Best side hustles for teens

What are the best side hustles for teens?

Teenagers can make $1,000 or more by starting their own side hustle. Good side hustles include flipping products, content creator, and odd jobs. For example, you can be a YouTuber, Freelance writer, blogger, home or pet sitter, online reseller, or Etsy seller.

Imagine, creating a business income in your teenage years. You could be the first 14 year old earning thousands of dollars in your family.

Earning money through side hustles is possible, even if you’re a teen.

Luckily for you, I’ll show you how teenangers can make their first $1,000. I’ll help you decide if a job is your best path or if you want to start a side hustle. You’ll be on your way to making money in no time!

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How can a teenager make $1000

Teenagers can make $1,000 by using one of their only resources, their time. As a teenager, you can make quick cash by getting a job. Alternatively, you can make sustainable cash flow for the long-term by creating a side gig in your spare time.

Most teenagers don’t have thousands of dollars to invest. Therefore, you can’t use your money to make even more money. In most cases, you’re limited to using your time to make money until you have money to invest.

Traditionally, most 16 or 17 year olds get a job working at a store or fast food joint. You are typically stuck to customer service positions if you don’t have experience or a college degree.

Customer service jobs can be boring and will most likely pay you minimum wage. However, you can have a guaranteed income which is perfect if you need money.

There is another option to make money as a teenager!

Instead of working a job, you could create your own online side hustle. The amount of time you have as a teenager can make it easy to start a side hustle. You won’t get paid right away, but starting at a young age can turn into a thriving business that can even pay for college.

How to make money as a teenager without a job

The only ways to make money as a teenager without a job is through side hustles or finding odd jobs on Craigslist. Odd jobs can give you the flexibility to earn cash without the responsibility of a W2 job. Alternatively, online side hustles can help you make an income slowly over time from the comfort of your own home.

What are the best side hustles for teens?

Good side hustles for teens include content creator, freelance writer, reselling, virtual assistant, and house or pet sitting. All of these side hustles can earn $1,000 or more each month and have low startup costs.

YouTube

As a YouTuber, you create video content around a topic you’re interested in. You can film your YouTube videos from your phone until you earn enough money for professional equipment. YouTubers earn money through advertisements, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, or selling ecommerce.

For example, you could start a YouTube channel giving makeup tutorials or reviewing beauty products. This YouTube channel gives helpful advice, so it’s easy to gain subscribers.

First, you’ll be able to monetize your YouTube channel through display ads. The more views your videos get, the more money you’ll earn. Monetizing through display ads is one of the easiest and most passive ways you’ll earn money as a YouTuber.

As your channel grows, sponsors might reach out to you to see if you’ll advertise their products in your videos. Depending on your contract, you might have a 30 second to 1 minute clip where you talk about the product in your video. The sponsor will pay you for mentioning their product.

You can supplement your earnings by selling other people’s products, called affiliate marketing. Essentially, you would place your affiliate link in the description of the video. During the video, you would mention they could sign up for the product using your link. The more you sell, the more you earn.

The hardest way to earn money on YouTube is through ecommerce. You can launch your own products and sell them to your audience.

Freelance Writer

You can make a good income as a teenager by hustling as a freelance writer. Obviously, you’re going to need good writing skills to make it as a freelance writer. Starting a freelance writing business can be as easy as signing up for a Fiverr account.

Fiverr is going to handle all of the details, such as payment processing and helping you get clients. Therefore, all you have to do is focus on writing good quality posts for your clients. Partnering with a gig marketplace makes freelance writing an easy side hustle for teens!

As a beginner, you might expect to earn $0.05 per word. A 1,000 word article would gross $50 in revenue. However, you can charge more as you get more experience and reviews.

For example, you might be able to work your way up to $0.20 per word. Now, your 1,000 word article grosses you $200 in revenue.

Blogging

Blogging is a difficult side hustle to get started earning money in, but can lead to long-term passive income. The majority of bloggers give up after a few months, but you can build a full-time income in 2 years if you know what you’re doing.

The key to blogging successfully is to consistently crank out search engine optimized content around quality keywords. Your goal is to rank each article on the first page of Google.

The easiest way to earn money through blogging is display advertising. Every time your article is read, you earn money with display ads.

For example, you write an article that brings in 1,000 pageviews per month. 1,000 pageviews can earn you $30, so that one article brings in $30 per month.

$30 per month may not seem like much. However, imagine writing 100 articles that each bring in $30 per month. Now, you’re earning $3,000 per month passively!

You can also increase your earnings by incorporating affiliate marketing. Your articles can link to products that you earn a commission for qualified sales.

Poshmark reseller

Teenagers can earn thousands of dollars if they have an eye for fashion. Poshmark allows you to find gently used clothing at yard sales and thrift shops and flip for profit. 

Imagine, going to a yard sale and finding a stack of jeans for $10. You sell those jeans on Poshmark for $30 each!

Amazon and Ebay reseller

Flipping products for profit on Amazon and Ebay is another profitable side hustle any teenager can do. Take your smartphone, download the Amazon or Ebay seller app, and scan products on clearance. Find profitable products and list them for sale online.

Amazon has fulfillment by Amazon or simply FBA. You can ship your products into Amazon and Amazon will ship the product when it sells. Therefore, all you have to do is find quality products to resell.

Virtual Assistant

As a virtual assistant, you assist in performing business tasks for online businesses. You might answer emails, perform outreach, manage calendars, or any other administrative tasks. As a freelance VA, you can set your own hours. Most VA’s earn between $15 and $30 per hour.

House sitting

As a house sitter, you can post an ad on Craigslist and stay in people’s homes for cash. Most house sitters earn between $25-$45 per day. Typically, you’re watching people’s homes over a vacation, so gigs may last around 7 days.

Pet sitting

Pet sitting is a good additional charge if you’re home sitting. Not only can you earn $25-$45 per day for the house sitting, but most pet sitters charge $25-35 per night. You can also charge different amounts for dog walking, house visits, or day care.

Mowing lawns

Mowing lawns is a classic side hustle for teens. You can earn between $30-$40 per lawn and your parents will most likely have the equipment you need. You can mow between 5 and 10 lawns per day, which means you can make up to $400 per day!

Create and sell on Etsy

You can also create your own side hustle by selling on Etsy. Essentially, you make items and list them for sale. For example, you can make your own candles and sell them for profit. There are plenty of items you can craft and sell.

Summary: Best side hustles for teens

As you can see, there are plenty of good side hustles for teenagers to make money online. You don’t have to get a job, but a job can be one of the easiest ways to make money. However, starting your own side hustle can lead to earning passive income for years to come.

Some of the best jobs include YouTube, freelance writing, blogging, Poshmark, Amazon, Ebay, virtual assisting, House or Pet sitting, mowing lawns, or selling on Etsy.

The most important part of starting a side hustle is doing something you enjoy. You’ll have to stick with it consistently if you want to earn money.