In the current digital economy online jobs for teens have become more accessible for young people. These are especially helpful for students looking to earn an income while also keeping up with school commitments. However, it can be rather challenging for teens to find a suitable fit. While searching for online jobs, teens risk falling for scams and often get targeted by predators. Thus, this article offers a complete insight on finding and keeping suitable jobs for teens, where they can safely manage and grow their financial status.
What make online jobs suitable for teens?
Online jobs are great for teenagers for several major reasons. The most important advantage is flexibility. Teens are able to work around their school schedule without the confines of traditional employment. Remote work means they can log in in the evening, on the weekend, or even at their leisure.
Entry-level requirements are another huge advantage. Many platforms are especially for beginners without professional-level experience. Whether you have no work history at all or are getting into the profession for the first time, there are a number of opportunities available at your level.
Remote access eliminates geographical barriers. Teens can work from home, school library or anywhere where they have an internet connection. This accessibility is helpful to teens who live in rural areas or do not have reliable transportation.
Online work also helps the teens to develop critical digital skills that are important in today’s workforce. Working on websites such as Fiverr or Upwork gains experience with digital communication, project management, time management and customer service.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that in the first quarter of 2024, 34.0 million people age 25 and older teleworked or worked at home for pay, up by 5.0 million over the year. These individuals accounted for 24.9 percent of people age 25 and older at work in the first quarter of 2024, higher than the rate of 21.5 percent recorded a year earlier.
Finding the age-specific online jobs for every teen
Teens face unique opportunities and challenges online. Age-specific roles vary by platform, maturity and skill levels. Still, some common categories exist across ages 13 and 14, 15–16, and 17+, with safety and legal considerations guiding where and how they work.
Keep an eye out for hidden scams!
Online jobs for 13-14 year olds (supervised entry-level tasks)
Thirteen and fourteen-year-olds can access legitimate online opportunities with parental supervision.
- Fiverr accepts people as young as 13 with parental consent. Teens can sell gigs such as proofreading, social media help, graphic design or writing help. Child safety on accounts should be reviewed and activity monitored by their parents.
- Tutorpeers particularly accepts teenagers aged 13-18 as peer tutors. If you have excelled in a subject, you can teach younger students. This reinforces your own learning and you get paid for it.
- Swagbucks and websites like them let young teens do simple tasks such as surveys, videos or games for gift cards or cash. Earnings are modest but these platforms provide low-pressure points of entry.
Online jobs for 15-16 year olds (expanding skill-based opportunities)
Fifteen and sixteen-year-olds have more sophisticated opportunities and are able to develop more specialized skills.
- Upwork (with parental supervision for minors) has wider projects to offer in the freelance field. Teens can go for writing assignments, web design work, data entry or virtual assistant work. Building a strong portfolio at this stage is a success for later.
- Tutor.com and tutoring platforms in particular accept students who have evidence of expertise in a subject. If you are good at math, sciences, languages or test prep, tutoring can pay $15-25 extra an hour.
- You can monetize YouTube and Twitch channels by creating consistent content over time. YouTube requires you to have 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours to be able to monetize. Building an audience in your teenage years creates income opportunities in the future.
- Transcription work through Rev or TranscribeMe that allows you to listen to audio files and type transcriptions. This tends to pay $0.30-1.10 per minute and develop attention to detail.
- Reliable and organized teens can apply for virtual assistant jobs. Tasks include scheduling, email management, data entry or file organization. Rates generally vary from $15 to $20 an hour.
Online jobs for 17+ year olds (preparing for independence)
Seventeen-year-olds have access to almost all legitimate opportunities available for adults on the Internet.
- LinkedIn networking value comes in at 16 and up. Building a professional profile connects you with mentors, teaches you about career paths, and shows you job opportunities in your interests
- Freelance writing sites, such as Contently or MediaWire, allow professional writers to make up to $50-200 per article based on publication and experience.
- Web design and development opportunities are greatly increased with the acquisition of technical skills. It has rates of 25 to 100+ per hour based on experience and complexity of a project.
- Social media management for small businesses or entrepreneurs commonly pays between $15-50 per hour for managing content calendars, engaging social media followers, and creating social media posts.
Where to find legit online jobs for teens?
Finding legitimate opportunities takes the knowledge of which platforms are trustworthy and intended for teen employees.
Dedicated freelance marketplaces
- Fiverr is the best available for young workers as a freelance platform. Users provide targeted services (known as “gigs”) from $5. Fiverr only requires users as young as 13 with parental consent. You get to set your rates, control your schedule and build a work portfolio. The platform handles payments securely, but parents should help set up payments for users under 18.
- Upwork caters to serious freelancers with a wider variety of projects. You bid on jobs posted by clients, which include writing, graphic design, programming, virtual assistance, etc. Upwork requires users to be 18 or have their parent manage the account but has a large earning potential. It is important to build reviews and a strong portfolio.
- Peopleperhour and Guru are similar to Upwork in terms of their freelance marketplaces featuring hourly and project-based work. These platforms tend to have less competition than Upwork and therefore can be good alternatives for newer freelancers trying to build up initial experience and reviews.
Job boards with teen-friendly filters
- Indeed allows you to do a specific search for “teen remote jobs,” or “online part-time” jobs. Filter by age requirements, hours per week and pay rate to find opportunities that meet your needs. Listings include flexible remote work positions from established companies.
- Glassdoor likewise has remote work job postings coupled with company reviews and salary data. Looking for entry-level or part-time positions, you’ll find that companies are looking to hire teens in remote customer service, remote data entry, or remote content moderation.
- LinkedIn access at 16 years old as both networking and job board is a must. Look for entry-level remote jobs, network with people working in your field, and research company cultures before you apply.
Niche platforms for specific skills
- Tutor.com and Chegg Tutors match student tutors with learners who need instruction in a subject. These platforms require demonstrating subject expertise via academic records but provide consistency in the earnings (about $15-25 per hour after being approved).
- Design communities and marketplaces such as 99designs, Dribbble or Adobe Stock enable graphic designers to showcase portfolios and earn from design work. These are best used if you have already got some experience or training in design.
- Content creation platforms such as YouTube, Twitch and TikTok monetise with advertising, subscriptions and sponsorships. YouTube requires 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours. Twitch requires 50 followers and 500 minutes streamed over the last 30 days for seven days. Earnings vary greatly depending on the size and engagement of the audience.
Social media and personal networking
- Asking friends, family and acquaintances whether they need assistance with social media, writing, design or virtual help.
- Local Community and Facebook groups where small business owners post job opportunities.
- School connections via teachers who may be familiar with students in need of tutoring.
Don’t forget about personal networks when looking for work. Many teens gain opportunities through:
Risks and scams teens should watch out for
The online job market contains some scams that are specifically focused on young and inexperienced workers. Knowing the warning signs will keep your personal information and your wallet safe.
Common online job scams
- Upfront payment requirements are the most obvious red flag. Legitimate jobs mean that they never ask you to pay to apply, receive training or access listings. If an opportunity involves buying equipment, paying processing fees or putting up money in advance, then it’s almost certainly a scam.
- Too-good-to-be-true compensation should make a person immediately suspicious. Ads for jobs that promise $50 per hour for unskilled labor and easy money without much effort or provide guaranteed high income without experience are likely fraudulent. Real jobs pay well for real value.
- Vague job descriptions without specific details about the duties, requirements or company information is often an indication of scams. Legitimate employers are clear about the job duties, the qualifications and responsibilities of the position.
- Requests for personal information that is more than is reasonably needed are warning signs. Legitimate companies do not require your social security number, full banking details, or copies of personal documents when you apply.
- Some red flags of communication are emails that contain grammatical errors, typos, or unprofessional formatting.
Safeguarding online jobs for teens
Parents have an important role to play when it comes to keeping teens safe while working on the Internet. Several strategies have a significant impact on risk reduction.
Parental supervision is always key no matter how old the child. Parents should be aware of which platforms their teen is using, what work goes on, and should check earnings and communications on a regular basis. This results in an accountability system against exploitation.
Tools like FlashGet Kids also helps parents to ensure that their teen is safe online while they work. The platform enables the parents to:
- Monitor websites and applications that their teen accesses while searching for jobs or while at work
- Set time limits for work not to interfere with school or sleeping
- Receive real-time warnings about potentially dangerous websites or communications
- Review chat histories and messages ,identifying suspicious contacts
FlashGet Kids is especially suited for families in which both parents and teens work online and need to be sure that work is occurring safely and productively.
General age guidelines for online work
Understanding applicable laws can help teens and parents navigate work online legally and safely.
COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) is the protective law for children below the age of 13. Websites collecting personal information from children under the age of 13 years must have verifiable parental consent. Many platforms either don’t allow users under the age of 13 to use their platforms or they require parental involvement for younger teen accounts.
FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) which establishes federal minimum wage and work hour requirements for minors. Generally, 14 years is the minimum age for work in non-agriculture, including the following restrictions:
- Ages 14-15: Non-hazardous jobs only with 3 hours per school days and 8 hours per non-school days. This stretches to a Maximum of 18 hours per school week, 40 hours per non-school week.
- Ages 16-17: Can work unlimited hours in non-hazardous jobs. Some state-level restrictions may apply to certain industries.
- Age 18+: Full employment rights with minimal restrictions other than occupational safety.
Always check the labor department website of your state regarding further requirements.
Which Platforms Allow 13+, 16+ and 18+ Users?
- Age 13+ (with parental consent) Fiverr, Swagbucks, Tutorpeers, some content moderation platforms.
- Age 16+ LinkedIn, Upwork (with supervision), most tutoring sites, many job boards and freelance sites.
- Age 18+, all major platforms, with no restrictions and Full contract authority.
Conclusion
Online jobs for teens offer real ways to earn money, gain professional skills and gain work experience in flexible and accessible ways. The remote work landscape has evolved and grown up considerably with platforms made especially for young workers.
Teens should choose reputable platforms, understand labor laws, involve parents, and stay alert for scams. Starting early with entry-level positions helps to build skills and confidence in order to support future career success. Whether saving up for a certain goal or starting your career, online work provides an important experience in today’s digital economy.
FAQs
The minimum age depends on the platform and the jurisdiction. Most of the major platforms are 13 with parental consent to 17, but some are 16 or 18. Federal FLSA guidelines, for the most part, put 14 as the minimum employment age for non-agricultural work, however, there may be different policies with online platforms.
The safest payment methods for teen online workers are Paypal (accepted throughout the freelance industry with buyer/seller protection), direct deposit into a parent’s bank account (no middleman needed), digital wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay (encryption and tokenization) and Stripe (fraud detection and secure transfers).
