How To Make Money As a Teenager UK (2023)

Schools don’t educate you on generating money as a teenager. They focus on getting you working for someone else for the rest of your life. Making money as a teenager is possible but not easy, and it takes determination and hard work.

With the advent of technology, there are many different options for making money if you desire it. It’s all about how much you are willing to invest in getting there. If you have time, internet access, a laptop, computer, or phone, you can make money within minutes!

Becoming a Teenager

Becoming a teenager is the first step to independence. The first time you gain some control over your own life, the ultimate reward is the money in your pocket. It’s a chance to save up for a new phone or go on a shopping spree at the mall with friends.

With independence also comes responsibility. Once you have an income, it’s no longer your parents’ responsibility to buy your clothes or pay for gas on dates. Unfortunately, there are some things that the money your parents give you won’t stretch to cover.

It’s a hard pill to swallow, but getting a job is the only way to earn more income or extra pocket money as a teenager. You might have to sacrifice some of your free time to get to where you want to be in the long run.

Compliance with the UK Child Employment Rules

This is crucial. You have to make sure that whatever option you opt for complies with the UK Child Employment Rules. Taking working under 18 laws into consideration will keep you within the legal boundaries. This is very important for the parents or any guardian that takes care of you.

You can check these rules on the official government website. Please read it thoroughly. This will enable you to build a sound understanding of the local laws, school holiday rules, and working hours permitted with particular age brackets.

Ways to Make Money as a Teenager in the UK

You do not need to be 18 or above to make money and gain financial freedom. With the options below, you can start your employment journey now earning extra money.

The following options will bring the best out of you. You will learn about your extraordinary hidden abilities. Moreover, you will get to experience various new things. In addition, they will teach you to make a budget out of an income. Plus, all these options will be fun for you to do.

Head on below to the money making ideas, and break new grounds

Learn To Create Games With Unity

Unity is a game development engine used to create video games for free. The Unity game engine is easy to use, allowing hobbyists and professional indie developers alike the chance to develop their games from start to finish. It also includes a powerful 3D graphics engine that uses real-time lighting and shadows for increased depth perception in games.

Unity uses a scripting language based on the ECMA standards for Javascript and C#. One of the main benefits of Unity’s simple development approach is that it requires much less code to create basic 3D games than other engines such as Unreal Engine 4. This allows you to focus more on your game design and gameplay rather than learning software programming.

Where Can I Learn How To Use Unity Free?

The Unity Engine is widely used worldwide, and you can find learning material for it everywhere. As one of the first real game engines, it has stood the test of time and continues to be a good choice for indie developers looking to create their games with ease. Below we have listed our top 3 favorite free places to learn Unity:

1. Youtube – Click here for Video
2. Unity Learning – Click Here for Website
3. WalkerBoyStudio – Click here for website

Build Websites For Small Businesses

Elementor is a visual page builder plugin for WordPress that allows anyone to build beautiful and responsive websites or blogs without touching any code at all! You can change elements by simply dragging and dropping them as well as customising the design with their powerful theme options.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an advanced user. Elementor has something for everyone. And it’s not just another page-builder plugin, either. With the built-in Live Composer, you can easily create interactive elements without breaking a sweat!

Once you get better at Elementor, you can create websites for clients and charge them for the work. Websites aren’t cheap! That way, you can start making some lovely side income doing what you already love to do, building sites!

The more websites you build, the better you will become, and you will be able to start pitching those websites to new potential clients. From there, just keep building up the portfolio of high-converting sites, and pretty soon, you’ll find yourself with plenty of work coming in at all times.

If you are about to complete your GCSEs, check out our guide on How To Pass Maths GCSEs

Freelancing

Now, we have an option for all the tech-savvy teens out there. Today, almost all kids have access to an internet connection. Why not make money out of it and earn money online. Teenagers can look for various freelancing jobs online on freelancing platforms. They can provide their services in several areas such as graphics, writing, blogging, video, and image editing. Teens are sharp and easily ace this.

Please note that for this, you will need a bank account. If you don’t have one and you’re over 16 years old, then sign up for Starling Bank Account. They are the highest-rated online bank account and have many features to benefit your budgeting.

Fiverr

Fiverr is a freelance website that connects freelancers with potential clients. All the services offered are things you can do for five dollars, hence the name “Fiverr”. It’s an excellent place to start if you’re looking into making money online because it lets people get used to paying someone else for work and gives them an idea of what they should expect from an online freelancer. Fiverr also allows you to get your feet wet and work on a contract basis before committing to anything long-term if that’s what you’re looking for.

Become a YouTuber

Isn’t it a cool idea! You can start a YouTube channel. For this, choose a specific niche to make videos about. You can also make vlogs and upload them on your channel. However, please note that this option will not bring instant outcomes. Your channel will take time to grow and earn you an amount.

Once your channel takes off, you will start earning a solid amount of money through affiliate ads, video views, and viewer engagement.

How Much Money Do Youtubers Make?

Don’t be deceived by tales about how people make millions off of Youtube. That will not happen for most of us, and it takes time, dedication and persistence even to come close to that.

The main thing is building an audience and being different from the crowd. You have to be entertaining but don’t overdo it. Don’t be the person who uses cheap tricks to get views or subscribers.

Be yourself, have passion for what you are doing, and do regular videos every week or twice a month with solid content, not just stuff for views that will wear off after two days. Younger teens have been known to build an audience before they are 18, so give it a try.

It would help if you had fun with it. You need to have a decent-sized one before you can do anything too fancy with it, like getting paid to advertise other people’s products or services.

Usually, Youtubers will make between £3 – £5 per 1000 views that watch their videos. This could be a lot more if you become sponsored.

Sell Items Online and At Home

You might want to sell clothes, books, toys or sports equipment. eBay has millions of customers worldwide who will happily pay reasonable prices for quality brands like Nike or Sony Playstation games console bundles. It’s also possible to find items that aren’t exactly brand new, so there isn’t anything stopping people from making extra cash on their old stuff.

Charity shops are a great source of bargain items that you can sell on eBay and Facebook Marketplace. You can find everything from vintage clothes to antique furniture at your local charity shop for a fraction of the price, allowing you to make a nice profit when re-selling them

To get started, visit your local charity shop and have a browse around. Take note of any items that catch your eye as these could be potential money-makers. Next, do some research online to see how much similar items are selling for on eBay or Facebook Marketplace. This will give you an idea of what kind of prices people are willing to pay for certain items so that you can set realistic prices when listing them

If you’re particularly creative, why not sell your hand-made jewelry or quirky home accessories on Etsy, the online arts and crafts site.

Facebook Marketplace has also taken off in a big way, with many people buying and selling items every day. It’s similar to eBay but has its benefits because it can be accessed through Facebook without registering and is completely free to buy and sell.

The marketplace is a great place to purchase items that you can then resell on eBay or Etsy for a profit. People buy and sell nearly anything you can think of, so keeping your eyes peeled for some great bargains is essential. If you have the confidence to do so, the best part is that you can haggle down the price to make a more significant profit in the long run.

Learn An Instrument

Your teenage years are the perfect time to home in on your craft. If you’re passionate about music or just want to be able to play the acoustic guitar around a campfire, then your teenage years are where it’s the best time to start.

Many different careers can be pursued with a music degree. Starting as a musician can be difficult at first, but it’s certainly worth it if your goal is to make money from what you love doing!

Music is a great way to express yourself and an excellent skill to have. You might think that learning an instrument is too pricey or time-consuming, but all you need is determination and before you know it, you could make money by teaching others or playing at the different types of venues.

Become a Waiter

Waiting at tables is a great way to make money as a teenager. Not only do you get paid hourly, but you also typically receive tips from customers. This can add up quickly, making it a very lucrative job option.

In addition to the monetary benefits, waiting tables also provides valuable work experience. It teaches you how to deal with customers and how to be efficient in a busy environment. This can be helpful when you are looking for your first job after high school.

If you are interested in becoming a waiter, there are a few things you should know. First, most restaurants require waitstaff to have some level of experience or training. This means that you may need to volunteer or work at a restaurant before you are hired as a waiter.

Second, restaurants typically require waitstaff to be available on weekends and evenings. This can be difficult for students who have busy school schedules. However, if you can commit to the hours required, waiting tables can be a great way to make money.

Work at a Retail Store

Various retail stores require teens for assistance. They might ask you to manage and set products. You can work and watch at the register. The managers can ask you to assist them in various operations.

For this job, you need to be punctual and well dressed. The retailers will set a salary for you. You will be paid on an hourly basis.

The best thing about this job is that you will learn a lot about customer and store management. Your communication skills will improve and will build a core basis for your future.

What’s The Salary at Game?

GAME is a large video game retailer that operates over 500 stores in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. If you love your games, then this may be an excellent place for you. Work as a part-time Sales Assistant:

Per Hour: Approx £8.90

What’s The Salary at Superdry?

Superdry is a fashion brand with an outdoor twist, best known for its distinctive “Japan-inspired” designs. However, it has also become popular with preppy girls and rich kids alike.

Per Hour: Approx £9.00

What’s The Salary at PetsatHome?

PetsAtHome is a retail chain specialising in pet products and services. It operates over 250 stores throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland. If you love pets, then this could be a perfect job for you.

Per Hour: Between £9.06 – £10.41

What’s The Salary at Primark?

Primark is a discount clothing store in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The store is owned by Associated British Foods.

Per Hour: £8.51

What’s The Salary at Boots?

Boots, a subsidiary of Walgreens, is a well-known drug store chain in the United Kingdom and the United States. They can be found in most major cities and areas, such as London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool. Become a Boots Customer Advisor

Per Hour: £9.00

Work At a Grocery Store as a Teenager

There is a lot to do at a grocery store. They are open to hiring new employees most of the time. As a teen, you can join a grocery store. You can take on various roles as a cashier, cart handler, stock person, and bagger. You will be public-facing, and this will mean providing customer service to those in need of assistance. Shopping stores are a great place to learn how to communicate with people from all walks of life.

Moreover, they can place you in the warehouse. In addition, you get to earn a good income, with overtime being an attractive option.

What’s The Salary At Tescos?

Tescos is the most popular supermarket chain in the UK. As well as its supermarket, Tescos provides services such as photo-processing, clothing and grocery delivery, all potential job opportunities if you want a job at Tescos.

Per Hour: £9.55

What’s The Salary At Sainsbury’s?

Sainsbury’s is the second-largest chain of supermarkets in Britain, behind Tesco.

Per Hour: £9.50

What’s The Salary At Lidl?

Lidl is a German supermarket chain with branches in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France and Spain. The stores sell predominantly their own brands rather than national brands. In March of 2021, Lidle increased the wages of all their employees to support reasonable living.

Per Hour: Between £9 – £11 (Depending on the area you live in)

What’s The Salary At Aldi?

Aldi is a German discount supermarket that offers discounted house brands and own-brand products.

Per Hour: £9.50 – £11.07

Become a Referee As A Teenager

In the UK as a young person, you can start to become a referee from as young as 14 years of age. The FA determines the age limit for referees in the UK. This can be found on its website here.

The FA has governed football in England since 1863, and today, with more than a million members, it is one of the country’s most prominent sports organisations. Before you become a referee, it’s wise to learn the laws of the game.

Different Levels Of Referring

How Much Does It Cost To Become A Referee As A Teenager?

To become a teenage referee, you will need to complete the FA Referee Course, which will cost £135. But first, you will need to make contact with your local FA, which can be found on this link. Once you have completed the course, you will have the opportunity to referee games and benefits with payment for each match.

Investment & Budgeting

Investing your money and budgeting are two ways to help you become financially independent. It can be difficult, but it is possible for anyone to do with an effective plan. There are four main steps to becoming financially independent:

1. Income > Expenses

2. Invest that income

3. Earn passive income while your money is invested (best high-interest savings account)

4. Save and spend your passive income

How much you earn and how much you spend to have a significant impact on becoming financially independent. Having a budget is an essential tool that will help you balance earning and spending money. Without proper planning, it may be difficult to become financially independent.

Get Small Tasks From Your Parents

Why not look for a job in your own house. Your parents have a lot to deal with. Usually, they are constantly hustling to the things going. In this case, you can take some basic things off their plate.

Simply ask your parents whether they can give you any paid job in the house. They can ask you to clean the house, mow the lawn or hoover.

You can make a list of tasks and your due payment accordingly.

Car Boot Sales

Car boot sales are a great way to make extra money. Not only can you sell items you no longer need, but you can also use it as an opportunity to buy more goods that you can resell at a higher price. This is especially true if you are able to source cheap products from wholesalers or manufacturers.

When attending a car boot sale, it is important to be prepared with everything you will need for the day. Set yourself up with a table and canopy so that your stall looks professional and inviting. Make sure you have plenty of change in cash so that customers can pay conveniently without having to ask for exact change.

Search The Internet For Money

QMEE offers quick, straightforward ways to earn money. You can get cashback for all your online purchases by clicking through from the qmee site – you never pay more, as the cashback comes from other participating retailers. There are also paid online surveys and special promotions where you can win prizes or vouchers for popular stores.

You can earn even more money by adding the browser extension – it shows qmee results next to your regular search results on Google, Yahoo! and Bing. Get paid with your paypal account which you can withdraw instantly.

Work at a Nail Salon

This is for all the girls who are into nail art. You can work at a nail salon as an assistant. This job is great if you want to be a nail artist in the future. You will be assisting and watching experts do some chic nail art. This way, you can learn a lot about the necessary products and techniques. Plus, you can make some good money.

Wash a Car

This is an ideal summer part-time job for teenagers and all around. Adults do not have enough time to wash and clean their cars. You can cash on this. For this, you will need some equipment. This includes vehicle soap lather, brushes, sponges, buckets, gloves, rags, and cleaning towels. These can be found at your local shop or for a reasonable price on eBay.

You will also need a dashboard polish, portable vacuum, and paper towel if you are cleaning the interiors. You can discuss the requirements with the owner. For a car wash, you can charge according to the time it will take you to clean a particular car.

The idea is to speak to people you may know or knock on doors in your local area to ask if they would like their car washed. People will be surprised, this does work, and you can make a lot of money depending on how much time and effort you put in.

Sell Food & Drinks

For all the teens who are into cooking, this option will work the best. You can sell homemade food and drinks. Look into the things you can cook. You can sell baked stuff such as cookies, quiches, pie, cupcakes, lasagna, etc. For this, you can set up a stall in a park, funfairs, festivals, or a celebration at the school. You can sell fresh lemonade or shakes in summer.

Selling Painted Artwork & DIY Crafts

Bring your creative instincts out, and make some money. You can sell your painted artwork at a reasonable cost. For this, you will find many art enthusiasts who will love to get their hands on your art. Your painted artwork can include paintings, t-shirts, mugs, plates, coasters, and ceramics.

You can also sell your fun DIY Crafts. For this, you can make a stall. You can also sell your stuff at local exhibitions, festivals, and funfairs.

Offer Organisation Services

Many people have messy garages or homes. However, they do not have the time or energy to organise things. In this regard, you can offer your organisation services. First, make sure you check the magnitude of the work and the time it will take. Next, specify a rate accordingly. You can do this job to learn the art of organisation in indoor spaces.

Become a Tutor For Kids

If you are a teen with a strong grip on specific subjects, this is the right job for you. You can become a tutor for kids. Often, parents are looking for tutors who charge less. You can offer this service in your locality. For validation purposes, you can show the school your results cards, or certificates, if any. This will support your grip on the subject.

You can set up a meeting with the parents to discuss the requirements.

Run Errands for People

Check for such people who are looking for people to run their errands. These can be delivering clothes to the dry cleaning or getting some medicines from the store.

You can look for such jobs in your area with more stores and other useful places. This will enable you to save a lot of time. Moreover, it will help you to earn more by running some errands. You can set a rate keeping the distance and time in mind.

Lawn Work

If you are looking for a paid evening or summer job, this is the best. You can ask people whether they would like to take your services. You can set a rate for yourself on an hourly basis.

You can mow the lawns and clean the leaves. For this work, you need a lawnmower and a leaf blower. If you have these two things at home, take permission from your parents to use these for your job. Make sure you learn how to operate these safely.

Become a Golf Caddy

Many golf clubs keep teens as golf caddies for their guests and members. This job can be great if you like golf or want to learn it.

In this job, you can earn a handsome amount on an hourly basis. In addition to this payment, you can make tips from the visitors. This is a plus point.

Work at a Café

Working at a café can be fun. You get to learn new things, such as serving, table setting, customer handling, and communication skills. Moreover, you can assist in the kitchen. You can learn to make snacks, starters, and deserts. In addition, you can become a cashier. Experiencing all these roles will give a complete idea about how a café works.

You can earn a good amount while working at a café.

Become a Call Center Agent

Although most companies hire 18+ years old for this, you can still get this job. Some companies are open for teens to learn customer care and management. As a call centre representative, you will be responsible for handling customer queries, scheduling appointments, and product data calls.

Most companies allow their representatives from home. This is a plus point. You will earn on an hourly basis.

Gardening Jobs

Gardening is a fun and healthy activity for teens. Well, you can turn this activity into a mode of earning. You can offer services like trimming, pruning, fertilising, and planting seedlings. For this, you need a garden care toolkit. However, the most important this is to know the art of gardening.

You can ask your dad. He can teach you the basics and the right gardening tact.

Become a Part of an Event Planning Team

Events are happening around the year. That is why; event-planning entities are constantly looking for helpers. You can add value to their work with your services. Join an event management team that will enable you to learn the essential elements of event planning.

You can set a rate for yourself. However, make sure you set it according to the nature of the task. In event planning, people usually earn an amount per hour.

Offer Decoration Services

Put your creative instincts at work by offering decoration services. You can decorate for special occasions like Halloween, Christmas, birthday parties, and wedding events.

For this, you can formulate decoration themes in your service. You can capture these decorated spaces. After that, you can compile them into a file. You can show that book to your potential clients to pick a theme. Make sure you have an inventory for this.

Pick up Recyclable Litter

This is an innovative way for teens to make money. Teens can even keep this as a side hustle while doing other chores. All you need to do is to pick recyclable litter. Keep a small plastic bag in your pocket whenever you head out.

Simply pick any recyclable litter on your way back home. Now, you can take the whole collection to any recycling centre and sell it. This will help you to earn money instantly. Moreover, you are keeping the surroundings clean.

Offer Home Cleaning Services

This is the easiest and fastest way to earn money as a teen. You can charge the clients on an hourly basis. In addition, you can specify a cleaning specialty for yourself, such as living room, garage, bedroom, or basement.

House Sitting

This service comes into play when someone goes away and wants someone to check the house. Because they do not want their home to be vacant all the time, you can come and check their home a couple of times in a day.

Pet Sitting

This is for all animal-loving teenagers. Some people look for pet sitters. Because either they are going somewhere or do not want their pet to be home alone. You can make some good money out of it. Decide an hourly rate for your pet sitting service. You can also specify what kind of pet you want to look after. You could make up to £20 an hour to look after a pet while its owners are away.

Dog Walking

Sounds like a cool idea. Well, sure it is. We all know that dogs love to take a walk anytime. Dog owners cannot take their dogs on walks due to their tight schedules. You can take their dog on a walk and charge them on an hourly basis. This can be a dog activity in your evening time or at weekends. However, you need to be aware of the basic dog handling techniques. Taking a dog to a specific dog park will be preferred.

Deliver Newspapers

Although the newspaper has become an old thing, many people still prefer newspapers to online reading. You can start a paper route. For this, you will need your bicycle, and make sure you are accessible in the morning to deliver well in time. You are asking around local shops to find out if there is a spot available to send the rounds.

Work at a Movie Theatre

Teens love movies! Working at a movie theatre might be more fun. You can take any role that is available for teens.

Paint the Fences

People usually paint their fences twice a year. This makes it a perfect opportunity to grab. You can talk to your neighbor and other people who to get their fences painted but do not have the time for it. Ensure you have the necessary things, such as an apron and gloves.

Babysitting As A Teenager

Offering babysitting services will get you a lot of fame as people need such services. Teens who are 15+ years above are ideal for this job. For this job, you can charge a relatively high price. However, you need to be aware of the basics of babysitting.

Care

Care.com is an online platform that connects potential sitters or household workers with families who need them.

The process provides a service to those who want to hire help and those who hope to have their services used. Users can select from a list of labour and service providers, including babysitters, nannies, tutors, housekeepers and pet sitters.

Users can search for a service provider based on the type of labour they’d like done, their location and how much they want to pay. The site provides a way for users to post reviews of their experiences with a particular sitter or housekeeper and a quality assurance system that helps find those other members of the community have vetted.

Where to avail such jobs & to advertise your services?

There are various channels for both of these. First, you will find out about such teen services and openings through word of mouth. That is a powerful thing. Ask your parents, siblings, friends, and relatives to promote you.

Next, if you have a community centre around, you can tell about your services. Moreover, you paste posters and flyers in various places. You can also paste a poster on your school’s noticeboard.

Lastly, social media is everything. Make sure you are actively promoting your page well on Instagram, Facebook, or any other platform.

In a Nutshell

There you have it, kids! Make the best out of these options. First, discuss the appropriate options with your parents before starting. Most importantly, have fun!

If you have any more ideas that may help teenagers make money, let us know by commenting below!