For teens 13 and older, a job means extra spending money and a sense of responsibility. Job opportunities that hire at 13 allow kids to get involved in the community, gain experience, and interact with coworkers and customers.
It is possible to find many jobs that hire teens 13 and older if you look hard enough.
Jobs for Teens 13 and Up
Deliver Newspapers
It has been a popular teen job for decades to deliver newspapers.
Typical Duties
Depending on the number of customers and the size of your route, you may need to perform the following tasks:
- Visit the newspaper distribution center to pick up papers
- You can carry a bag of papers on your bike or over your shoulder
- Plan your route in advance
- Put papers on the doorsteps of clients
Getting Started
Check with your local newspaper to see if there are any delivery openings. The major city paper and smaller community papers are good places to start. Consider filling in for a friend on vacation to experience newspaper delivery.
Start Baby-Sitting
In the absence of their parents, babysitters ensure the safety and well-being of young children.
Typical Duties
Depending on the ages of the children and the requests of the parents, job duties vary. You can expect to do some or all of the following:
- Diaper change
- Meals should be prepared and served
- Play with children and supervise them
- Children should be bathed
- Homework assistance
- Children should be put to bed
Getting Started
Being around babies and children is the best way to gain experience in babysitting. You already have this experience if you have younger siblings. Spend time with family members and neighbors if you’re the youngest in the family or an only child.
Consider volunteering at an after-school tutoring program, a kids’ day camp, or a vacation Bible school for more experience.
With adults around, you can get a good sense of what kids like to do, how they interact with older people, and how they get into trouble.
It is common for teens to start watching the children of people they know. Use your connections to your advantage. Your parents may be able to recommend you to their colleagues. Hang flyers advertising your services to market yourself.
Some local organizations create lists of qualified baby-sitters from baby-sitting courses to share with their patrons after you complete their courses.
A baby sitter’s training course is offered by the American Red Cross as well as local community education groups.
Try Dog Walking
Take one or more dogs for walks every day and get paid for it.
Typical Duties
The job of a dog walker goes beyond exercising dogs. As part of this position, you will:
- Maintain a busy schedule while managing several clients
- Ensure that keys to clients’ homes are kept safe
- Dogs should be fed and watered as needed
- Take care of the pooper-scooper duties
Getting Started
You must be comfortable with dogs and have the strength to control them. Inform family members and neighbors that you are available for work. You could advertise your services by putting up a flyer at your local veterinarian’s office.
Perform Yard Work and Odd Jobs
It doesn’t matter what dirty job you do around the house, someone will hire you to do it. You’ll earn some money doing yard work and odd jobs, even if they aren’t the most enjoyable.
Typical Duties
Among the services we offer are:
- Keeping lawns mowed
- Keeping garages clean
- Keeping trees and hedges trimmed
- The act of watering flowers
- Window cleaning
- Fences and trim should be painted
- Leaves are raked
Getting Started
You can find odd jobs by putting the word out, just like babysitting. Inform your family and neighbors that you are available. It is likely that clients will include the elderly, those with limited mobility, and working families who need extra time.
All you need is a willingness to work hard and get your hands dirty. When it comes to lawn care, consider whether you will use the customer’s equipment or borrow the family’s weed whacker.
Be a Mother’s Helper
It is not uncommon for moms of infants to need some assistance around the house. Despite being too young to watch the babies alone, there are many ways you can help.
Typical Duties
We provide a variety of services, including:
- Keep the baby entertained while the mom gets things done
- On short walks, push the stroller
- Organize the house
- While the mom works at home, do projects and play with older children
Getting Started
In addition to building an understanding of kids, becoming a mother’s helper can lead to future babysitting clients. If you want to find a job, speak with women in your neighborhood and the friends of your parents. Post flyers at local businesses and hand them out in parks.
Become a Grocery Store Bagger
At your local grocery store, you’ve probably seen baggers. It might take a year or two for 13-year-olds to get this job, but it’s a great way for 14- and 15-year-olds to work their way up to better-paying cashier jobs later in high school and college.
Typical Duties
In your role as a bagger, you will:
- In a bag, place the groceries
- Customers should be greeted
- Provide assistance with carts to customers
- Assist customers with loading groceries
- Providing assistance to cashiers and other staff members
Getting Started
You can find a job as a grocery bagger by checking your local newspaper’s want ads. Talk to the manager next time you’re at the grocery store about possible openings. Describe your enthusiasm for the job and give the manager your resume.
Be a Busser
In busy restaurants, bussers help waitstaff keep tables clean. The summer before your 14th birthday is a good time to start planning to be a busser.
Typical Duties
A busser is responsible for bringing dirty dishes to the kitchen, as well as:
- Diners’ water glasses are refilled
- Provides assistance to wait staff in carrying extra plates and trays
- Serves diners extra bread or condiments
- Welcomes diners when they arrive
Getting Started
Mention your interest in becoming a busser to anyone you know in the foodservice industry. Don’t forget to give managers your resume at your favorite local restaurants. Often, jobs are advertised in the classified section of local newspapers or online.
Work on the Farm
It is possible to work harvesting produce even if you were not raised on a farm.
Typical Duties
In most states, 13-year-olds are allowed to work as farmhands if they meet the following requirements:
- Gardening and weeding by hand
- Handpicking fruits, vegetables, and berries
- Hand-planting fruits and vegetables
Getting Started
Visit your local farmers market and meet local farmers. Check with your local 4-H chapter for information about local farms. There aren’t many job ads for farmhands online or in the newspaper, so networking is your best option.
Offer Tech Help
Technology is a part of everyday life for your generation. When your parents and grandparents were young, this wasn’t the case. You can use your knowledge of cellphones and the internet to help older folks learn how to use them.
If you know someone well, offer assistance at their home or at a place with public computers, such as the library.
Typical Duties
The following services are provided:
- How to set up and use an email account
- Utilize social media accounts by setting them up and using them
- How to transfer data between old and new cellphones
- Create slideshows with photos from your digital camera or print from websites
- Create documents and flyers for personal use or for groups/clubs
Getting Started
Begin by asking adults in your life, such as grandparents and neighbors, if they need assistance with technology. Tell them about your new business and ask them to share it with others who may benefit from it.
If you want to hang informational flyers near public computers at your local library, senior center, or assisted living facility, check with the Director first.
Be a Caddy
Several golf courses and clubs allow teens to work as caddies for amateur and hobby golfers.
Typical Duties
As part of the job, the golfer is responsible for carrying the following items around the course:
- Golf balls need to be cleaned
- Divots need to be replaced
- Bunkers that are raked
- Flags being held
It is the caddie’s job to help golfers choose the right clubs based on his or her extensive knowledge of the game.
Getting Started
Ask a manager at your local golf course or country club for more information. You should brush up on some golf basics before taking on a specific job like this.
Craft From Home
The advent of vendor fairs and websites like Etsy opened up a whole new world of opportunities for crafters. Teenagers cannot usually open an online shop or sign contracts for vendor fairs, but they can enlist an adult to supervise them.
Typical Duties
Produce jewelry, T-shirts, or artwork that people want by using skills such as:
- The knitting process
- Making crocheted items
- An artist’s work
- Embroidery
- The sculpting process
Getting Started
See what homemade goods people in your area are making at local craft shows. If you see any niches that are missing, consider them. You can start by selling crafts to your friends and family. When you are successful, they will share your crafts and help you find more customers.
Tips for Finding Jobs for Teens 13 and Up
The following tips may be helpful:
- In general, child labor laws prohibit 13-year-olds from working outside the home unless they are employed in a business owned entirely by their parents or engaged in agricultural work.
- Despite the fact that 14 and 15-year-olds are legally allowed to work for businesses, some won’t hire them due to the tight restrictions on their hours of employment.
- You may need a work permit according to local laws. You can find more information at your school counselor’s office.
- Please visit the U.S. Department of Labor for more information on teen employment laws.
- You should be cautious about working for strangers since many jobs for teens 13 and up involve working in or at someone else’s home. If you are going to your first job, ask your parents to drive you there and meet the employer first, or take other safety precautions.
Find the Jobs That Hire at 13
Teenagers can find work if they think creatively and make a few local connections. Get a variety of experiences by trying a new job each summer in your community. Find the perfect match for you based on your own skills and limitations.