Online Jobs for Teens: 50 Side Hustles to Try

Are you a teenager looking for online jobs? Here are 50 side hustle opportunities to try!

The internet has brought many opportunities for online jobs for teenagers. No longer do you need to be an adult to make $1000 a week.

According to ABC News, teens nowadays spend more than 7 hours on screens per day. Why not direct a small portion of the time to look for online jobs?

The benefits of letting teens have online jobs are multifold:

• They will make some money.
• They will learn to appreciate the hard work that goes into making money.
• It is good for their self-development. Teens will learn to be patient and to persist when facing obstacles.
• They will improve their organizational skill.
• It will be a great opportunity for the parents to teach teens how to manage their money and become more financially savvy.
• The world may discover some great talent. After all, Justin Bieber got famous because of YouTube videos that he posted when he was just 13.

There are many online jobs that are suitable for teens. Most of these jobs do not require that you be at least 18 years of age. If you are a teen reading this, then jump on the online jobs bandwagon and start to earn extra money online. If you are a parent with a teen at home, you can encourage your kid to apply for a few easy online jobs and start learning about financial independence.

Here are some of the best online jobs for teens to make money online without paying anything. Some are active, while others are passive income ideas. I am sure you will find a few that meets your situation and helps you earn some healthy side income or even get rich.

Join survey sites for teens to find simple online jobs

1. Swagbucks

One of the simplest online jobs is to earn gift cards from Swagbucks. Teens can earn points, called SBs, by performing various online activities. The activities include shopping online, watching entertaining videos, searching the web, taking online surveys, watching videos, playing games online, or finding great deals. These tasks are easy online jobs particularly suitable when you have a few minutes to spare. You can then use the points you earned to redeem for gift cards from popular vendors including Starbucks, Target, Amazon, Walmart, and so much more!

An interesting feature of the Swagbucks gift cards is that they go on sale too! They have days when they offer 20 – 25% off select rewards. You may want to wait to redeem your points on one of these days and get a bigger bang for your buck! Sign up for Swagbucks here to start earning today!

2. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is yet another popular place where you can earn gift cards with surveys. By sharing your opinions to help brands deliver better products and services, you will also get rewarded with your time. Sign up for Survey Junkie here!

Survey Junkie also operates SJ Pulse, which allows you to make money by sharing your digital browsing behaviours. This is a great opportunity to earn some passive income. Sign up for SJ Pulse here!

3. Earn free cash with KashKick

Who doesn’t love some extra cash in your pocket? KashKick will deposit cash directly into your PayPal account for all the fun money-making things you are doing online!

Online surveys is the best way to earn real cash on KashKick. Of course, other earnings opportunities, such as finding great deals, surfing the web, and watching videos, are also available. Sign up for KashKick here today!

Check out my comprehensive KashKick review to learn more!

Earn cash-back for online purchases

4. Use Drop to earn free gift cards

Drop is a free app that rewards you for shopping at your favourite brands. It is a well-established app with over 3 million members. Each day, these users earn cash awards at stores like Amazon and Starbucks. It is online, it is easy to use, and it is a fun and interesting online job for teens to do. Suitable for teens, and even yourself! Sign up for Drop here.

5. Join Rakuten to earn cash-back rebates

Rakuten, formally known as Ebates, is a popular online cash-back shopping site in Canada and the US. For every single purchase that teens make through Rakuten, they get a discount! Rakuten has more than 2,500 stores from a wide array of categories listed, including many well-known brands like Dell, Walmart, Chapter-Indigo, and even Amazon.

Using Rakuten is extremely simple. 98% of the entire online purchase process remains unchanged. The only difference is that you need to go to Rakuten’s website first, from where you select the desired merchant. Rakuten will then automatically redirect you to the merchant’s official website.

To help myself remember, I make sure that I bookmark Rakuten on my bookmark bar. I highly recommend that you do the same. An extra second of clicking the link can save you up to 10% off your purchases. It is such an easy way to make some extra money at home online, isn’t it! They also have a browser extension now, so feel free to simply install it.

To get a free cash bonus with your first qualifying purchase:

If you are in the US: sign up here.

If you are in Canada: sign up here!

6. Use TopCashBack to earn cash back on online purchases

TopCashback.com is one of the United States’ most generous cash back sites. In addition to passing at least 100% of the commission rate that stores pay back to their members, they also provide discount coupons that can be used in conjunction with cash back. Sign up for TopCashBack.com here. 

7. Use Fetch for your groceries

Parents should encourage their teens to install Fetch if they are looking to encourage their kids to do some housework for the family.

Similar to ibotta mentioned above, Fetch is also a cash-back site. However, Fetch focuses on giving users cash-back on everyday grocery items.

How do parents encourage teens to do some housework for the family? Well, you can simply tell them that they will get to keep the cash back for all the grocery runs. This will at least teach them the simplest life skill of knowing how much the grocery items cost!

Sell things online

8. Sell pre-owned stuff on Kijiji/Craiglist/Amazon

Most people have accumulated a lot of stuff throughout our lives. Teens are no exception. From birthday gifts to Christmas gifts, teens may have accumulated in their closets or forgotten corners of their rooms many things that they no longer use. This makes selling stuff online one of the most suitable online jobs for teenagers to earn some cash. In addition to generating some income for themselves, teens will be able to learn organizational skills and communication skills with their potential customers!

As a teen, I successfully sold many of my used stuff on sites like Kijiji, Craigslist, eBay or Amazon. Here are some items that I sold as a teen online:

• Textbooks
• An old desktop
• A bookshelf
• A used desk
• Earphones
• A boxing punching bag (ya, I was into boxing when I was in high school; my interest didn’t last though)

9. Sell your clothes on Poshmark

Poshmark is the #1 place to buy and sell fashion. There are literally millions of closets on there. Teens can sell their clothes on the platform, too!

In addition to selling pre-owned clothes, some people have converted it into a full-fledged side hustle by flipping clothes on the platform. They would find good pieces in local thrift stores and sell them on Poshmark. If you are a teen and have some free time on hand, you may want to try this approach and turn this online job opportunity into something bigger!

Use your talent to find online jobs

10. Submit interesting stories to magazines or other media outlets

Are you a good teen writer? Do you get A’s in your writing classes? If so, you should submit your story to a magazine or newspaper! These media outlets love to hear from real people. Many of them have a section specifically for readers’ submissions. There are even magazines and media outlets looking specifically for submissions from teens. Who knows, you may become a teen columnist for one of the magazines if you keep on working on this source of online jobs!

11. Join nDash to become a freelance writer

In addition to submitting stories directly to magazines, newspapers and other sites, you can also sign up on a platform and advertise your service there. nDash is a great platform designed specifically for freelance writers. Not only will you be able to pitch companies directly, but you will also be able to browse assignments and apply for them. If you are good at writing, this side hustle can be a great source of online income for you.

12. Become a freelancer on Fiverr

Do you have a special skill that you can monetize, such as writing, bookkeeping, logo design, or even creating spreadsheets? If you do, it is time to use them to their fullest potential!

Fiverr is a great platform for freelancers, regardless of your age. There are a plethora of gigs on there. According to their site stats, a gig is bought every 4 seconds.

If you are a teen entrepreneur working on a big project and need some small help to get the project done faster and more efficiently, you may also consider becoming a buyer. It can save you a ton of time. Now instead of finding online jobs, you become a provider of online jobs for other teens! Check it out here!

13. Become a freelancer on Upwork

Another popular destination for freelance jobs is UpWork. Many bloggers I know have hired people from this website. They can be looking to hire a freelance writer, a virtual assistant, someone to help with data entry or graphic design, and so on. If I were working online full-time, I’d for sure consider listing my service there.

14. Become an online tutor

If you excel academically, you can get paid quite a bit of money through online tutoring. This is especially true if you can prove your credentials, such as awards won and grades received. Check out online tutoring jobs so you can work a few hours a week. You can advertise your service on sites like Kijiji or Craiglist, or join a tutoring site.

15. Teach English online

A great alternative to becoming an academic tutor and teach others locally is to teach English online. There are some legitimate online schools out there. The most popular ones include VIPKID, Magic Ears, and EF Education First. 

Note that in addition to submitting your applications, you will also need to pass interviews and mock lessons before you can teach. Once you pass, however, teaching English online can be a great source of online income. Teens can even sign up for multiple platforms so you have more than one online jobs at once.

Work for a food delivery service with online platforms

16. Work for DoorDash

DoorDash is a popular food delivery service. Working for them can be a wonderful online job if teens have valid driver’s licenses. As a DoorDash driver, you can make between $18 and $25 per hour.  Sign up to become a DoorDash driver today!

17. Work for UberEats

UberEats is another popular food delivery service company that teens should take advantage of when looking for online jobs.

18. Work for SkipTheDishes

Canadian teens should add SkipTheDishes to their list of target food delivery service companies if they want to work for an online food delivery service company to earn some side income!

19. Work for Postmates

Postmates is another source of online jobs that teens should consider. Not only will you be delivering restaurant meals to your customers, but you will also be delivering groceries and even kitchen staples!

Turn hobbies into online jobs

20. Start a YouTube channel

Anyone, whether you are a teen or not, can start a YouTube channel easily. If you have something that you want to share with the rest of the world, YouTube may be a great channel.

Many teens have turned YouTube into successful online jobs. Some of them are even able to make YouTube videos full-time. If you persist, you may be able to surprise yourself.

21. Start a podcast

If you are camera-shy or prefer to share your stories with just your voice, you can consider starting a podcast instead. Successful podcasters can earn a full-time salary (or even more). You can be one of them, too!

23. Start a blog

You can begin making money online with a blog. Running a blog may prove to be one of the most profitable and satisfying online jobs teens can do.

If you are looking to start a blog, I recommend that you self-host with SiteGround. It is the power engine for my site, and should be yours, too! Sign up for SiteGround here. 

24. Start a website

Instead of starting a blog, you can also start a website. There are literally millions of sites out there, many of which generate healthy online income for the owners. The earning potential can be huge. Sign up for SiteGround here to start your website. 

Join an affiliate program to further monetize your sites

25. Join Aragon Premium

Aragon Premium is an affiliate network for top tier influencers and content creators. For teens operating a blog or review website that focuses specifically on personal finance, this is the network for you. There are many popular fintech apps and money-making opportunities to choose from. Aragon Premium is the platform that has generated the most sales for me with this blog. Sign up for Aragon Premium today!

26. Join the Amazon Associates Program

If you have a blog or a website, then you should consider joining the Amazon Associates Program to earn more revenue. You will be able to earn a small commission for any purchase made through your link.

Note that although the program is easy to join and is completely free, you need to make at least 3 qualified sales within 180 days to continue your membership.

27. Join ShareASale

 ShareASale is another affiliate marketing network that teens who operate any online businesses can join. There are over 15,000 merchants on there, and teens will for sure find a few that fit well with their brands online.

28. Join Fintel Connect

If you are in Canada and are in the personal finance niche, then Fintel Connect can be a great affiliate network for you. It is a specialist performance marketing and affiliate network in the financial services space. You can see some pretty well-known financial brands on the platform, and you get quite a lot of support from people behind the scenes.

If you are looking for online jobs or to further monetize your site, Fintel Connect can be a suitable choice.

29. Join companies’ standalone affiliate programs

Many companies also offer affiliate programs themselves. If there are companies that you are particularly passionate about (e.g., Sephora for all the makeup & skincare lovers), then you can consider joining their affiliate programs.

Join an Ad Network

30. Join Google AdSense

Google AdSense is the easiest ad network to join. As long as you have a functioning site, you can get approved fairly easily.

Once you are approved, you can start placing ads on your site. Any time a visitor to your site views or clicks on an ad, you will receive some revenue.

31. Join Ezoic

If you have reached a monthly pageview of 5,000, you may want to join Ezoic. It pays quite a bit better than Google AdSense. They also offer great educational resources for you to scale up your blog. I have been with Ezoic for a few years now, and I have been happy with the payout. Sign up for ezoic here.

32. Join higher-paying ad networks like Mediavine and AdThrive.

Once you have operated your site for a while, you will want to switch to a better ad network to generate more income. Of course, to ensure the quality of the partners, these ad networks have minimum pageview thresholds that you have to reach. For example, Mediavine needs at least 50,000 pageviews, whereas AdThrive requires 100,000. It is certainly an item on my bucket list to join one of the ad networks!

Online side hustles suitable for teens

33. Become an Instacart shopper

Instacart is a grocery delivery service. They need people to help their customers pick up groceries from stores and deliver them to their houses. You can either become a full-service shopper or an in-store shopper. Whichever job you choose to do, keep in mind that it helps to show up with a good attitude and a smile. They are the keys to success for any customer service jobs.

By signing up to become an Instacart shopper, you can earn some money and help people in need.

According to Ridester.com, the basic pay starts at $17.14 per hour as a full-service shopper, and around $13.39 as an in-store shopper. Not too bad, isn’t it! Sign up to become an Instacart shopper today!

34. Become a virtual assistant

Virtual assistants are in demand nowadays. Because of exposure to the internet, teens are likely skillful in skills such as data entry and social media engagement. Now it is the time to turn these skills into online jobs!

35. Test websites

Many companies prefer to have their sites tested before launching. This makes testing websites a source of online income for teens. Sign up for a site like UserTesting, and teens can start making money while helping companies. There are even opportunities to test mobile apps, too.

36. Become an online transcriptionist

A transcriptionist is a professional typist who listens to recorded or live audio files and converts into text format what he/she hears. It is a source of flexible online jobs that teens can do.

37. Become an online proofreader

 A proofreader ensures content is free of errors, including typographical, grammatical, spelling, punctuation, syntax, formatting, and more. It can be a great online job for teens who love reading and who are good at paying attention to details.

38. Become a virtual babysitter

Juggling parenting duties and work responsibilities can be a challenge for parents, especially during a pandemic. This is where virtual babysitting comes in. These online jobs are particularly suitable for teens. After all, babysitting is one of the oldest jobs that teens had to make extra cash, isn’t it?

39. Find tasks on TaskRabbit

Head TaskRabbit and become a Tasker! TaskRabbit will be able to connect teens with busy people in need of help with errands, home repairs, furniture assembly, cleaning, and so much more. They even have data entry jobs!

Like many freelance platforms that I mentioned above, you can work how, when, and where you want. TaskRabbit offers services in 50+ categories, and you are bound to find at least one or two that you can explore! TaskRabbit also lets you keep 100% of your tips.

40. Become an Uber driver

This is for teens with valid drivers’ licenses. Become an Uber driver and you can start earning money online with this platform.

41. Become a Lyft driver

In addition to signing up for Uber, you can also sign up for Lyft. Multiple platforms, multiple streams of income from online jobs!

42. Join Amazon mechanical turk (MTurk)

MTurk is a crowdsourcing marketplace that makes it easier for individuals and businesses to outsource their processes and jobs to a distributed workforce who can perform these tasks virtually.

By signing up for MTurk, teens can start working on various online jobs include conducting simple data validation and research, survey participation, content moderation, and more. 

Become an online entrepreneur as a teen

43. Open an Etsy shop

Etsy is a global online marketplace, where people come together to make, sell, buy and collect unique items. You can consider opening an Etsy shop and sell your handmade items! It will be a fulfilling online job for teens for sure! Here are some Etsy shop ideas to make money online.

44. Become a social influencer/brand ambassador

Are you good at social media? Are you active on multiple social media sites? Do you have many followers on Instagram and Facebook? You can become a brand ambassador or social influencer!

45. Create an app

On the other hand, if you have been spending time alone at home coding, then you may want to redirect your focus to creating an app. Look around and see what is missing in people’s lives. Who knows, you may create an app that will turn into the next Snapchat!

46. Create an online course

If you are passionate about teaching, then creating an online course should be your cup of tea. What are you particularly good at? Whether it is playing the guitar or speaking a second language, you can find a niche.

47. Write an ebook

Here is another online job opportunity for teens who love writing. You can write an ebook and self-publish it. It will be a lot of work upfront, but every time someone downloads your book, you will get paid!

Score freebies online

48. Get free samples from Influenster

Influenster is an online platform that sends out VoxBoxes to qualified individuals for reviews. Although you won’t be paid in cash, you won’t have to spend money on buying those products that you get to keep!

49. Smiley360

Smiley360 is another online platform that offers free samples for members in exchange for feedback. For teens who love to try new things, this can be an exciting online job to add to the list.

50. Enter free giveaways online

You can also enter free giveaways and contests online. There are platforms dedicated to free giveaways for you to enter.

Good luck!

General prep work

To properly set yourself up for online work, here are some tips on general prep work that you will have to do:

• Set up a separate email address.
• Often you will be paid via PayPal. Make sure you set up a PayPal account.
• Always check reviews before jumping into an online job. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
• Check age requirements and make sure you meet the minimum. Some may require that you be at least 13 years old, 16 years old, or 18.

What to do with the money teens earned through online tasks

This is an important topic teens who are making money through online jobs will face. It can be of great educational value if done properly. I recommend the following:

• Save the most in a high-yield savings account. For Canadians, I recommend EQ Bank’s Savings Plus account. Check out my EQ Bank review here!
• Teens can spend a portion of the earnings on things they love. After all, we all deserve small luxuries in life!
• Consider teaching teens about investing. You can help teens set up an account like Acorns (check out my Acorns review here!) or Moka. These micro-investing apps are perfect for income from online jobs.
• Donate a portion to help the less fortunate, or to support a cause that teens firmly believe it.

Final words

There you have it. 50 awesome opportunities suitable for teenagers to make money online. If you are a teenager or a parent to a teenager, I recommend that you give at least a few of these top online jobs a try. You can potentially make good money!

Start your job search today!

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