular activities, and some semblance of a social life. If you’re a teenager and you’re interested in working online, it can be either easier or harder to find that job, depending on the type of job you want. The good news is that many online jobs are part-time or contract, which suits many teens’ schedules a lot better than regular jobs do and can be a great option for those seeking how to work from home as a teenager.
Tips for Finding an Online Job
Finding the perfect online job may seem overwhelming (particularly for teens lacking prior work experience), but it’s a lot easier if you follow a few important rules, which include the following:
- Look for a Specific Type of Job
There are more online jobs than you think, especially since the outbreak of COVID, but if you narrow down the type of job you want and get specific about it, it’s a lot easier to find something that’s right for you. Teens have busy schedules, so they aren’t able to accept just any type of job, but the more specific you get about the job you want, the more likely you are to find the right job in the end, which will provide you both valuable experience and extra spending money, as well as a great opportunity to start building out your professional network.
- Prepare for the Requirements ahead of Time
Many jobs, including online jobs, have a minimum age requirement, while you’ll need a work permit for others. Before you start looking for a job, you’ll need to check these things and go ahead and get the paperwork you need so that when you do get hired, you can start immediately. If you’re working online, 18 is often the minimum age, but many of these jobs allow you to work when you’re 16 or even as young as 13. Some jobs also require parental consent before you start working, so you’ll need to know that as well.
- Start Networking
It’s good to go ahead and build a resume and start networking with professionals. Go to networking sites such as LinkedIn and others and create a profile, then start networking with business professionals. It may help you find a great job, but if it doesn’t, you’ll at least get to know people who can help you figure out what you need to do to find a great online job.
- Search Everywhere on the Internet
There are lots of job sites that can help you find an online job, also called a remote job, and you should visit all of them. Some of them, in fact, are devoted to helping people find this type of job and nothing else. As long as you have an Internet connection, it’s easier than you think to find a company that offers online jobs. And if you want to work for a specific company, visit their website to get the information you need.
- Be Prepared for What They Might Require
You may be asked to take some online tests so they can ascertain your skill level, so you should be prepared for that. This could include a typing or grammar test or even a technical or mechanical test if that’s the type of job you want. They may also want to conduct a virtual interview, and you’ll need to be as prepared for that as you would for an in-person interview.
You’ll also have to be persistent and patient. Many online jobs are very competitive, but most of them pay well and allow you to work on your own schedule. Any part-time job can be hard to find, but a part-time remote job can be even more difficult. Make sure your communication with these companies is always professional and without any errors so that your odds of getting that interview are much higher. If you’re looking for an online job, but you don’t know where to start, below are 25 jobs that are worth considering.
25 Online Job Possibilities for Teens
- Data Entry Specialist
Being a data entry clerk is perfect for teens who are detail-oriented and have a good eye for editing. Companies will send you documents filled with either text or numbers, and you’ll have to input the information into the computer. It can be monotonous work, but many companies hire data entry specialists as young as 16 years of age, so you don’t have to be 18 to do the job in many cases. It can also be a very lucrative job because most companies will pay you well.
If you want a data entry job, look on sites such as FlexJobs and even Indeed. Some sites, including FlexJobs, will charge a small monthly fee, but they’ll provide you with legitimate jobs that are not scams or MLMs.
- YouTube Aficionado
If there is a topic you are passionate about, you can create your own YouTube channel and share it with the world. Tons of young people have done this to share their passions about everything from video games and toys to fashion and music. Even better, many successful YouTubers earn six figures a year even though they have fewer than 100,000 followers. In other words, you don’t always have to have millions of followers to make some good money on YouTube.
You can also set up a YouTube account when you’re only 13 years old, which is why it is becoming more popular all the time with high schoolers and other young teens. To be successful, you need to be consistent, so if you want to choose this as your part-time job, keep at it no matter what.
- Complete Online Surveys
Oftentimes, you only have to be 13 years old to complete online surveys, and there are a ton of companies that rely on these surveys to learn what potential customers are thinking. The interesting thing is that you don’t know what type of survey will come up once you sign up to do them. Companies do these surveys on just about every product out there, not to mention as a way to know how people of certain age groups and certain individuals feel about everything from politics to certain news topics.
Most of these surveys are short and interesting, and you can even learn a lot in the process. If you’re not sure where to start to find the survey sites, check out companies such as Swagbucks, LifePoints, My Soap Box, and American Consumer Opinion Panel, to name a few. Keep in mind that many of these companies will pay you not with a regular paycheck but through your PayPal account or even with gift cards, but it is still money!
- Customer Service Rep
Many national companies will hire you to work as a remote customer service representative to take calls from home and help customers receive answers to their questions and even resolve certain issues they’re having. Lawyers, utility companies, big chain stores, and even credit card companies regularly hire people for this type of position, but there are some things you need to know before you apply. First, you need a quiet workspace, and you’ll also need an updated computer and Internet capability.
Most of these companies require certain speeds or software before they’ll hire you, and some even list their available work shifts that you’ll have to choose from, but there’s still a lot of flexibility in this type of job. Still others will provide the computer for you, which can be a huge perk if you don’t have an up-to-date computer and can’t afford to buy another one.
- Play Online Video Games
One of the best online jobs for teens involves getting paid to play video games, and you can do this as young as 13 years old! You simply sign up, play video games on your cell phone or computer, then get paid. It really is that simple, and MistPlay is one of the most popular and most lucrative gaming sites to join. Many of these sites pay you with a gift card or credit for stores such as Amazon and others, but it’s super-easy to make money with them because you’re simply doing something you always do anyway!
Yet another advantage of these websites is that you often get to test a new game before it even goes on the market, so you’ll be able to learn what games you like and which ones you don’t. Even the jobs that pay in points or credits allow you to use them for buying almost anything you want online.
- Virtual Assistant Jobs
Virtual assistant jobs are becoming more common these days, but getting one can be competitive because it requires you to have the same skills you’d need if you were working for a standard company. Depending on the company, you might have to type, make phone calls, schedule appointments, and even make travel arrangements. Nevertheless, these are usually high-paying jobs and many of them are part-time, which means they make the perfect side hustle for teenagers.
The main thing you’ll have to look for is the company’s time zone as compared to yours. If you’re working for a company located on the East Coast and you live on the West Coast, or vice versa, you’ll have to work hard to make sure you always know what time it is wherever the company is located.
- Graphic Design Work
Being a graphic designer pays well and will always provide you with plenty of work. You can make money in this field in several ways. First of all, you can use your talent to create websites for various companies. All businesses need a functioning, up-to-date website, but few business people have time to do this themselves. This means they’re more than willing to pay good money for someone else to do it. And if you wish to update the site regularly, a lot of them will pay you a monthly fee to do just that.
You can also make money selling your designs on websites such as Redbubble and others. You simply create an account, upload your designs, and make money every time someone uses your design to order mugs, pillowcases, stickers, or anything else. If you’re a good artist, this is a good way to make extra cash on a regular basis.
- Online Course Creator
This is a great way to make extra money if you’re an expert in a certain subject and you’re interested in sharing what you know with other people. It may sound odd, but people pay big money for information, and it doesn’t have to be information only on school subject areas. It can be a hobby or interest you have, such as being a Minecraft expert or knowing how to play the drums. There are always going to be people interested in learning that same skill, so this is a good job to have.
You can market your course yourself or sell it to a company that offers these types of courses, and the latter means you’ll get paid a certain amount every time the course you’ve written is sold to someone. If you’re well-qualified in any area, this is one of the best ways to make some money.
- Freelance Writer
While it can be a lot of hard work, being a freelance writer is both lucrative and rewarding. The average pay is $20–25 per hour, and even the companies that pay by the article pay well. The best part is that the job is never boring because you’ll be writing blogs, articles, general stories, product reviews, and much more. Many companies will pay you to write for them even if you’re under 18 years of age, with or without the permission of a parent or legal guardian.
One of the things you may want to do if you’re interested in this job is to create a portfolio of your work, which you can add to as you grow your career. Some editors will ask for that while others won’t, but it’s always a good thing to have.
- Social Media Manager
One thing’s for certain—a social media manager will stay busy and never get bored. The job entails keeping companies’ social media accounts accurate and up-to-date, responding to people who contact the companies, and even writing content. Even if you’ve never had a job before, you can still charge $10–15 per hour to do the job, which is a lot more than minimum wage and better than a lot of first jobs’ salaries. Of course, you’ll have to communicate well, write well, and keep up with everything going on with the site in order to do the job right.
You’ll also have to do this not just for the companies’ websites but also for their other social media platforms, including Instagram, Twitter, and all others. If you’re tech-savvy and organized, this is a great way to make some extra money.
- Blog Writer
Most companies have blogs on their websites, in part because they are a great way to provide valuable information to people and share their products or services at the same time without being pushy or “salesy.” The thing is, not all companies have people on their staff who are able or even willing to write the blogs themselves, and this is where you come in! If you’re a good writer and can provide error-free content for various companies, they will pay you good money for it.
You can also write your own blog, which works best if you are a specialist in a certain area. There are numerous websites that allow people to publish their blogs, and the main skill you have to have here is consistency. The more you publish, the better the odds of growing your base.
- Craft Seller
If you love to crochet, do needlepoint, make jewelry, or draw, you might want to consider selling your work on sites such as Etsy and others. You can create a store and then sell from that store, but first, you’ll want to have a lot of items there. Customers want to believe you’re a legitimate business, and the more items you have for sale at any given time, the better you’ll look to them. Even better, there’s no monthly fee with Etsy; instead, you pay a small percentage to the company each time you sell something.
You’ll also want to have tons of photographs for each item you sell. Make sure they’re professional-looking pictures, and take them from every angle. This is another thing customers look for before they buy.
- Voice-Over Expert
Yet another excellent way to pad your bank account is to be a voice-over actor. They are paid well to do voice-overs for commercials and even for e-books. Websites such as Voices.com are a great place to start because they need people for all sorts of jobs. Some of the companies listed are wanting someone with a certain accent (or lack of accent), while others are specifically looking for men or women, people of a certain age, etc.
If you register on sites such as Voices.com, you can check back regularly if you don’t find a job the first time because they are continuously updating the site, which makes it easy to get regular work.
- Clothing Flipper
If you’ve been told you have an eye for thrift-store or flea-market clothing, you might want to consider “flipping” the clothes by buying them cheap, making a few repairs or embellishments, and selling them as vintage clothing either online or in person. People who love fashion and can recognize a good deal when they see it do best at this job, but it also isn’t a hard skill to learn. What you need to remember is that if you sell the clothing online, you’ll have to find an online store that lets minors sell to them.
One of the sites that does allow teens to sell clothing is Depop, but there are others you can find with just a little bit of effort. Stay away from sites such as Craigslist, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace, because they all require you to be 18 years old before you work with them. Always research an online marketplace before doing business with them.
- Watching Ads for Money
One of the different ways to make money as a teen is to sign up to watch ads for money. Yes, this is a legitimate business and can be a lot of fun as well. Companies such as MyPoints and others will pay you (often with gift cards) to watch various ads, as well as other online job opportunities. A lot of these sites offer numerous ways to make money, not just watching ads, which means you’ll never get bored doing the same thing day after day.
Watching ads is also a good first job because it is simple, and you can do it as soon as you turn 13 years old. While the money you make per ad or per survey isn’t extremely high, you’ll be surprised at how quickly it all adds up in your checking account! This job is fun for both younger and older teens.
- Product Tester
Many people have heard that companies will pay people to test out their products before putting them on the market, and if this is something you’re interested in, you won’t regret it because it takes little free time, and you even get to keep the products you’ll be testing. One of the most well-known sites is Toluna, which has been around for a while and is, therefore, trustworthy. You’ll also want to respond quickly to any offers you find on these websites because most companies only allow a certain number of people to participate in each study.
Still, testing products is something you can do in your spare time, which means it won’t interfere with your school work or your playtime.
- Online Tutor
The great part about being an online tutor is that you can charge a minimum of $15–20 per hour, which is great money for a teenager. If you’re especially knowledgeable about a certain subject area—especially a difficult subject such as Algebra or English—you’ll find plenty of clients simply by offering your services online. Of course, you can also visit your students in person if they live in the same area as you, but tutoring them online is just as effective.
You can also use the usual online platforms to drum up customers, and you can tutor people both during the school year and in the summer.
- Get Paid to Take Photos
Teenagers love taking pictures with their phones, and if that includes you, start snapping away and loading the pics onto sites such as Foap.com. Sites such as this allow you to create an online portfolio, and when an agency or company decides to use one of your photographs for an advertisement or anything else, you can earn 50% immediately. There are other sites that work very similarly to this, and they all pay you for pics that you took and uploaded onto their site.
With this job, you get flexibility because you can work when you want to work, and you can even make money while you sleep because people will be buying your photos 24/7 even when you’re not aware of it. It is a fun and easy way to make a little extra money.
- Call Reviewer
If you’re ever on a call with a customer service rep and hear the words, “This call is being recorded,” you should know that those same companies need people to listen to and rate those calls so that customers always receive the best from the rep. Companies such as Humanatic.com hire people to listen in on calls and tell them how the customer service rep did with the customer. You’ll need the ability to type fairly fast and a good computer connection, and you’ll answer questions about how the rep did on the call.
You’ll be answering questions about how friendly the rep was and if they did a good job helping the customer with an issue. Once you’ve answered the questions set forth by the company, you can move on to the next call, and you get paid for each call you review.
- Proofreader
You probably already know this, but the average person hates to proofread their work. Lots of people are unable to write and edit well, and they are more than happy to pay someone else to do it for them. If you feel like your proofreading skills are not up to par, there are resources available to help you learn them a little better. You can charge by the page or by the word, but either way, you’ll end up making very good money.
This certainly isn’t a traditional job by any means, but it’s a lucrative one nonetheless. If this type of work interests you, brush up on your proofreading skills with a course or some online education, then start advertising at schools, colleges, and businesses.
- Brand Ambassador
If you’ve ever gone to the grocery store and seen people giving out free food samples, this is what you’d be doing when you’re a brand ambassador. Lots of companies find it cheaper to pay these independent contractors to do this job than it is to hire regular employees. The job goes great with school hours because a lot of the work is done on the weekends, and the per-hour wage is always very high—usually a minimum of around $15.
Best of all, you can work when you want to work and take off whenever you need to, which goes well with a student’s busy schedule.
- Website Tester
All businesses need functioning websites, and there are companies that pay people to test various websites to make sure they work the way they should. Some of these companies include UserTesting.com and TestingTime.com, but there are others as well. They usually pay by the review, which means you can work around your personal schedule, and the money can add up quickly. For this job, you’ll be testing and reviewing websites both before and after they go live, which means your feedback is extremely important.
- Website Developer
People who develop and create a website for individuals and businesses are not all graphic designers. If you’re above average when it comes to operating a computer and you have a keen eye for detail, this might be a great career for you. You’ll start by getting to know the client so you can determine what will look good on their site, and you’ll be in charge of keeping it up-to-date from that point on. The best part is that you can do this despite your age, although most people want you to be at least 16 before they hire you. And don’t forget to make sure the companies’ mobile apps work just as well!
- Video Editor
With an average salary of around $20 per hour, video editing can be a lucrative part-time or summer job. You can work for clients with accounts on TikTok and YouTube or for companies that have video ads, training videos, or different types of videos on their websites. You’ll be editing them for length and content and to make sure they look fantastic for the people who watch them. And if you search for a video editing “intern” job, you’re likely to get a lot more responses in the end.
- Podcaster
Just like voice-over actors and others, being a podcaster can pay very well. If you have a good voice and a passion for a hobby or interest, recording podcasts is a great way to share that passion with the rest of the world. You can record the podcasts any time, which means you set your own work hours, and once you get good at it, you can become an affiliate marketer or sell ad space on your site. Aim for a minimum of 10,000 downloads per episode for the best results. It isn’t uncommon for people who meet that goal to gain $500 or more per episode in affiliate marketing commissions.
We hope the above list offered some practical suggestions, tactical tips, and inspiration for how to work from home as a teenager, even if you’re balancing multiple priorities and a busy schedule. With the increase in freelancer marketplaces, content creators hiring remote workers, and technology like artificial intelligence democratizing and decentralizing employment opportunities, a young age and lack of prior work experience is becoming less of a barrier for motivated teens seeking a productive and lucrative job they can do from the comfort of their home.
