Intentional finance. Intentional family. Intentional business.

Here's what's new:

25 Best Summer Jobs for Teens & Tweens

25 Best Summer Jobs for Teens & Tweens

Looking for summer jobs for teens & tweens? We’ve compiled this list to help give you some creative ideas for best part time jobs for teens to brainstorm with your kids! (You might also be interested in these 40+ Income-Earning Ideas!)

Summer Jobs for Teens (and Tweens!)

If you have teens or tweens looking for ways to make money this summer (or throughout the rest of the year), this comprehensive list should give you some great ideas!

We polled our Facebook followers several years ago and then again just recently, and they did not disappoint with SO many creative summer jobs for teens and tweens! We compiled some of the best ideas below, but be sure to check out both Facebook posts for even more inspiration.

Whether you’re looking for summer jobs, best year-round jobs, or part time jobs for teens…we’ve got you covered with this list!

We also tried to make sure to include the tweens on this list, since a lot of times they aren’t quite old enough to get traditional part time jobs for teens. So this list has a variety of options for all ages of tweens and teens!

1. Tutor

This was by far the most common suggestion for best jobs for teens!

If your teen is gifted in a specific subject or area, they can put those skills to use to help younger kids struggling in that subject.

This is a great one to try over the summer when some kids might need extra practice or help while school is out. Or do it year-round when school is in session!

2. Teach Lessons or Classes

Does your teen/tween have a specific skill set they’re really great at or passionate about? They could consider teaching classes to younger kids!

This works great with music or art lessons, or even something different like cooking classes. Here are some examples from followers:

Andrea says: “My friend’s teenage daughter was an accomplished piano player by the time she was in high school and gave lessons as her ‘after school job’ to young kids/beginners. She taught my daughter for over a year. She did her lessons at the children’s homes and it was perfect – she didn’t have to have a ‘studio’ of her own and none of us parents had to worry about shuttling our kids somewhere for lessons!!”

Hollie suggested this and said: “My daughter and her friend started a cooking class for kids ages 7-12. They did the class 3 times a week for 45 min to 1 hour. Kids could do a week or all 6 weeks. Each day was a different recipe/technique. All recipes were mom approved. They had a good turnout and really enjoyed themselves.”

By the way, this was something I did as a teen. I taught violin to a number of different students and it was such a good learning and growing experience for me! Oh, and parents especially love if you’re willing to drive to their house and teach the lessons!

3. Pet Sit or Walk Dogs

Pet sitting or walking dogs is a great way to make some extra money! Some people need daily help if they’re away from the home for a long time, or other people need help while they’re away on vacation.

Geri said: “My daughters both did pet sitting in their teens. They sat for everything from boa constrictors and hissing cockroaches to dogs and cats. They even took care of goats, chickens, cows, horses and other livestock. Not a skill set every teen has, but they grew up on our farm caring for our animals.”

Another possibility for part time jobs for teens is to work at the local vet office. Shannon said, “As a teen, I worked for my local vet clinic cleaning cages, walking dogs, washing laundry, mopping floors, etc. That turned into occasional and then part-time admin work plus assisting vets on house calls as I was just available and willing to learn. Got to interact with so many people and their pets!”

4. Pick Up Dog Waste in Yards

Another person even suggested picking up dog waste in people’s yards as another paying gig. It’s something that a lot of people don’t make time for but is a simple task teens/tweens can totally help out with to make some extra cash!

One mom said, “I know that sounds gross, but it’s a need and people love to pay something else to do it. We have three dogs and pay someone to come weekly. It’s a lifesaver. He tells us all the time that he is booked and can’t accept new clients because the need is so great.”

5. Help with Vacation Duties

Even if people don’t have animals, there are often tasks they need help with while they’re away on vacation. Tweens can help with tasks like bringing in mail/packages each day or watering indoor plants.

6. Wash/Detail Vehicles

This is such a great idea! Especially during the summer, a lot of people don’t like to deal with the heat to wash their own vehicles, so this is a huge opportunity for teens/tweens!

The mom who suggested it said, “My son started a car detail business where clients bring their car to him and text when they drop keys off on our porch. He details the cars and then texts the owners when they are ready.” If your teen can drive, I think going to people’s houses and detailing their cars at their house might also be another great option.“

You could also check with local car dealerships and car rental locations to see if they need someone to wash and detail cars for them.

7. Lawn/Garden Work

Lawn care is always a great option for summer jobs for teens, because there are so many people who need help with their yard — especially during the summer when grass grows so quickly!

Teens and tweens can help with mowing lawns and weeding/watering/tending to gardens during the summer.

During the other seasonal months, they could help with tasks like picking up pinecones, raking leaves, or even stacking firewood.

8. Referee Sports Games

This is one that Silas has started doing over the past couple years and he loves it! This is a really great option, because a lot of times you can start at a younger age than other traditional part time jobs for teens.

Camille said: “My kids referee soccer. They could take the class once they turned 12. It’s been a great experience for all 3 of mine. They are responsible for submitting their availability online, accepting games, and communicating with their assignor.”

Andrea said: “My 14-year-old and 12-year-old referee soccer games! They don’t have time to earn as much as a regular job, but my 14-year-old bought himself his own computer after just a couple months of work last summer.”

Tracy also posted and said: “My 15-year-old has been doing this for 2 years. It is pretty decent income for that age. Having thick skin to ignore the fans helps.”

9. Coach Private Sports

In addition to refereeing, this is another great option if you’re looking for creative summer jobs for teens!

One mom said, “My daughter plays soccer year-round and is now coaching/practicing/training three kids from one family. She mainly just does structured drills that keep their skills up so they are not rusty when the season begins. She does it for an hour each week and they pay her $40/week.”

part time jobs for teens: refereeing suports games

10. Babysit

Of course you knew this one had to be on the list! Babysitting is a great way to make extra cash. And if your teen goes above and beyond while on the job, all the better!

Take note of Melissa’s tip: “Babysitting will absolutely pay the most. If she interacts with the children, does the dishes, and tidies up the house she’ll be in more demand and will earn more.”

And Celena said: “I have a hard time finding sitters who do more than the bare minimum. When I babysat in college, I always got massive tips and had people calling me all the time. I never understood why until I hired my first babysitter and came home after a late night out to a super messy house, dinner dishes still in the sink, and the sitter on the couch on her phone. Argh.”

I 100% agree! If your teen/tween leaves the house cleaner than they found it, they will likely have more jobs than they can take…and probably get paid higher, too!

11. Be a Mother’s Helper

Similar to babysitting, being a Mother’s Helper is a great introduction to babysitting — especially for younger tweens.

Typically, a Mother’s Helper comes over during the day for a few hours to help out with basic household or childcare tasks that the mom could use some extra help with. The mom is still usually at home, so you can think of it more like a “babysitter in training” kind of stituation.

It’s a great way to make some extra money and learn an invaluable skill that could be used to continue making money all through the teenage years!

We used a Mother’s Helper off and on when my older 3 were little and it was SO helpful!

12. Clean/Organize Houses

Several people mentioned the idea of teens offering cleaning and organizing services to family, friends, and neighbors.

This could be anything from simple tasks like folding laundry to deep cleaning the house. Of if your teen has the gift of organizing, they could even offer services like organizing closets!

13. Wash Windows

This is another creative idea one follower suggested for summer jobs for teens!

Danna commented: “I’m a merit badge counselor for Boy Scouts in Entrepreneurship. I recently taught a merit badge clinic and one of the boys in the clinic runs a very successful business. He’s 14 and he washes windows. He started on his own house and his neighbors’ houses when he was 11. He advertises using referrals and NextDoor.com to keep jobs close to his home. At 14 he has 2 employees and makes about $400 a weekend that he works.”

14. Garbage Can Duty

This is a simple simple way for a tween (or even younger kid!) to make a small chunk of money each week and it can add up quickly if they help out multiple houses!

Tweens can help people by taking their garbage cans to the curb each week and then returning them to the house after garbage pickup day. They could also make some extra money from cleaning out or even pressure washing dirty garbage bins.

15. Create Craft Kits for Kids

One mom said, “I’m always looking for easy quiet time stuff for my preschoolers to do and having a kit would make things easier.”

This might be a really unique way for a creative teen to make some extra cash! Create craft kids to sell to families with younger kids.

Teens can sell right from your porch or driveway or can deliver them to neighbor’s porches/doorsteps. Use a digital payment app like Venmo to make payments easy.

Tip: Check out this post on How to Make a Snail Mail Craft Kit for Kids

16. Make Handmade Gifts to Sell

Is your teen crafty or artistic? Can they sew or crochet or paint? Another option for part time jobs for teens is to create items to sell!

One mom messaged me and said, “My 14-year-old has a crocheting business that is booming. I set up a Facebook Page for her and many people see things that she makes and order from that.”

What a fun idea!

17. Meal Prep Services

What about having your teen make prepared meals or meal kits for busy families? They could also specialize in baked goods or desserts. (As always, check your local food handling laws before starting this type of business.)

18. Help at the Local Library

Does your local library need a teen to help pull books or restock shelves? This might be a great option to look into!

19. Start an eBay/Etsy Business

I’m always a fan of online business endeavors as part time jobs for teens! There are endless options and working remotely allows for more flexibility with a busy school schedule.

Both of my brothers have very successful eBay businesses that they started in their teens and still continue to this day.

One follower said: “My kids (10 and 12) started an eBay business. They sell items from around the house or stuff they find at the resale shop or garage sales. They also do 50/50 commission for items from family and friends. It’s been an amazing experience for them so far!”

20. Sell Items

This is another great way to make som extra cash! Teens could either sell things they get for free or gather unwanted clutter from around the home to sell.

One person said: “Last summer, my 14-year-old brother collected free things off of Facebook Marketplace and from thrift stores. He needed help from my mom to go collect the items, but he did all the work when he got home to clean up the items and sell them either online or in yard sales. With the money he made, he was able to pay for a summer trip!“

21. Become a Lifeguard

Julie suggested lifeguarding as another great option for summer jobs for teens: “My son got certified at the local YMCA and is a Life Guard. He is able to have a flexible schedule with school and the swim team. It works really well for him!“

22. Help Local Farmers with Chores

Many people suggested helping out local farmers with various chores, such as cleaning animal stalls, taking care of or grooming horses, detasseling corn plants, and more.

If you live in a more rural area with lots of farmers, this might be a really great idea to look into.

23. Help Elderly Neighbors

Many elderly neighbors need help with basic everyday chores and needs. This is a great way for teens to provide a much-needed service to the community and also make some money.

24. Sell Refreshing Drinks or Baked Goods

One of the more classic summer jobs for teens is setting up a neighborhood lemonade stand!

And it’s one that a child can do at just about any age. Other ideas are shaved ice or baked goods. Yum!

25. Do Hair

If you have a teen who loves experimenting with hair styles, this is a super fun idea! Offer to do mini updos or special hair styles for a small fee — perfect for special occasions, too!