If you’re looking for how to make money online as a teenager legitimately, then you’re in the right place. Read on.
With teenage years comes a new awakening to a lot of financial needs and burdens.
You may not want to keep running to your parents or guardians to help you with cash for every single thing or item you desire.
Aside from that, it certainly feels good to afford certain things for yourself without having to ask for financial aid from your parents/guardians.
It earns you respect from your parents and is a stepping stone to financial maturity.
So here is the million-dollar question on the mind of almost every teenager. “How can I make money online?”
The above question is one of the most searched on the internet. There are thousands of answers to these questions, and one can get lost in the maze of answers.
Without further ado, below are 26 legitimate ways for a teenager to make money online.
Note that most of the ways listed below have been thoroughly investigated and confirmed to be legal, with some having the potential to turn into full-time jobs.
Related: How To Get Rich And Stay Rich In 10 Easy Ways
How to Make Money Online as a Teenager
1. Survey Junkie
Most survey sites are known to be scams. They have you taking on series of surveys with the promise of a decent paycheck at the end of the survey.
You get led on only to find out you were used in the end. However, Survey Junkie is an exception.
You actually get paid for taking on surveys on Survey Junkie, and the most interesting part is that getting paid isn’t a rigorous process; it is pretty easy.
They boast over 7 million members, and that huge membership figure is an attestation to their productive work.
It is open to teens who are 13 years and older.
You won’t exactly get rich taking on surveys, but it is an easy avenue to make money online with little effort.
2. Making money by scanning your very own groceries
This may sound crazy and impossible. How does one exactly make money scanning groceries, you may wonder?
Well, if you’ve heard of the National Consumer Panel (NCP), you would not be surprised to learn that this seemingly crazy and impossible way to make money by scanning groceries is actually possible.
You get paid by NCP to scan your grocery purchases through their smartphone app.
It is as simple as that. But first, you must be a member of NCP.
Below is a summary of how it works.
- You sign up for a free account on the NCP site.
- NCP will grant you access to use their smartphone app.
- From then on, anytime you go shopping, you scan through your phone the barcodes on all products you purchase. You may have to fill in other information, such as where you did your shopping and how much you paid for whatever product you purchased.
- For your service, you get compensated with points that can be converted or redeemed for cash.
3. List your home on Airbnb
You may have heard of Airbnb. If you haven’t, you are sure missing a free way to almost effortlessly make money.
Airbnb is an online website that lists your home, even if it is just a room for people who may want to visit. You get to choose the time of the list, be it a night, week, or even month.
If you’re worried about security and safety, worry less. Don’t let that deter you from utilizing this free means of making money.
Airbnb offers up to a million-dollar guarantee to protect you and your property against any damage that guests may cause.
Also, you get to choose if you do not want certain guests.
4. Make money online with Swagbucks
On the Swagbucks site, there are several ways to make money, earn gift cards, and several other rewards.
You only have to be 13 years of age and above to utilize this avenue of making money.
Answering polls, playing games on their site, using the site search engine are a few of the tasks needed to make money via Swagbucks.
I have personally tried it and got paid. You most definitely won’t get rich through this medium, but it is a sure way to reward yourself for time spent on the net.
5. Sell books from thrift stores via Bookscouter
This is a simple and really cost-free effective way to make money online as a teenager.
Download the BookScouter app on your phone. Next, visit garage sales or thrift shops to find used books you can scan for sale for higher prices.
You just scan the barcode with your phone or simply type in the used book ISBN # on the Bookscouter app, and you would be shown a list of the price different buyback sites would pay for the particular book.
You do not have to worry about shipping as most of the sites cover the cost of shipping.
So it’s just a matter of searching for used books that are still of value and putting them up on the Bookscouter sites and making your money.
6. Blogging
Blogging is another effective way to make money online. However, this takes time and requires patience on your path.
There are people who make a full-time living from blogging. It is not something that will immediately pay you.
Think of this endeavor more as a financial seed being planted today and will yield as you nurture it with care over time.
There is more than enough money to be made online from blogging.
You need to have attractive content on your blog that has the potential to pull enormous traffic and targets the right audience.
7. Online Writing
Do you enjoy writing? If you do, you can turn this skill into a means of earning.
There are several websites that will consider you for a freelance writing position. Examples of such sites include Hubpages and Hire Writers.
Take note some of the articles you may write will require you to carry out some internet research.
Hubpages accept teens under the age of 18 but with the consent of their parents.
8. Make money for testing websites
There are a good number of companies seeking feedbacks as regards the usability of their website.
You simply sign up on these sites and then answer questions pertaining to the website, explaining your experience on the usability of the site.
Explain what is good or bad, and you get paid. This test usually does not take more than 20 – 30 minutes.
9. Earn with grocery shopping with Shipt
Shipt is an online grocery delivery service seeking independent and reliable people to do grocery shopping and deliver to their members.
Unfortunately, they are not yet present in all states in the US. If they are present in your state, then it is an opportunity for you to make money.
They pay an average of $15 – $25 per hour, and you get to operate according to your own schedule.
However, the downside is you must be at least 18 years of age and have a current driver’s license as well as a reliable means of transportation to be accepted to work with them.
So for teenagers below the age of 18, this isn’t an option.
10. Make money when you declutter your house
You can actually make money when you declutter your home. All you have to do is declutter your home and sell off the unwanted items.
It is that easy. You get paid for making your home tidy.
11. Sell your closet
If you have a closet filled with old clothes that you do not wear anymore or you might have outgrown, those old wears are money lying in the waiting.
On a site like ThredUp, you can quickly sell off those old clothing. You could make as little as $2 to $25 for your old wears. And you don’t have to bother about the shipping cost of transporting off your old clothes.
All you have to is bag up your old wears in a box and ship them out. The shipping cost is covered.
12. Translating Language
If you understand another language, you can make money online with this skill on Gengo.
You would be required to take an online test to verify your in-depth knowledge of the second language you apply to translate. Once you pass this test, you can begin translating.
You get paid $0.03 per word. However, as the quality of your translation improves, so does your pay increase.
Gengo would do a thorough review of your work before delivering it to the client. Translating is a sure easy way to make flexible side income on a regular basis.
13. Stream on Twitch
You can make a decent income playing video games and making your gameplay available for streaming on the Twitch platform.
However, you must be really good at playing video games that are in high demand.
All you have to do is get a webcam and a reliable working computer, next sign up for a Twitch account, and begin playing.
Your income will be determined by the number of active subscribers who watch or stream your gameplay.
14. Tutor Students
Now, this avenue of making money is open to anyone who is 13 years of age and above.
You get paid for getting high grades in high school. It is more like getting paid for your academic knowledge.
You would need to sign up for sites like TutorCare to run your online tutoring session. You get to set your working hours and pay rate.
You can make as much as $12 per tutoring session on the TutorCare site.
And if you seek improvement in your tutoring sessions, there are free professional training sessions to help improve you as a teacher.
15. Fiverr
Fiverr is a platform for freelancers to offer their services. It could be writing, translating, or even website and graphic designs.
All you are required to do is simply create a gig for the service you intend to offer. The price rate you could charge for a gig could cost as little as $5 to as much as $10,000.
Over 50 million transactions have been completed on the Fiverr site.
So is there something you are really good at? Waste not another second, convert that skill into cash, sign up on Fiverr and start earning.
16. Sell stock photos
Are you good with handling a camera? Can you take excellent pictures?
If yes is your answer, then there is an opportunity waiting on you to earn through this means.
There are several stock sites where you can license your pictures. You will receive a 40% commission whenever your picture is being downloaded. So the more your pictures get used or downloaded, the more you get paid.
Some of these stock sites are Shutterstock, Photoshelter, Alamy, and Getty Images.
17. eBay
eBay is one of the most popular e-commerce sites online. Thus, it is another avenue for teens to make money online via this platform.
All you need is to have are items you want to sell and put them up at auction on the site. You can sell anything from footwear to cars.
The fee structure differs. However, eBay will take between 0% and 12% for anything you sell.
18. Set up an Etsy account
Are you good at making craft objects? You can hone this skill and convert it into a stream of income.
The Etsy website, which boasts over 30 million buyers and has generated over $2.5 billion in sales per annum, is a platform to sell your handmade craft.
Things of art, clothing, and jewelry are also sold on the site.
Etsy charges for each listing a 20-cent fee and a 3.5% commission fee. So you are left with a considerable sum of the remainder of the cash on any sale you make.
However, you should note that it takes time to build a business reputation on the site and start having sales.
19. Monetize your YouTube channel
Money can be made through your YouTube channel if you boast of great followership.
You can run ads on your channel if you have gained at least 1000 followers and 4000 watch hours. However, your video content must be kid-friendly.
20. Website design
There are many small-scale businesses in need of a website to put their business in the online space.
These small-scale business owners can’t afford to hire professional website developers due to their expensive pay. So here is an opportunity for teens to make some decent money.
These small-scale business owners would readily hire teens who actually know the job because of their small price range.
And guess what, in this field, the demand is endless. There are thousands of business owners wanting to take their business online.
21. Teach english classes online
In the Asian continent, English speakers are in high demand. This demand poses an opportunity to make money.
You can become a freelance English teacher on websites such as Italki.com.
Italki is a virtual online classroom for freelance teachers and students. You can offer lessons, and you can take lessons.
The general price range falls between $15 — $20 per hour. Apply to become a teacher.
22. Get paid to shop
Crazy as it sounds, it is true. There is an app called Ibotta that pays you when you go on shopping.
The app is available for Android and iPhone devices, and it is easy to use. Rewards can be cash out in the form of gift cards or through PayPal. Look it up.
23. Get odd jobs on Craigslist
If you have a lot of free time on your hand, why don’t you get odd jobs on Craigslist?
Some of these jobs may include landscaping work. It is another way for teens to get busy and earn.
24. Get paid from your smartphone
It might surprise you to know that there are certain apps that will pay you for getting simple tasks done.
Simple a task as verifying a road is blocked, taking a picture of yourself drinking at Starbucks, or even helping businesses to execute small tasks.
Examples of such apps include Gigwalk and CheckPoints.
25. Rent out your car
Turo.com is a site where you can rent or lend out your car and get paid.
If you live in a big city, this is another opportunity to rake in a little cash almost effortlessly. You get paid $10 an hour for the renting of your car.
26. Uhaul
For teens who are 16 years and above, you can work as a Customer Service Representative with Uhaul.
However, you will need a quality USB headset and fast internet to be qualified for this job.
The least pay falls between $7.50 to $8.50 per hour. However, you can make as much as $14 per hour on this job.
Final Thoughts on the Best Online Jobs for Teens
This article covered with great clarity thirty of the most effective ways to make money online as a teenager.
In all sincerity, any human born in this decade is the luckiest of all in the human race. This decade has a lot of development that has simply made living easier, which also involves making money.
Some of us already possess certain skills that, when utilizes wisely online, can be converted into an income-earning stream.
As long as you are ready to put in the work, making money online is guaranteed.
The idea of teenagers making money online is certainly convenient and bright. The ways listed above should be tried.
It is almost effortless and will cost not more than your time and a stable internet connection.
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