As a teenager, you may be searching for ways to make money without falling behind on schoolwork and after-school activities. Luckily, part-time positions are available for teens to gain valuable skills and work experience while earning. In addition, many supervisors will work directly with teens to train them and prepare them for the duties of a part-time position.
With the Internet dominating and affecting a large part of our lives, especially now with the work from home set-up, more individuals are looking for ways to earn money online to increase their income streams.
Though having a job may seem like part of adulthood, there are many ways you can make money when you’re still in school. Moreover, many of these positions can be part-time, which means you’ll still have time to study (sigh).
This article highlights some of the best jobs for teens and identifies what makes these roles good first jobs.
How to earn money as a teenager?
1) Freelance work
One of the easiest ways to make money is to do freelance work, copywriting, translation, video editing, graphic designing, app development or marketing. There are many websites, both international and Indian, which offer teenagers the opportunity to get paid for their skills. These include Freelance India, Chegg India, Freelancer, Upwork, and Fiverr.
How much can you earn?
You can be paid hourly or on a fixed basis, and the amount will depend on the type of work and your skill level. Payments are typically made directly to the bank account so that you will need one. If you don’t have a bank account, you may have to provide the details of your parents or use Fyp😁.
2) Blogging/Vlogging
What is it?
Until a few years ago, what was just a platform to express one’s passions is now a good way to earn money. You can pull in readers or traffic by blogging about a specific topic of your interest, translating into cash. You can earn through a blog or vlog on Youtube, such as ad placements via Google AdSense, affiliate marketing (promoting others’ products on your blog), product reviews, guest posts in others’ blogs, or product sales; on your blog.)
How to do it?
Step 1: Choose a blogging platform. While several free blogging platforms like WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, Medium, Ghost, Squarespace, etc., it is advisable to set up a self-hosted blog (preferably with WordPress. org). This is because free blogs have a lot of constraints when it comes to customising and features, have low storage capacity and don’t allow ads or affiliate links, which are the best ways to make money. Of course, you will have to pay for the blog and domain name, but it will be money worth spending.
Step 2: Pick a domain name and a hosting plan. You will be treated more seriously and professionally with your domain name, and buying a Web hosting plan will give you complete control over the look and feel of your blog.
Step 3: Next, pick a topic of interest and start writing, sharing information or posting videos. It will take hard work, effort and time if you want to gain expertise and a loyal following. You also need to post consistently and share unique information.
Step 4: Promote your blog on all social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, etc., to direct more traffic and increase your earning potential.
How much can you earn?
A blogger can start earning Rs 20,000-30,000 a month in a year. Teens, who are just beginning, may earn less.
3) Online surveys
What is it?
One of the easiest ways for teens to earn money is through paid online surveys. Swagbucks is among the most well-known sites and pays for participating in several activities like filling out surveys, watching videos, and shopping. Some of the other sites which offer surveys are Toluna, Telly Pulse, CashCrate (aggregator of survey sites), ValuedOpinions, OpinionBureau, Streetbees (app) etc. Each site typically has a fixed number of surveys a person can attempt in a month.
4) Graphic Designing
What is it?
If you have an artistic flair, you can earn it by creating designs. There are various sites such as canva, illustrator, Fiverr, InDesign etc where you can make graphic designs. There are many companies where you can freelance and earn money. When you gain experience, you can collaborate with big brands and charge accordingly. There are various brands in the market which look for people on a contract basis.
How much can you earn?
Different websites have payment methods, which can be monthly. Some pay a royalty of 10-20%, others let you fix your price over the base price and keep the profit (Rs 30-300 per piece), and some pay a fixed price.
5) Rent and sell books, online tutoring, and project work.
What is it?
If you love reading or are academically gifted, this is perhaps the easiest way to earn some pocket money. You can rent out your books, sell previous year’s school books, tutor other kids online and help them with their project work. You can also earn by teaching or selling courses on online platforms like Udacity, Udemy or Lynda, or sign up for online tutoring sites like Vedantu, TutorMe, TeacherOn etc.
How to do it?
Step 1: You will first have to register with the site for online tutoring sites. Then you will be assessed through an online interview or demo, and if you clear it, you will be taken on board.
Step 2: All you need to be an online tutor are a computer or laptop, Internet connection, and expertise in your subject.
How much can you earn?
You can earn anywhere from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh a month with online tutoring sites. These pay either a fixed salary or on an hourly contract basis. For tutoring your friends, neighbours and acquaintances, depending on your calibre, academic record and teaching skills, you can start by charging Rs 200 per hour and increase it to Rs 500-1,000 as you gain experience. Depending on the complexity of the project work, you can charge between Rs 200 per hour and increase it to Rs 500-1,000 as you gain experience.
6) Storytelling via podcasts
What is it?
If you have good oratory skills and love telling stories, monetise it. A podcast is a series of digital audio or video files a user can download to listen to. With nearly 200 million monthly active users, 40 podcast companies, and a steady rise in users triggered by Covid lockdowns, audiobooks and story reading have caught on.
How to do it?
Step 1: You can start recording on your mobile phone, but it is better to get good equipment to sound professional. You will need a microphone, pop filter, computer or laptop and audio editing software.
Step 2: Next, look for a platform where you can post and publish your podcast. While Apple is the premier podcast platform, others include Google Podcast, Anchor, Spotify, etc.
Step 3: You will first have to sign up on the platform, record an episode or upload a pre-recorded one.
How much can you earn?
You can earn through sponsors, advertisements, subscriptions, and selling products, courses and merchandise. Once you have around 500 downloads, you can start earning, but you will need advertisers and sponsors who look for bigger audiences of over 5,000 listeners for a decent income.
How do I get started with hobbies that make money?
When you’re turning a hobby into a side income, expect there to be a learning curve. Even if you are good at something, the business aspect may take some time to understand. So pick something you enjoy, but make sure you still have other pastimes.
It’s important because it may feel a bit more like work once a hobby becomes something you make money from. Any of the hobbies that make money mentioned in this article can be great places to begin.
How do I set fair prices for my work?
As for setting your prices – research, research, research; find out the going rate in your area for the type of work you’ll be doing.
However, remember that you may not make what they do right away if someone is an expert in the industry. Therefore, price your services reasonably when you begin, and increase over time.
About the author
Hello,
I am Nikita Arya from Lucknow. I have always been an introverted girl, and writing has helped me escape many uncomfortable communications. I have been in this field for the past four years, and yes, I am an avid book reader, mainly fiction and sci-fi.
