First jobs · 5 min read
How can I make money as a teenager?
Legal ways to earn at 13 to 17 in the UK that are worth your time: part-time jobs, selling, tutoring and small services, with the rules and the tax position.
The short answer
The reliable ways to make money as a teenager are a part-time job from 13 with a council work permit, selling things you make or no longer need, local services like dog walking, car washing or tutoring younger pupils, and from 16, apprenticeships and summer work. Online schemes that promise easy money mostly pay in exposure or lose you money. Below £1,000 a year of self-employed income there's no tax to deal with.
Key takeaways
- Part-time work is legal from 13 with a permit, within strict hours; most other earning is self-employed and allowed at any age.
- The first £1,000 a year of trading income is tax free under the trading allowance; above that you register with HMRC.
- Selling platforms set their own age limits, usually 18, so under-18s need a parent's account and permission.
- The best teenage earners teach a skill you can name later: pricing, showing up, talking to strangers, fixing something.
On this pageThe options by age
The options by age
| Way to earn | From age | What you need | Typical money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part-time job (shop, café, paper round) | 13 | Council work permit, within hours limits | £5 to £8 an hour, no legal minimum under 16 |
| Odd jobs for neighbours (washing cars, gardens) | Any | Permission and a fair price | £10 to £20 a job |
| Dog walking, pet sitting | Any | Reliability, a parent who knows | £8 to £12 a walk |
| Tutoring younger pupils | 14-15 | Good grades in the subject | £10 to £15 an hour |
| Selling things you make or outgrow | Any (parent's account) | Stock, photos, postage | Varies |
| Summer or weekend job | 16 | National Insurance number | £8.00 an hour minimum |
| Apprenticeship | 16 | Application, often grade 4 English and maths | £8.00 an hour minimum, paid training |
Services: the fastest route at 13 to 15
Before 16, the easiest money is a service for people who already know you: washing cars on your street, mowing lawns, walking dogs, watering plants for people on holiday, helping a grandparent's friend with a phone. Set one price, put it on a card or a message, and ask ten households. Three will say yes, and one will tell their neighbour.
Selling: what works and what doesn't
- Works: outgrown clothes and games in good condition, things you make (prints, baked goods for a school fair, repaired bikes), with a parent's account on the platform.
- Works slowly: digital work like editing or design for small local businesses, once you have two examples to show.
- Doesn't work: dropshipping courses, 'passive income' schemes, trading apps, anything that charges you to start or asks you to sign up friends.
The tax position in two lines
Employment income is taxed through PAYE and you won't reach the £12,570 threshold on a part-time wage. Self-employed income under £1,000 a year sits inside the trading allowance and needs no return. Above that, you register with HMRC for self assessment, which a parent can help with. Keep a simple list of what you earned and when.
Earn something you can name later
The money at 14 is small. What lasts is the skill. A teenager who has set a price, knocked on doors, turned up every Saturday and handled an unhappy customer has four things to say in a first interview at 16 that most applicants don't.
Illustrative example: twelve cars and a price list
A 14 year old prints twenty cards offering a car wash for £8 and posts them on his street. Four people book. By the third weekend he's washing twelve cars and has raised the price to £10 for the ones he has to walk to. He hates the cold water and likes the regulars. At 16 he gets a job at a valeting firm on the strength of a photo of his price list.
Questions people ask
- What age can you start earning money in the UK?
- You can be employed part time from 13 with a council work permit, in light work only and within set hours. Earning for yourself, such as selling things or doing odd jobs for neighbours, has no minimum age, but platforms and payment apps usually require you to be 18, so a parent will need to hold the account.
- Do teenagers pay tax on money they earn?
- Rarely. Income tax starts at £12,570 a year from all sources, which a part-time job won't reach. Self-employed income, like selling or tutoring, is covered by a £1,000 trading allowance; above that you register for self assessment. Keep a note of what you earn so you know where you stand.
- Can I make money online as a teenager?
- Some teenagers do, by selling things they make, editing video, designing for small businesses or tutoring over a call. It's slower than it looks and the platforms mostly require you to be 18. Anything that asks you to pay to join, recruit friends, or trade on your phone is not a way to make money.
- Is dog walking or babysitting legal at 14?
- Yes. Both are casual self-employment rather than child employment, so no permit is needed. Babysitting under 16 is legal but you're not legally responsible for the child, the parents are, so they should be comfortable with it. Agree a rate first and tell your own parents where you'll be.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- Child employment · GOV.UK
- National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates · GOV.UK
How this page is written
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