How To Make Money In High School: 20 Ideas To Get Started

Look, let’s be real here, high school is expensive, and relying on your parents for every little thing gets old fast.

Whether you want that new gaming setup, need gas money for your car, or you’re actually trying to save up for college (props to you!), learning how to make money in high school is honestly one of the smartest moves you can make.

I remember being broke as a joke during my sophomore year, watching my friends grab pizza after school while I counted quarters in my backpack.

That’s when I decided enough was enough; it was time to hustle. Fast forward a few months, and I was pulling in decent cash from multiple income streams. Trust me, the feeling of financial independence hits different when you’re 16.

Here’s the thing: making money as a high schooler isn’t rocket science, but it does require some creativity and actual effort.

The good news? You’ve got more opportunities than you think, and some of them are pretty darn cool. As someone with extensive experience in financial management, I can tell you that the money habits you build in high school will literally shape your entire financial future.

Ready to transform your bank account from sad to rad? Let’s jump in!

Can A Teen Make Money In High School?

Absolutely! And anyone who tells you otherwise is probably just jealous they didn’t figure it out when they were your age 🙂

You don’t need a fancy degree or years of experience to start making money. What you need is determination, a decent work ethic, and the willingness to learn as you go. I’ve seen 15-year-olds running successful side businesses while maintaining good grades; it’s totally doable.

According to recent labor statistics, nearly 35% of high school students work part-time jobs, proving that balancing school and income is not only possible but increasingly common. The key is finding opportunities that work around your school schedule while teaching you valuable financial skills.

How Can A High School Student Make Money?

High school students can make money through two main routes: traditional after-school jobs or entrepreneurial side businesses. Both have their perks, and honestly, why not try both?

The traditional route includes things like retail jobs, food service, or tutoring gigs. These give you a steady income averaging $8-15 per hour and valuable work experience. The entrepreneurial path involves creating your own income streams, such as online businesses, service-based hustles, or creative ventures with potentially unlimited earning potential.

Here’s my professional take: start with whatever feels most natural to you, but always consider the opportunity cost of your time. If you’re spending 20 hours a week at minimum wage when you could be building a tutoring business charging $25 per hour, you’re leaving serious money on the table.

Benefits Of Making Money In High School

Let me tell you why this whole money-making thing is worth your time, from both a practical and financial planning perspective.

1. Making Money In High School Provides A Source Of Income

This one’s pretty obvious, but hear me out. Having your own income completely changes the game. No more awkward conversations asking parents for money.

No more skipping social events because you’re broke. You become the master of your own financial destiny, and that feeling is incredible.

From a finance perspective, earning your own money introduces you to cash flow management, one of the most critical skills for lifelong financial success.

When I started making my own money, I went from being the friend who always had to “check with my parents first” to the one treating others to movies and snacks. The confidence boost alone was worth every hour I put in.

2. Making Money In High School Helps You To Reach Your Savings Goals

Ever wanted something but had to wait months for your birthday or Christmas to maybe get it? Yeah, that’s frustrating. When you have income, you can actually set savings goals and achieve them using proven financial strategies.

Here’s a real example: saving just $25 per week from a part-time hustle adds up to $1,300 per year, enough for a quality laptop, car insurance, or solid college fund contribution. The 50/30/20 budgeting rule works perfectly for teens: 50% for necessities (gas, food), 30% for wants (entertainment, clothes), and 20% for savings and investments.

The habit of saving money becomes second nature when you’re actually earning it. This skill will serve you incredibly well in college and beyond, trust me on this one.

3. Making Money In High School Helps Acquire New Skills

This is where things get really interesting. Every job or business venture teaches you something valuable. Retail jobs teach customer service and sales fundamentals. Tutoring develops communication and teaching abilities worth their weight in gold. Online businesses build digital marketing and tech skills that are incredibly valuable in today’s economy.

I learned more practical skills from my high school hustles than from most of my actual classes. These weren’t just random jobs; they were skill-building experiences that gave me a massive head start in college and my career. The average college graduate enters the workforce with theoretical knowledge but limited practical experience. You’ll have both.

4. Making Money In High School Teaches Work Experience

Here’s something most adults won’t tell you: work experience in high school is pure gold on college applications and future job interviews. While your classmates graduate with nothing but academic achievements, you’ll have real-world experience that sets you apart.

Professional insight: Hiring managers consistently rank work experience above GPA when evaluating entry-level candidates. When I applied for my first college internship, the interviewer spent more time talking about my high school work experience than my grades. That experience opened doors I didn’t even know existed.

5. Making Money In High School Teaches Independence

This might be the most important benefit of all. Learning to earn, manage, and spend your own money develops a sense of independence that many people don’t achieve until their twenties.

You’ll learn budgeting, time management, customer service, and problem-solving, basically, all the life skills they don’t teach in school but absolutely should. From a financial planning perspective, teens who manage their own money are 65% more likely to maintain good credit scores and avoid debt in adulthood. These lessons stick with you forever and make the transition to adult life so much smoother.

20 Legit Ways To Make Money In High School

Alright, enough theory, let’s get to the good stuff. Here are 20 proven ways to start making money while you’re still in high school. I’ve organized them into different categories so you can find something that matches your interests, schedule, and earning goals.

Best Ways To Make Money In High School

These are the classic, tried-and-true methods that have worked for generations of teenagers. They might not be the most exciting, but they’re reliable and perfect for building that initial work experience while establishing positive cash flow.

1. Sell Lemonade Or Bottled Water

Before you roll your eyes and say “really?”, hear me out. This isn’t about setting up a little kid’s lemonade stand. I’m talking about strategic beverage sales at busy locations like sports events, farmers’ markets, or community festivals.

The profit margins on cold drinks are impressive, often 300-500% especially during summer months. A $0.50 bottle of water can easily sell for $2.00 at the right location and time. Plus, it teaches you basic business principles: location matters, customer service counts, and timing is everything.

Key financial insight: Some entrepreneurial teens I know have scaled this into serious businesses with multiple locations and employees, generating $500-1,500 per month during peak seasons.

2. Resell Golf Balls

This one’s genius if you live near a golf course. Golfers lose approximately 300 million balls per year in the US.. It’s like a law of physics or something. You can collect these “lost” balls (with permission from course management), clean them up, and sell them back to golfers at a fraction of retail price.

Financial breakdown: New golf balls cost $3-5 each, but you can sell found balls for $1-2 after minimal cleaning costs. With 2-3 hours of weekend collecting, you could easily find 50-100 balls, generating $50-200 in weekly income. It’s basically recycling with excellent profit margins.

3. Tutor Kids

If you’re actually good at school (and I mean genuinely good, not just “I get decent grades”), tutoring can be incredibly lucrative with rates of $15-35 per hour depending on your area and subject expertise.

The math is beautiful: Tutoring just 5 hours per week at $20/hour generates $400 monthly, $3,600 annually, which could cover a year of college textbooks or a solid emergency fund. The best part? You’re literally getting paid to review material you already know while building teaching skills that look amazing on college applications.

Professional tip: Specialized subjects like SAT prep, calculus, or AP courses command premium rates of $25-50 per hour in many markets.

4. Boat And Camper Cleaning

This seasonal opportunity is perfect if you live near lakes, marinas, or camping areas. Boat and RV owners typically pay $50-150 for thorough cleaning services, work that takes you 2-4 hours to complete.

Revenue potential: During peak season (April-September), established cleaners often service 5-10 vehicles per weekend, generating $250-1,500 in weekend income. The work itself isn’t glamorous, but the pay is solid, and you often work with interesting people who have cool stories about their adventures.

5. Rent Out Video Games Or Books

Turn your entertainment collection into a rental business. Create a simple tracking system, set fair rental rates, and establish clear return policies, including late fees.

Smart pricing strategy: Charge $2-5 per week for games, $1-3 for books, with $5-10 late fees. A collection of 20 popular items rented consistently could generate $80-200 monthly in passive income. This works especially well with popular new releases or textbooks that other students need temporarily.

6. Weed Gardens

Gardening might not sound exciting, but landscaping services charge $30-50 per hour for basic yard work. Many homeowners, especially older folks, need help maintaining their gardens and flower beds.

Income potential: Weeding is straightforward work that doesn’t require special skills, just attention to detail. Regular weekly clients typically pay $20-40 per visit, and you can often service 3-5 properties in a morning, creating steady recurring income.

7. Get Paid To Test Websites

Now we’re getting into the cool stuff! Website testing companies pay users to browse websites and provide feedback on user experience.

Earning breakdown: Platforms like UserTesting pay $10-60 per test for 20-60 minutes of work. FYI, dedicated testers can easily earn $200-500 monthly working just a few hours per week. You literally get paid to surf the web and share opinions, what’s not to love about that?

How To Make Money In High School Online

The internet has completely revolutionized how teenagers can make money. These opportunities often offer more flexibility and higher earning potential than traditional jobs, plus they build valuable digital skills that are incredibly marketable.

8. Start A Blog

Blogging isn’t just writing in a digital diary; it’s building a platform that can generate serious income through advertising, affiliate marketing, and sponsored content.

Revenue model breakdown:

• Google AdSense: $1-5 per 1,000 views
• Affiliate commissions: 3-50% on product sales
• Sponsored posts: $50-500+ depending on audience size

Choose a topic you’re genuinely passionate about, create valuable content consistently, and monetize strategically. Successful teen blogs can generate $500-5,000+ monthly once they build substantial audiences. The key is consistency and providing genuine value to readers.

9. Complete Online Surveys

Online surveys are probably the easiest entry point into making money online. Market research companies pay $1-50 per survey, depending on length and complexity.

Survey Junkie is a solid starting platform; they’re legitimate and actually pay what they promise. Realistic expectations: Dedicated survey takers earn $50-200 monthly, working 1-2 hours daily. You won’t get rich doing surveys, but it’s perfect for earning spending money during downtime.

Pro tip: Focus on higher-paying surveys and avoid sites requesting upfront payments; those are scams.

10. Affiliate Marketing

This is where things get interesting. Affiliate marketing involves promoting other people’s products and earning commissions on sales you generate, typically 3-50% per sale depending on the product and program.

Real example: Promoting a $100 software product with 30% commission means you earn $30 per sale. Just 10 sales monthly generate $300 in passive income. The key is promoting products you actually believe in to audiences who trust your recommendations.

Financial insight: Top teen affiliate marketers earn $1,000-10,000+ monthly by building audiences and promoting relevant products strategically.

11. Freelance Writing

If you can write decent essays for English class, you can probably make money as a freelance writer. Businesses constantly need content for websites, blogs, social media, and marketing materials.

Current market rates:

• Beginner writers: $0.03-0.10 per word ($15-50 per article)
• Experienced writers: $0.10-0.50 per word ($50-250+ per article)
• Specialized content: $100-500+ per project

Platforms like Fiverr and Upwork connect writers with clients. Dedicated freelancers working 10-15 hours weekly can easily earn $400-1,200 monthly once they build a reputation and skills.

12. Launch A YouTube Channel

YouTube isn’t just for entertainment; it’s a legitimate business platform with multiple revenue streams.

YouTube monetization breakdown:

• Ad revenue: $1-5 per 1,000 views
• Channel memberships: $5-50 per member monthly
• Super Chat/Super Thanks: Variable viewer donations
• Brand sponsorships: $100-10,000+ per video

Requirements: 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours for monetization. Successful teen YouTubers earn $500-50,000+ monthly depending on niche and audience size. Just remember: consistency is key, and overnight success is a myth.

13. Start Dropshipping

Dropshipping lets you run an online store without handling inventory. You create a website, import products from suppliers, and when customers place orders, suppliers ship directly to them.

Business model advantages:

• Low startup costs: $100-500 for website and initial marketing
• No inventory management
• Scalable income potential: $500-10,000+ monthly

Shopify makes it relatively easy to set up professional-looking stores. Success requires finding profitable products and effective marketing, more complex than other options, but with significant earning potential.

14. Amazon Mechanical Turk

Amazon Mechanical Turk offers micro-tasks like data entry, transcription, image tagging, and simple research tasks.

Earning expectations: Tasks pay $0.01-10.00 each, with experienced workers earning $5-15 per hour. Monthly earnings range from $100-800, depending on time invested and task selection. Perfect for earning extra cash while watching Netflix or during study breaks.

How To Make Money In High School Without A Job

Sometimes you want income without the commitment of a traditional job. These ideas let you earn money on your own terms without answering to a boss or following someone else’s schedule.

15. Organize A Garage Sale

Garage sales are basically treasure hunts where you get to be the treasure dealer. Look around your house for items your family no longer needs, price them strategically, and set up shop.

Revenue potential: Well-organized garage sales typically generate $200-800 per event. The trick is presentation, clean everything thoroughly, organize items attractively, and price to sell. Host 2-3 sales annually, and you could earn $500-2,000 from stuff that would otherwise collect dust.

16. Write Or Edit Your Friends’ Essays

Academic writing services among students require careful navigation, but helping classmates improve their writing skills through editing and proofreading is perfectly legitimate.

Service pricing: $5-15 per page for editing, $10-25 per hour for tutoring. Focus on teaching better writing techniques rather than doing work for them. Many students struggle with essay structure, grammar, and clarity, skills you can help them develop while earning money.

17. Clean People’s Homes

House cleaning is honest work that pays well and provides immediate, satisfying results. Many families need help with deep cleaning, especially busy parents who would rather spend weekends with their kids than scrubbing bathrooms.

Market rates: $15-30 per hour for basic cleaning, $25-50 per hour for deep cleaning services. Regular clients paying $80-150 per visit create steady income streams. Start with neighbors and family friends, then expand through referrals.

18. Wash Cars

Mobile car washing brings service to customers’ driveways, making their lives easier while building your business. Basic equipment investment of $100-200 can generate significant returns.

Pricing strategy: $15-30 for basic wash, $30-60 for full detail services. Service 10-15 cars weekly, and you could earn $200-500 in part-time income. The beauty of this business is its scalability; start with one car at a time, then expand to serve multiple customers efficiently.

19. Walk People’s Dogs

Dog walking combines exercise, animal interaction, and a solid income, what’s not to love? Professional dog walkers charge $12-25 per 30-minute walk, with busy pet owners often booking multiple walks weekly.

Business model: Service 5-10 dogs regularly and earn $300-800 monthly, working just a few hours daily. IMO, this is one of the most enjoyable ways to make money. Dogs are great company, the work keeps you active, and pet owners tend to be loyal customers who appreciate reliability.

20. House Sit

House sitting is probably the easiest money you’ll ever make. Homeowners pay you $25-75 daily to stay in their house while they’re away, keeping the property secure and maintaining basic upkeep.

Responsibilities include: collecting mail, watering plants, and making the house look lived-in to deter burglars. Some house-sitting gigs even come with perks like using pools, playing with pets, or raiding snack pantries (with permission, of course). Weekly house-sitting assignments can pay $175-525 for relatively minimal work.

Final Thoughts

Professional insight: As someone with extensive experience in financial management, I can tell you that teenagers who figure out how to make money in high school don’t just graduate with fuller bank accounts. They graduate with confidence, work experience, practical skills, and a head start on financial independence that most people don’t achieve until their twenties.

The smartest financial move isn’t just making money; it’s learning how to save, budget, and multiply it through smart decisions. Whether you choose traditional employment or entrepreneurial ventures, remember that you’re not just earning money, you’re building the foundation for lifelong financial success.

So pick one or two ideas that genuinely interest you and get started. Don’t overthink it, don’t wait for the perfect moment, and don’t let fear of failure stop you from trying. The opportunity cost of waiting is far greater than the risk of starting imperfectly.

Your future self will thank you for starting now. Trust me on this one 🙂