10 Summer Jobs for 14-Year-Olds that Pay

The summer can be pretty boring once you’ve exhausted all TV shows to watch, and when you’re young it seems like getting a job is quite difficult, which is why we’ve created this list of 10 summer jobs for 14-year-olds that pay.

I didn’t work until I was 16 years old. Not that my parents didn’t want me to because they definitely did want me out of my room and doing something productive. It was just that I didn’t want to. Maybe it was a fear of growing up because once you start working you never really stop. Sure, there’s breaks for school, but people often work until they die, going from job to job to find something stimulating and make money. The money part is nice, but the working part for my 14-year-old brain was tedious and ridiculous. To me, I didn’t even think jobs for people as young as I existed. I was still a child, after all.

That being said, jobs for 14-year-olds do in fact exist. 14 is the minimum age requirement to work in the US. Paperwork is often required for someone this young, but these jobs exist and do pay decently well. There isn’t a huge array of job options due to age, but during the summer there are a lot of things anyone can work on. During holidays like this, the law says you can work up to 40 hours a week. That’s a lot, I know, but I never said you have to, just that you have the option.

In order to make this list possible, I checked out Boost-a-Pal, Huffington Post, and The Balance for some suggestions. I checked out these options and chose the ones best suited for a 14-year-old. There are basically two ways you can start making money as a 14-year-old: you become self-employed or you join a company as an employee. Naturally, jobs that require special skills pay more, but those are often only available to employees with experience.

Those a little bit older and living in New York can consult some more options on our list of 17 High Paying Summer Jobs for 15-Year-Olds in NYC, but for summer jobs for 14-year-olds, keep reading this list:

 

10. Employee at a company

There are several companies across the country that hire 14-year-olds. If you’re serious about a job that’s consistent and well-paying, this is the kind of job you want. You can check out a comprehensive list of companies that will hire young teens here. Expect to face tough competition for a position like this, but if you manage to get one you’ll learn a lot and gain a ton of experience that will translate into other jobs as you get older.

 

 

9. Employee at a local business

This encompasses a wide variety of entry-level jobs, but they tend to be a little easier to come by, especially if you live in a smaller town and know someone who owns a business. They’re a little bit more relaxed about hiring younger teens, and the pay is often better than what you could expect from another position.

 

8. Garage sale supervision/marketing

With summer comes garage sales, next in line on the list of summer jobs for 14-year-olds that pay, and there are often many happening in neighborhoods all the time. You can easily offer your assistance in running the sales or marketing to make sure the whole neighborhood knows about it.

 

7. Musician

If you already have some instrumental skills, try offering to play at some events. People love young musicians and it’ll give you an opportunity to gain more experience performing. You could also teach music to younger children if that seems better suited for your interests and skill set.

6. Car wash attendant

Car washes are perfect for cooling off in the summer. As long as there are cars, this job won’t go away. You can expect a decent base pay and maybe some tips as well. If you don’t have any local car washes nearby, try starting your own car wash service! Everyone loves a good car wash.

5. Lemonade stand

The number five on our list of summer jobs for 14-year-olds that pay is quite popular among children and young teens and it could be fun to work on! You don’t need much for investment, just ingredients and a table, and the customers will roll in. This is pretty location dependent, so if you stand near an event (get permission first), it can be pretty profitable.

4. Yard/garden work

It’s almost a given that in your neighborhood there will be plenty of people who need help getting yard work done. It’s a little physically demanding, but if you get on good terms with clients you may have a long term position in front of you.

3. Newspaper delivery

The print newspaper industry is still alive and well, and this is a great job, among the other on our list of summer jobs for 14-year-olds that pay, for teens who have bikes and have no problem waking up early. All you have to do is pick up newspapers and then drop them off at people’s doors along your route.

2. Pet sitting

This is my personal favorite on this list of 10 summer jobs for 14-year-olds that pay, and anyone else who loves animals will probably agree with me. This is a pretty easy job since it’s so fun, but remember you’ll also have to do the not-so-fun tasks of cleaning and feeding. Being able to play with animals all day definitely outweighs the not fun parts.

1. Babysitting

14-year-olds have the opportunity to babysit and it’s a much more casual job than some of the others on the list. It’s typically on an as-needed basis, and sometimes parents will require you to have taken a course. If you know someone who thinks you’re dependable and reliable, though, it could be an easy job to get. Once you’re experienced the jobs will come rolling in.

That concludes our list of 10 summer jobs for 14-year-olds that pay. We hope this gave you some great suggestions for a summer job this year to put some money in your pocket!