How to Make Money as a High School Student: 9 Easy Ways

A person’s first concern in high school is not financial stability. Instead, most want to succeed academically and genuinely enjoy their time with their friends. However, a small percentage of individuals wish to earn their own money to prepare for their future or have some extra cash to spend on themselves.

Regardless, some students start searching for the answer to how to make money as a teenager. The options are endless, whether online, in the local coffee shop, or starting your own business. That is why we have crafted this article, which addresses the best and easiest ways for high school students to earn money.

Making Money as a High School Student

Before the invention of the internet and the growing popularity of TV, students who wanted to earn money to spend on their preferences would put up a lemonade stand or mow others’ lawns. However, things are more complicated nowadays.

First, these are not jobs that would earn you good money. Instead, they are an occasional gig you can pick up, especially if you need minimal cash. That said, utilizing the internet to your advantage is the best way to go if you want to earn a decent salary.

What is an essential aspect of your life besides family as a teenager? It is high school and coursework, especially if you aspire to further your education through college. That is why many individuals do not have the time to spare, even on jobs. Most prefer to spend time with friends and family and study instead of pursuing a career.

But some circumstances arise now and then. You may be saving up for a car, or you aim to pay for a portion of your college tuition. Some students aim to support their parents or want to buy someone a decent gift.

Regardless, there are pros and cons to learning to make money as a high school student. Below is a more extensive discussion on both sides of the coin.

Pros of Working During High School

Providing you with a specific answer to whether you should be working during college is not fair. Instead, it would be best if you made that choice yourself. Below are the top pros to working as a teenager:

• Teaches You Responsibility: the thing about managing money is that it forces you to take care of your financial needs. While you might initially spend all your money, it inevitably drives you to figure out your life.
• Having Your Own Money: no one particularly enjoys asking their parents for money. That is another great benefit to earning your own money. You also avoid the hassle of constantly asking for additional cash.
• Learn More: once cash flows into your life, you grow weary of the financial terms and aspects. Suddenly, you gain knowledge of what taxes, debit cards, costs, and transactions are.
• Time Management Ability: trust us when we tell you that managing both a job and your school is not an easy life. However, it will come in handy someday.
• Better Communication Skills: when you do find a job, you will face some fresh faces and unique personalities. This drives you to communicate and learn how to convey your messages to others effectively.

Cons of Working During High School

The other side of the coin is less pretty, but whether you should pursue a job depends on your priorities. Below is a list of disadvantages of seeking a job throughout high school:

• Difficult to Balance Life Aspects: working throughout your high school year takes away from your time with family and friends. You will inevitably sacrifice sleep, time, or social life.
• Tendency to Get Obsessed: teenagers have always been obsessed with success. This eventually backfires on the person and has more power to destroy their mental well-being than enhance it.
• Constant Tiredness: whether you balance your life or not depends on how you manage your time. That said, you might eventually feel tired all the time, attempting to study, meet family, and work simultaneously.
• Missing Out on Life: one disadvantage to working as a teenager is missing other opportunities. Relying on your parents for a few years is an underrated advantage. Hence, many students prefer to enjoy this time instead of pressuring themselves to earn money.
• Exposed to Dangerous Ideas: teenagers who have spent their entire lives in school and at home will be shocked when exposed to the work culture. Hence, dealing with new people, situations, and problems at an early age is not the best idea.

How Much Money Can a High School Student Make?

Now, let us get down to the most critical question we aim to address. How much money can a high school student make? The answer to this question is arbitrary, and it varies according to what the student wants to work as.

For example, according to PayScale, the average hourly wage for a McDonald’s employee is $10.97. Let us assume that a high school student works there part-time for five days a week, spending only four hours a day. That comes to $878 a month.

No limit exists to how much money a high school student can make. One can even start their own business and earn thousands of dollars. Hence, the total amount of inflow cash will vary according to the specific jobs and tasks you are doing.

Surprisingly, according to CNBC, around 16% of high school graduates earn more than college graduates. This proves that a student can achieve a high salary regardless of educational background.

So, what factors affect the amount of money you can make? A few of them are as follows:

• The daily amount of time you spend working in the position
• Your educational background and skillset
• The location of the store or business you are working in
• The duration in which you have been working in the place
• Whether you are doing an internship or an actual job
• If it is a fast-food chain, then the hourly wage will be around the minimum wage
• The type of position itself

The good news is that, according to ZipRecruiter, the average amount of money a high school intern earns is approximately $18 an hour. If we apply the same timeframe and number of days as above, then the amount of money made monthly is $1440.

Circling back to the main question, the amount you can earn will vary widely. It would be best if you did not focus on the amount of money. Instead, aim to find a position or internship that enhances your skills and teaches you new abilities. Such experiences will come in handy when applying to colleges and seeking more advanced job positions later in life.

5 Popular Ways for High School Students to Make Extra Money

The benefit of seeking a job at a youthful age is that it teaches you fundamental aspects of life. It enhances your knowledge of investments, taxes, and the work environment. But what can a high school student do to make extra money? How can someone start? Do you have to work in a fast-food place, or are there more options for you? Find out below!

1. Selling Your Handcrafted Study Material

One website that allows you to provide study notes, summaries, flashcards, and other study references is Stuvia. Unlike selling and buying exam answers, selling your exam resources, especially the ones you created on your own, is a reliable way of earning additional cash. You can expect an average of $103 monthly for your study notes.

2. Work at a Fast-Food Restaurant

One of the ways to make money in school as a student is by working in a restaurant. As mentioned earlier, this is a good option for anyone needing a job. That does not mean that you should take it for granted. Instead, you still must research the role and effectively targets how you can shine in your interview.

3. Tutor Others

If you are one of those intelligent students who can balance every life aspect and still achieve good grades, then chances are your friends would love for you to tutor them. ZipRecruiter states that the average pay for a teenage tutor is approximately $24 an hour.

So far, that is higher than any other job mentioned. Generally, assisting others throughout high school helps in two aspects. First, you earn extra money. Second, it is a bonus you can say on your resume or CV.

4. Make Money Online

How can high school students make money online? Well, the jobs we commonly hear about include tutoring, freelancing, blog writing, and investments. However, remember that making a name for yourself on the internet might require additional time and patience. It is much harder to break fame over the internet than to learn a new real-life skill.

That said, below are the top ideas for online jobs for teenagers:

• Start Your Blog: bloggers earn their money through various advertising techniques, which include affiliates, amazon links, sponsorships, campaigns, and much more. Your first year can be around $500-$2,000a month.
• Affiliate Programs: these programs, such as the one offered by Amazon, allow you to use customized links to advertise their products. If someone uses the link you have provided to buy the item, you will receive a percentage of the money spent on the product.
• Sell Clothes: the online market is vast. One method of earning money is reselling the clothes you no longer wear. Another option is to design your t-shirts, such as Teespring, providing you with the chance to become your designer.

5. Sit a Baby, House, or Dog

One of the most fun and flexible jobs you can have as a student is babysitting, dog sitting, or house sitting. The average hourly wage for a babysitter is around $17.5. A dogsitter will make less on average, and a house one a little lower than both.

Top 5 Business Ideas for High School Students

How do you make money in school as a student? You can find a more creative method of getting extra cash by starting your own small business. The top five business ideas for teenagers are below:

1. Homemade Food: starting a small business in the comfort of your own home is a great idea to make money. You can start producing jam, cake, desserts, or even lasagna trays and sell them to people. Make sure you have a solid online presence to reach more people across your region.

2. Jewelry: every person has dabbled in the art of handmade crafts and jewelry at an early age. But did you know you can turn this into a successful and high-yielding business? Get creative, and make sure you find the best deals when buying the accessories required for producing your jewelry. The items are often cheap to purchase, and you can earn a good amount.

3. Resell items: whether shoes, sports items, clothes, furniture, or accessories, you can sell any of your items online. This can escalate into a huge business depending on the specific criteria and how you make your business stand out.

4. Flip Websites: the problem with this is that you need to invest initially in websites. It would be best if you bought high-quality websites cheaply, fixed them up for a few months, then resold them for a much better price.

5. Master an Art: whether painting, sketching, or photography, you can master a new art or craft and then teach others how to do the same. You can also produce masterpieces and sell them online or in art galleries. The options are endless for creating art and giving it to others.

Wrapping Things Up: How to Make Money as a High School Student?

The bottom line is that the creative means by which a high school student can earn money are endless. You can ask your friends and family for ideas and opportunities. However, referring to the list above will come in handy to inspire some creativity, especially if you want to work online or start your own business.