Most 13-year-olds want money but have no idea where to start. You cannot walk into a restaurant and ask for a shift, and most online gigs seem designed for adults. Here is the truth: there are dozens of real, legit ways to make money at 13, and some of them pay better than a minimum-wage job. This guide covers 35 proven ideas including offline jobs, online gigs, small business models, and money-making apps along with tips on saving and investing what you earn.
Why Learning How to Make Money at 13 Is a Great Skill
Starting early with money is not just about having cash to spend on weekends. The habits you build at 13, showing up reliably, handling a customer, and saving a portion of what you earn, compound into real advantages by the time you hit adulthood.
Benefits of Earning Money as a Teenager
Earning your own money teaches financial responsibility faster than any classroom lesson. You learn to budget, prioritize, and understand that money takes real effort to produce.
Beyond finances, teen entrepreneurs develop communication skills, time management, and problem-solving, all things that look great on a college application or first job interview.
Important Safety Tips Before Starting
Always work in familiar, safe Environments such as your Neighborhood, a trusted family friend’s home, or a verified online platform. Never accept cash-upfront gigs from strangers online claiming to “hire” you.
Tell a parent or Guardian exactly what you are doing and with whom you are working. For any online work, use a parent’s email account or a shared account until you are confident in the platform.
Understanding Local Labor Laws
In most countries, including the U.S., teens under 14 face Restrictions on formal employment, but self-employment such as mowing lawns, babysitting, and selling crafts is generally legal with no age minimum.
Check your state or country’s labor laws before taking on any formal job. In the U.S., the Fair Labor Standards Act sets the rules; your school counselor or a quick government website search can clarify what applies to you.
Best Ways to Make Money at 13 Offline
Offline jobs are the fastest way to start earning because you can begin this week with no account required and no waiting for payment processing.
Babysitting
Babysitting is one of the most classic jobs for 13-year-olds and pays well for the hours involved. Rates typically run $10 to $15 per hour depending on your area and how many kids you are watching.
Get a basic first aid or CPR certification. Many community centers offer free or cheap teen courses, and having that certification will immediately help you stand out and justify a higher rate.
Pet Sitting
Pet sitting means checking in on someone’s dog, cat, or other pets while they are at work or traveling. It is low-pressure, often includes feeding and playtime, and neighbors are almost always looking for someone reliable.
Charge $15 to $25 per visit depending on how many animals are involved. Leave a short update note or a quick photo for the owner after each visit, because that detail alone will get you rehired every time.
Dog Walking
Dog walking is perfect if you enjoy being outside. A 30-minute walk per dog can earn $10 to $20, and if you walk two or three dogs at once, you are running a small side hustle.
Use a simple flyer posted at a local vet’s office or community board to find your first clients. Once you have two or three regular dogs, referrals will do the rest.
House Sitting
House sitting involves checking on a neighbor’s home while they travel, collecting mail, watering plants, and making sure everything is secure. It is one of the easiest ways to earn $20 to $50 for minimal work.
This is a trust-based job, so start with neighbors or family friends your parents know. Doing a great job once almost always leads to being the go-to person for future trips.
Lawn Mowing
Lawn mowing is a classic summer job that can turn into a steady neighborhood business. Most homeowners will pay $20 to $40 per mow, and a single block could give you four or five clients.
Borrow or use your family’s mower to start, then save up for your own. Offer to edge the lawn or remove clippings for a few extra dollars, because upselling small extras is how you grow the income fast.
Yard Work
Beyond mowing, yard work covers weeding, raking, spreading mulch, and seasonal cleanup. Spring and fall are especially busy, and neighbors pay well for someone to handle yard tasks they have been putting off.
Knock on a few doors in your neighborhood and ask directly. A simple, confident offer such as “I do yard work for $15 per hour. Want me to start this Saturday?” closes far more deals than any flyer.
Car Washing
Hand car washing is something most people would rather pay for than do themselves. Charge $10 to $20 per car for a basic wash and $25 to $35 for a full interior and exterior detail.
Set up on your driveway or offer a mobile service where you bring supplies to the customer. On a Saturday morning, you can easily wash four or five cars in a few hours.
Snow Shoveling
In colder climates, snow shoveling after a storm can earn $15 to $30 per driveway, and there is almost no competition from adults willing to do it. Some homeowners will pay extra for a seasonal contract of $100 to $150 for the whole winter.
Wake up early after a snowfall and hit the streets before people need to leave for work. Being the first to knock is half the sale.
Helping Elderly Neighbors
Many elderly neighbors need help with small tasks such as carrying groceries, organizing a garage, setting up technology, or running a quick errand. Most are happy to pay a trustworthy teen $10 to $20 per hour.
Let your parents make the initial introduction. Once you have helped once or twice, you will likely become their go-to neighborhood helper for all sorts of tasks.
Tutoring Younger Students
If you excel in math, reading, or any other subject, you can tutor students a grade or two below you. Parents often prefer a relatable near-peer tutor over a more expensive adult.
Charge $10–$20/hour and start by tutoring kids in your own neighborhood or school. One happy parent will mention you to three others tutoring scales through word of mouth.
Referee Youth Sports
Local recreational leagues Coccer, Basketball, Football often need volunteer or paid referees for younger age groups. As a 13-year-old, you’re perfectly positioned to ref under-10 or under-8 games.
Many leagues pay $10–$25 per game. Contact your local parks and recreation department to find out how to sign up and what training is needed.
Scorekeeper for Local Games
Even when you’re not reffing, local sports leagues need scorekeepers. This is often paid at $8–$15 per game and requires no physical activity just attention and showing up on time.
It’s also a great foot-in-the-door if you want to move up to refereeing later.
Run Errands for Neighbors
From picking up dry cleaning to returning a library book, running errands is one of the most flexible neighborhood jobs. You can charge $5–$15 per errand depending on distance and complexity.
Create a simple “Neighborhood Errand Service” business card and leave it with a few trusted adults on your block. Once people know you’re available, you’ll get calls regularly.
Recycle Bottles and Cans
In states with bottle deposit laws, returning cans and bottles pays $0.05–$0.10 per item. It sounds small, but collecting from neighbors, parks, and events can add up to $20–$40 on a productive day.
Ask neighbors to save their returnables for you each week most people are happy to hand over bags they were going to toss anyway.
Sell Baked Goods
If you enjoy baking, a small home baking operation is a real business. Cookies, brownies, and cupcakes sell for $1–$3 each, and a single batch can earn $20–$30 in profit.
Sell to neighbors, at a family event, or at a local community gathering. Use attractive packaging even a simple ribbon on a plastic bag to make your baked goods look professional.
Start a Lemonade Stand
The classic still works. A lemonade stand near a park, sports field, or busy sidewalk on a hot day can generate real cash especially if you add a second item like cookies or a bottled water.
Keep costs low by buying in bulk and pricing at $1–$2 per cup. Location and timing (hot afternoon near a sports game) are everything.
Start a Neighborhood Snack Stand
Level up the lemonade stand into a proper snack stand. Stock chips, candy, bottled drinks, and homemade snacks. Set up near a local park or sporting event on weekends.
Check if your city or county requires a permit for selling food in public in many places, minors are exempt for small-scale sales, but it’s worth confirming.
Best Ways to Make Money at 13 Online
The internet opens up global opportunities for teens. These aren’t get-rich-quick schemes they’re real skills you can start building this week.
Take Online Surveys
Survey sites like Swagbucks and Survey Junkie let some users as young as 13 participate with parental consent. You won’t get rich, but you can earn $5–$15/month in gift cards or cash for surveys done in your spare time.
Treat surveys as passive income something you do while watching TV, not as a serious money-making strategy on its own.
Get Paid to Test Apps
Companies pay real users to test new apps and websites before they launch. Sites like UserTesting require users to be 18, but some platforms work with teens under parental supervision. App testing pays $5–$20 per test.
Check platforms like TestingTime or ask a parent to set up an account on your behalf. The feedback you give genuinely helps developers fix bugs.
Review Music for Money
Platforms like Slice the Pie let users earn money by writing short reviews of new music before it’s released. Reviews earn $0.01–$0.20 each, but doing them consistently adds up.
It’s not fast money, but if you genuinely enjoy music and have strong opinions, this is one of the more enjoyable ways to earn money online at 13.
Start a YouTube Channel
A YouTube channel focused on something you’re already passionate about gaming, cooking, art, reviews can become a real income source over time. Monetization through ads requires 1,000 subscribers, but brand deals and affiliate links can kick in before that.
Consistency matters more than production quality when starting out. One video per week, every week, builds an audience faster than sporadic high-effort uploads.
Become a Content Creator
Beyond YouTube, platforms like TikTok and Instagram allow teen creators to build audiences and earn through brand partnerships. You don’t need to be famous even micro-influencers with 5,000–10,000 followers can land small brand deals.
Pick a specific niche and stick to it. A 13-year-old who posts daily about skateboard tricks will grow faster than one who posts randomly about everything.
Sell Digital Art
If you draw, paint digitally, or design, you can sell digital art files prints, wallpapers, character designs on platforms like Gumroad or Etsy. Each file sells repeatedly with zero restocking.
Start with a few strong pieces rather than a large catalog of average work. One excellent design that people actually want earns far more than fifty mediocre ones.
Freelance Writing
If you write well, parents can help you set up a profile on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork where teens can work with parental accounts. Short articles, blog posts, and product descriptions all pay $5–$50+ depending on length and quality.
Build a small portfolio of sample pieces even if they’re for imaginary clients so potential buyers can see your work before hiring you.
Graphic Design Services
Basic graphic design skills logos, social media graphics, flyers are in high demand and learnable for free on platforms like Canva and YouTube tutorials. A simple logo for a local small business can sell for $25–$75.
Start by offering services to family friends at a low price to build your portfolio, then raise rates as you gain testimonials and confidence.
Social Media Management
Small businesses often struggle to keep up with posting on Instagram or Facebook. If you’re naturally social-media-savvy, you can offer to manage their accounts for $50–$150/month.
Start with a local business your family already knows a salon, a bakery, or a small shop and offer a free one-month trial to prove your value. Results do the selling for you.
Print-on-Demand Business
With platforms like Redbubble, Merch by Amazon, or Printify, you can upload original designs to be printed on T-shirts, mugs, stickers, and more with no upfront cost. Every time someone buys, you earn a cut.
The barrier to entry is low, but standing out requires original, niche designs. A funny niche design for dog owners or a specific fandom can outperform a generic “inspirational quote” shirt every time.
Sell Photos Online
If you have an eye for photography, sites like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock pay royalties every time someone downloads your image. A strong photo can earn $0.25–$5+ per download indefinitely.
Focus on subjects that are always in demand food, nature, lifestyle, and local landmarks. A parent can help you set up the account and manage payouts.
Start a Blog
Blogging takes time to monetize, but it’s one of the most scalable income sources available. Pick a specific topic you know well, publish consistently, and learn basic SEO. Revenue comes from ads, affiliate links, and digital products.
Think of a blog as a long-term project, not a quick cash solution. A 13-year-old who starts a blog today will have a real digital asset by 16.
Virtual Tutoring
Just like in-person tutoring, you can tutor students online via Zoom or Google Meet. This expands your client base beyond your neighborhood to anywhere in the country.
Platforms like Wyzant require tutors to be 18, but you can organize clients independently through school networks, community boards, or social media posts by your parents.
Sell Handmade Crafts Online
Etsy is a legitimate marketplace where teen sellers, with a parent’s account, can sell handmade items — jewelry, keychains, stickers, bookmarks, and more. A well-photographed product with a clear niche can earn consistent monthly sales.
Test your products at school or with friends first to find out what people actually want to buy before opening a full Etsy shop.
Make Money Playing Games
Game testing, as mentioned, is one option. But teens can also earn through platforms like Mistplay (Android), which reward you for playing and reviewing mobile games. Earnings are modest gift cards worth $5–$20/month but it’s genuinely passive.
Avoid platforms that promise huge payouts for gaming; legitimate reward apps pay small amounts, and anything promising $50/hour to play games is a scam.
Best Business Ideas for 13-Year-Olds
Running a small business teaches you things no job ever could pricing, customer service, profit margins, and what it feels like to be your own boss.
Handmade Craft Business
A craft business starts with one product you can make well and sell consistently. The key is finding a niche not just “handmade jewelry” but “personalized friendship bracelets for sports teams” that gives you a clear audience.
Focus on quality over quantity. Ten perfectly made items that sell will teach you more than fifty rushed ones that sit unsold.
Reselling Items for Profit
Reselling means buying items cheaply at thrift stores, garage sales, or online marketplaces, then selling them for more. Popular categories include vintage clothing, video games, shoes, and collectibles.
Start by researching sold listings on eBay before buying anything that tells you what something actually sells for, not just what people are asking.
Custom Bracelet Business
Friendship bracelets and custom bracelets have had a massive cultural resurgence. Selling personalized bracelets with names, initials, or specific color combinations is a low-cost business with a high perceived value.
Sell at school, through Instagram DMs, or on Etsy (with a parent’s account). A bracelet that costs $0.50 in materials can sell for $5–$10 with the right presentation.
Sticker Business
Designing and selling stickers is one of the most beginner-friendly small businesses for teens. You can use Canva or Procreate to design, then order prints through Sticker Mule or print them at home with sticker paper.
Niche stickers for a specific fandom, hobby, or humor style sell far better than generic designs. Price at $2–$5 per sticker or bundle them in packs.
Baking Business
A home baking business turns a hobby into real income. Custom birthday cakes, cookie boxes, or specialty baked goods command prices most people willingly pay especially when ordered in advance for events.
Be upfront with customers about your setup and use proper food handling practices. Pricing should cover ingredients plus your time most teen bakers underprice their work.
Neighborhood Service Business
Bundle multiple services lawn mowing, dog walking, errand running, snow shoveling into a single “neighborhood service package.” Offering multiple services to the same client means more recurring income from one relationship.
A simple business card listing your services and contact info, handed to 10 neighbors, is often all the marketing you need to get started.
Money-Making Apps for 13-Year-Olds
Not every app is worth your time, but a few genuinely pay out with parental involvement for account setup.
Survey Apps
Swagbucks and InboxDollars let users earn points through surveys, videos, and tasks, which convert to gift cards or PayPal cash. Some require users to be 13+; others require 18, so check the terms.
These work best as background income, not primary earning. A few dollars a week adds up to $100+ a year without much effort.
Gaming Apps
Mistplay (Android) and Rewarded Play reward you with gift cards for playing mobile games. Neither will make you rich, but they’re legitimate apps with real payouts.
Avoid apps that require payment to participate or promise unrealistic earnings those are scams targeting exactly your age group.
Selling Apps
Facebook Marketplace (with a parent’s account), eBay, and Depop are platforms where you can sell items you no longer need. Old clothes, video games, and collectibles often sell faster and for more than you’d expect.
Clean and photograph items well before listing. A clear photo against a plain background typically performs better than a cluttered one.
Learning and Reward Apps
Apps like Khan Academy and Duolingo don’t pay cash, but some apps like Coin (a blockchain rewards app) — reward consistent app use with cryptocurrency. With a parent’s supervision, this can be an intro to investing.
Think of these less as income and more as education with a small bonus — building skills that will eventually be worth far more than survey points.
How Much Money Can a 13-Year-Old Make?
The range is wide from a few dollars a week to several hundred dollars a month, depending on effort, method, and location.
Expected earnings from local jobs
Babysitting and dog walking at 3–4 clients per week can realistically earn $100–$200/month. Lawn mowing during summer, with five or six regular clients, can produce $400–$600/month.
These figures assume consistent effort and reliable service. One missed appointment can cost you a client reliability is the single biggest driver of local income.
Expected earnings from online work
Online income starts slow. Survey sites might earn $5–$15/month. A YouTube channel might earn nothing for 6–12 months, then jump. Selling digital products or crafts on Etsy is unpredictable until you find a product that resonates.
Treat online income as a long-term project. The teens who stick with it through slow early months are the ones who eventually earn meaningfully from it.
Factors that affect income
Your location matters a lot for offline work a teen in a suburban neighborhood has far more potential lawn-mowing clients than one in an apartment building. For online work, skill development and consistency are the main variables.
The more services you offer and the better you deliver them, the faster your reputation grows and reputation is what separates $10/week earners from $200/week earners.
What Jobs Can a 13-Year-Old Legally Do?
The legal landscape varies by country and state, but the short version: self-employment is almost always allowed, formal employment is heavily restricted.
Jobs that usually require parental permission
Any formal job working at a store, restaurant, or camp requires parental consent and sometimes a work permit from your school. In the U.S., teens under 14 are generally limited to agricultural work, acting, and family businesses under federal law.
Your state may have additional rules, so always check your state’s Department of Labor website before pursuing a formal job.
Jobs available in most areas
Self-employed gigs babysitting, lawn care, dog walking, selling crafts have no formal employment restrictions in most jurisdictions. You’re considered a self-employed independent contractor, not an employee.
These jobs are where most 13-year-olds will build their first income, and they teach entrepreneurship skills that formal entry-level jobs often don’t.
Jobs to avoid
Avoid any online job that asks you to send money first, share your banking information, or work for “exposure.” These are scams, full stop.
Also steer clear of delivery jobs, night-shift positions, or anything requiring you to work alone with strangers — both for legal and safety reasons.
How to Save and Invest Money at 13
Earning money is only half the equation. What you do with it determines whether it builds into something real.
Creating a simple budget
A simple budget means tracking every dollar you earn and deciding in advance where it goes. The classic split: 50% spend, 30% save, 20% invest (or give). Adjust the percentages to fit your goals.
Write it down even a note on your phone. The act of writing a budget makes you three times more likely to follow it, according to most financial literacy research.
Setting savings goals
Vague saving (“I want to save more”) doesn’t work. Specific goals do “I want $500 in my account by September for a new laptop.” A concrete number and a deadline gives you something to measure against.
Break it down: $500 in 4 months is $125/month, which is about $30/week. Now you know exactly how much to earn and save each week.
Investing with parental supervision
Most brokerage accounts require users to be 18, but custodial accounts (like a Fidelity Youth Account or a parent-managed custodial brokerage) let teens invest under parental supervision.
Even investing $25–$50/month into a diversified index fund teaches the real mechanics of investing — and compound interest that starts at 13 grows into serious money by your 30s.
Building long-term wealth
The teens who build long-term wealth aren’t the ones who earn the most they’re the ones who spend least, save consistently, and let time do the work. Starting at 13 gives you a 5–7 year head start on most adults.
Even $1,000 invested at 13 with average market returns becomes $8,000+ by age 40 with no additional contributions. That’s the math of starting early.
Common Mistakes 13-Year-Olds Make When Trying to Earn Money
Most of these mistakes are avoidable you just need to know to watch for them.
Falling for scams
If an online opportunity seems too good to be true, it is. Scams targeting teens include fake survey sites that never pay out, fake “get paid to post” jobs requiring an initial fee, and fake employers who “accidentally” send too much and ask for the overpayment back.
Rule of thumb: no legitimate job will ever ask you for money first.
Ignoring school responsibilities
Money motivation is great, but not at the cost of grades or sleep. Keep school as the priority the income skills you build at 13 will scale better with a strong education than without one.
If you notice grades slipping, cut back on paid work until they stabilize. A short-term drop in income is always worth protecting your long-term options.
Spending everything earned
The fastest way to feel like money-making is pointless is to earn $80 and spend $80 within a week. Saving even 20% of every paycheck builds a visible balance that motivates you to keep going.
Open a savings account most banks offer teen accounts and move your savings into it the same day you get paid, before you have a chance to spend it.
Not tracking income
Not knowing how much you earn and spend is how small money leaks happen. A simple note in your phone income in, expenses out, balance left takes two minutes a week and keeps you honest.
Tracking income also helps when tax season comes around. In the U.S., self-employed teens who earn over $400/year technically need to file taxes. A parent can walk you through this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a 13-year-old get a real job?
Formal employment is heavily restricted for 13-year-olds in most countries, but self-employed work babysitting, lawn mowing, selling products is generally legal with no age restriction. In the U.S., teens under 14 have very limited options for formal employment under federal law.
How can I make $100 fast at age 13?
The fastest ways to make $100 as a 13-year-old are through local services a few babysitting shifts, a Saturday of lawn mowing, or a car wash event in your neighborhood. These can realistically generate $100 in a weekend with the right clients lined up.
What are the best online jobs for 13-year-olds?
The best online jobs for teens include selling handmade crafts on Etsy (with a parent’s account), creating content on YouTube or TikTok, taking paid surveys, and selling digital art or designs. Most require some parental setup but can generate real, recurring income.
Can a 13-year-old use Fiverr?
Fiverr’s terms of service require users to be at least 13 years old, but payment processing typically requires a parent’s account or PayPal managed by a parent. A parent can set up the account, and you do the actual freelance work writing, graphic design, voiceovers under their supervision.
Can a 13-year-old start a small business?
Yes self-employed businesses like lawn care, baking, reselling, or craft-making don’t require a formal business registration at 13. More structured businesses (with an LLC or bank account) require a parent or guardian to sign on as the account holder.
How do I make money without leaving home?
Online work from home for teens includes taking surveys, testing apps, selling digital products, starting a YouTube channel, doing freelance writing or graphic design, and managing social media for small businesses all of which require only a device, an internet connection, and parental oversight to get started.
Final Thoughts: The Best Ways to Make Money at 13
Learning how to make money at 13 isn’t just about buying things you want it’s about building skills, confidence, and habits that compound over years. Whether you start with babysitting this weekend, launch an Etsy shop, or post your first YouTube video, the most important thing is to start. Pick one idea from this list that excites you, take one concrete action today text a neighbor, set up an account, make your first product and treat every dollar earned as proof that you’re capable of building something real.