In today’s world, being a teenager comes with its challenges, especially when it comes to finding suitable jobs for teens. While there’s plenty of time and energy to explore various activities, the lack of a steady income can be limiting.
For teens seeking extra income, exploring side hustles is a great option. Parents often encourage teens to seek employment to fund their expenses, but knowing where to look for these opportunities can be daunting.
However, there are numerous ways for teens to earn money and gain valuable experience. In this article, we will discuss different kinds of jobs for teens, where to find them, and how to get these jobs.
Why should you get a job as a teenager?
Once you reach the employable age set by your state, you can seek professional employment and begin working toward your future career. Here are some of the advantages of taking a job as a teenager.
- Makes adolescent life more affordable: Getting a job lets you afford various luxuries such as electronic devices, clothes, and gas money. It can also help you pay for your future education.
- Increases confidence: When you have a job, you’re more likely to feel confident and self-reliant.
- Increases independence: Getting a job as a teenager gets you out of the house. It also gives you your own set of responsibilities that can help you better prepare for adulthood and a proper work-life balance.
- Builds work experience: Starting your career early can help you gain valuable experience to add to your resume. You can use every opportunity—even part-time jobs—as a pathway to finding another job in the future.
- Builds your network: When you work at a younger age, you’re able to establish professional contacts sooner. These can transform into valuable relationships that further your career.
Jobs for teens near me: How and where to find them
Are you a teen looking for job opportunities? It’s essential to begin your search with a clear understanding of your skills and interests. Start by assessing your strengths and passions to narrow down job options that align with your abilities.
Here are the most effective and fastest ways to find the best jobs for teens on the internet.
1. Utilize online job platforms
- Explore websites like Indeed, Glassdoor, and Snagajob.
- Use filters to search for part-time jobs near your location.
- Browse through job listings and apply to suitable positions.
2. Use google
Yes, you can find jobs for teens just by searching Google.
- Type “jobs for teens near me” or any of its variations in the Google search bar. Yes, use quotation marks for each word. Doing so tells Google to find the exact match for the words you’re looking for.
- Filter your options by specifying your location
3. Network for hidden opportunities
- Reach out to friends, family, and neighbors for job leads.
- Attend local events or community gatherings to expand your network.
- Networking can uncover unadvertised job openings and give you a competitive advantage.
4. Explore local businesses
- Visit nearby stores, restaurants, and community centers.
- Inquire about job openings and express your interest in working locally.
- Local businesses often prefer hiring teens from the area, making it a promising avenue for job seekers.
10 best jobs for teens
The best job for teens depends on individual preferences, such as pay, flexibility, or alignment with hobbies. Since many teenagers are unsure about their future careers, exploring different job options during this time can be beneficial.
This list includes decent-paying jobs that accommodate teens’ schedules and interests without overwhelming their free time or energy, providing a range of opportunities to gain valuable experience and financial independence.
1. Dog walker
National hourly pay: $15.23
We thought to start with a job that might just fit everyone’s definition of “best job for teens.” Dog walking requires that you walk and care for dogs while their owners are away.
This includes feeding them, walking them, and ensuring they get enough exercise.
2. Babysitter
National hourly pay: $16.13
You can look after children and babies when their parents are away. Basic duties include feeding, bathing, and transporting children.
You will most likely also need to participate in courses to get certified in first-aid practices. Yes, tending after babies takes a tad more responsibility. On the upside, you also get paid more.
3. Library assistant
National hourly pay: $13.28
As a library assistant, you will help visitors find and check out books. Additional duties might include helping librarians do inventory, shelving books, or digitizing old documents.
4. Tutor
National hourly pay: $21.31
Brains pay. As a tutor, you’ll get paid to help struggling students improve on certain subjects. An essential part of the job is explaining complex concepts in simpler terms and teaching more effective methods of learning.
5. Landscape Laborer
National hourly pay: $12.65
Next on the list of jobs for teens are landscape laborers. They take care of the outdoor properties of their employers. This involves mowing lawns, spreading fertilizer, watering plants, and trimming trees to make lawns pretty to look at.Â
Your employers might give you additional tasks, but all are outdoor activities – which is cool if you ask us.
6. Concession Stand Worker
National hourly pay: $11.35
In this job, you will serve people food and drinks at the concession stands of different events. This involves taking their orders, processing the payment, and giving back change. You will also be responsible for keeping the concession stand clean.
7. Daycare assistant
National hourly pay: $11.19
Daycare assistants look after children in daycare facilities. Some of the tasks involve changing diapers, potty training, feeding, and reading children’s stories.
You can come up with different activities to keep them engaged, but we’re afraid you won’t be able to escape at least some diaper changing.
8. Kennel Assistant
National hourly pay: $10.54
As a kennel assistant, you’ll work in animal shelters and veterinary clinics to tend to dogs and cats.
You’ll feed them, bathe them, give them medications, groom them, and clean their cages. You may also be tasked with checking in guests and dropping off their pets, but that’s about it with human interaction.
9. Grocery store cashier
National hourly pay: $10.55
Cashiers scan customers’ items, pack them, take and process payments, and return change. They may also stock shelves, do inventory, and help customers find items.
10. House-cleaner
National hourly pay: $13.20
House cleaners are in charge of keeping houses, or specific rooms, clean. This involves the typical chores your mom probably makes you do at home: sweeping and vacuuming, washing clothes and dishes, or dusting and wiping surfaces.
10 best online jobs for teens
If you’ve decided to make money from home, don’t worry—the internet has you covered once more. Listed below are the top online job opportunities for teens:
1. Completing surveys: Survey sites like Survey Junkie or LifePoints will pay you to complete surveys online. It’s an easy job you can easily do from anywhere, as long as you have the time.
2. Watching ads: Yes, sites like InboxDollars will pay you to do tasks like watching ads. Since you already do it, why not make money out of it?
3. Data entry: Data entry jobs online will pay teenagers 18 or 19 years old fairly well to input data.
4. Tutoring English: If you’re good at English, you can get one of the best-paying online jobs for teens. Sites like tutorme.com are a great place to start.
5. Reviewing music: Different sites, like Slice the Pie, will pay you money to review music, clothes, and more. The amount depends on the quality of your review.
6. Customer service: Average pay starts at $10/hr for customer service representatives. All you need is a headset, a good internet connection, and to be 16 years old or older.
7. Blogging: Blogging can be a great step to generating a steady income in the foreseeable future. Start by choosing a topic that you love and know a lot about to share your insights on.
8. Reviewing calls: If you’re 17 or older, you can review calls for quality purposes. Sites like Humanatic.com hire people to listen to recorded calls and then review their quality.
9. Selling stuff/art online: Marketplaces like Decluttr, eBay, or Amazon are modern yard sale spaces.
10. Editorial Internship: Interested in a career in marketing? Earn money to get a headstart with a real marketing department. There are a few internship jobs for teens in marketing on Indeed.
10 best summer jobs for teens
Here is a list of the 10 best summer jobs for teens:
1. Camp Counselor: Do you like working with younger kids? Summer camp jobs for teens are fun and give you skills for life. A professional camp counselor resume will surely convince them to hire you.
2. Dishwasher/Waiter/Cook: Not glamorous, but restaurants always need seasonal help. These are tried-and-true jobs for teens in the summer.
3. Restaurant Host: The cleanest and easiest of the good summer jobs for teens in restaurants.
4. Ice Cream Clerk: Work with a window on a sunny day. Interact with happy people. Plus—those free ice cream bennies!
5. Fun Park Attendant: As summer jobs for teenagers go, this one’s pretty fun. The downside: constantly saying, “Please don’t stop on the giant slide.”
6. Lifeguard: If you’ve got lifeguard training (or can train on the job), this is a great summer job for students. Work on your tan while you earn cash. Start writing your lifeguard resume now.
7. Grocery stocker: Those shelves aren’t going to restock themselves. This is high up on the easy summer jobs list.
8. Escape Room Attendant: Do you like games and telling people what to do? See if your local escape or game room needs extra help when school’s out.
9. To Go Order Taker: Another teen summer job. Answer the phone and enter orders.
10. Box Office Ticket Seller: Sell movie tickets (or concessions). Bonus: Get cheap or free admission.
Best Paying Jobs for Teens
1. Shopper: Shipt, Instacart, Kroger, and tons of other employers are hiring for a brand new position: online delivery. Got a car? Deliver groceries or other products. No wheels? Work in-store filling bags with online orders. Pays $12 to $22 an hour. Search Indeed for “eCommerce Associate.”
2. Library Shelver: If you’re organized and you love books, check with your local library. Government jobs pay well.
3. Tutor: Tutors can make $15 to $25 an hour and can do their work online. It’s tough to rack up 30 or more hours a week, though.
4. Research Test Assistant: Researchers need helpers too. If you can be professional and follow instructions, you can be of help.
5. Book Sorter: Online book businesses sometimes need people to sort donated books. It’s boring work, so it pays relatively well.
How to get a job as a teenager
Following are nine steps that can help teens get jobs:
1. Determine what type of job you want
Think about the kind of job you want before you start applying. Consider a range of factors, including:
- Desired job schedule: If you want to have a job year-round, you may want to look for part-time positions. However, if you’re hoping to work more hours during a limited time frame, such as over the summer, an internship or seasonal job could be a better fit.
- Skills you want to develop: Think about the knowledge or abilities you want to gain from your job. You should gain more technical skills, such as managing a cash register, or soft skills, like flexibility and communication.
- Existing interests and skills: Consider the interests and skills you already have and what kinds of jobs might best fit those qualities. For example, if you enjoy being with children, you might consider becoming a babysitter or camp counselor.
- Type of work environment: Your work environment comprises the factors that affect the space where you work, such as the people around you and the type of company. For example, a landscaping job means you can work in a range of locations outdoors, while a job at a retail store means you may spend most of your time either in the front of the shop or a warehouse.
2. Search for a job
After you figure out what types of jobs you’re looking for as teens, begin your search. You can look for jobs through a variety of methods and channels, including:
- Online job boards: An online job board is a website where a range of employers can advertise for their open positions.
- Newspapers: Many local newspapers and other print publications include a section for job advertisements.
- Company websites: If you want to work for a specific company, consider visiting their website. Some businesses advertise for their open positions directly on their site or through their social media channels.
- Local shops: Visit the local shops in your area and see if any have ads, such as in their window displays or on a bulletin board, for open job positions. You could also ask the supervisor or owner of these local shops if they might need entry-level employees now or in the future.
3. Build your network
Start building your professional network. Your network can include past or current teachers, coaches, family friends, or neighbors. Ask the people in your network if they know of any potential job openings that might be a good fit for you. You can also use your network to find other professional resources that might help you get a job or gain valuable skills, such as workshops or conventions.
4. Get a work permit, if needed
Apply for a work permit if you need one. Some companies or government agencies may require teenagers to get a work permit before employment.
These requirements often vary based on the industry you want to work in, your location, and your exact age. Research the requirements for your region and industry to see if you need to apply for a work permit.
5. Create your resume
Compose your resume, which is a written document that summarizes your qualifications for an open job position. A resume typically contains different sections, such as your past or current professional experience, skills, education, and credentials.
If you have no or little previous professional experience, you may want to include other sections that can demonstrate to employers why you’re qualified, such as awards and accomplishments, hobbies and interests, languages you’re fluent in, or volunteer experience
6. Add a cover letter
When possible, include a cover letter with your job application materials. A cover letter is a professional document that explains the qualifications summarized on your resume in greater detail. Cover letters also allow you to explain why you’re interested in this particular company or opportunity.
7. Submit applications
Begin submitting applications to jobs, whether online or in person. Aim to submit about two to three applications each day or around 10 to 15 per week. Submitting more applications can increase your chances of getting responses from employers. Customize your resume, cover letter, and other application materials for each position.
This can help demonstrate to prospective employers that you’re enthusiastic about the job. A great way to personalize your application materials is to carefully review the job posting for the employer’s desired qualifications and highlight those qualifications that describe you in your application materials.
8. Prepare for interviews or job tests
If an employer considers hiring you, they might first ask you for an interview or a job evaluation. Do your best to prepare for this interview or test by researching the company and industry.
If you receive an invitation to an interview, prepare for frequently asked interview questions, such as why you’re interested in this position and why you might be a great fit for the role. Consider asking a friend or family member to conduct a mock interview to help you practice and feel more confident when delivering your answers.
9. Follow up with prospective employers
Send follow-up messages after applying for jobs or after your interviews. A follow-up message can demonstrate your interest in the role and your professionalism. If you’re writing a follow-up message after an interview, consider sending a message as soon as possible.
If you have yet to hear from an employer about a job you applied for, wait approximately two weeks before sending them a polite message asking about the status of your application.
Conclusion
For teens seeking opportunities in different jobs, leveraging online platforms, networking with the community, and exploring nearby businesses are effective strategies. These proactive approaches empower teens to discover suitable job options that align with their skills and interests.
