Are you looking for jobs for 15 year olds to make money and learn financial responsibility? We got you covered.
Whether you are a 15 year old looking for an easy job, or the parent of a 15 year old helping your child to look for a job, you will find satisfactory jobs for 15 year olds in this post.
There are lots of opportunities for teenagers, both online and offline.
It is knowing where to look that is the issue, and that is where we come in. We’ve done most of the work and researched suitable jobs for 15 year olds. We also included what to know when applying for a job (child rights).
Reasons Why A 15 Year Old Should Work
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There are many good reasons showing why it’s necessary for teenagers to start working and earning money from a young age. Below are some of them:
1. You will learn responsibility
Making money at age 15 will help you learn personal responsibility and even start your career off on the right foot. It will teach you about important lessons in life, workplace, finances, scheduling, savings, budgeting, etc.
You will know the value of earning your own money. You will also know how to spend your hard-earned money wisely, and how to save to get something or achieve a financial goal.
From your teenage years, you will know how to set up your own personal budget for savings and spending.
2. It has future benefits
Working now as a teenager has many benefits in the future which include:
- You can save money for the futureÂ
- You will learn about personal financesÂ
- Also, you will know how to build good credit and this is important in opening your first credit card.Â
- You will have more advantage over others when applying for jobs in the future because your future employers will see from your records that you have taken early initiatives. This means you will have better prospects of getting jobs in the future.Â
3. Career longevity
Starting a career early will ensure its longevity. This is another key benefit of starting work early as a teenager.
You can start a business in your teens or choose to work for a company in the field that you love. This can be the food industry, tech, fashion etc.
When you’ve worked for long with some companies, they offer some benefits like:
- Tuition reimbursement for college courses
- Stock options
- Priority hiring for management positions
And many more opportunities for those that have been with the company the longest.
4. It helps your chances when applying to college
Do you know colleges keep an eye on the activities of their students all through high school?
Your college will take note of your community service, social club membership, and even volunteer activities. All these in addition to your grades will increase your chances of success.
Showing what you’ve done while you were in high school, and the jobs that you worked while you were a student is an important part of your resume and college application.
It will help increase your chances of getting into any college of your choice because you’ve shown that you can juggle a part-time job and studies.
5. You will learn the value of time and money from a young age
Since you now work hard to earn money or spend some hours at a workplace to earn money, you will come to value time and money and won’t waste them anyhow.
You will also learn the simple principles of life which is: ‘the harder your work, the more you earn’. And the more you spend, the less you have.
Jobs For 15 Year Olds
1. Freelance writing
If you love being online and don’t want to interact with the outside world that much, then online jobs from home are best for you. One of the most lucrative and highly demanded jobs is freelance writing.Â
If you love writing or typing, you can easily pick up online writing jobs from websites like Fiverr, Upwork, etc. If you are bilingual and you are good in 2 or more languages, you can pick up translator jobs from these same websites.
Freelance writing is one of the best flexible jobs for 15 year olds. It isn’t strenuous and you can do it after school hours in the comfort of your home.
2. Arts and crafts
If you are creative and like to make arts or crafts, then you will find lots of options in this field and make good money.
There are lots of things you can do like:
- Paint
- Draw
- Sculpt
- Craft artwork using a variety of materials like wood, air dry clay, clay, etc.
- Jewelry
- Clothing
- Seasonal decorations
- Wood crafts
- Woodwork products, etc.
You can sell your products from your home (yard sales) or online using your social media or websites like Etsy. You can also tell your friends and colleagues about your crafts.
3. Nanny/babysitter
You can work as a babysitter for your friends and neighbors. If you want to make good money and don’t want to travel very far to work, you can easily pick up these jobs.
You don’t even need a business license at this stage because constraints are low and working hours flexible. If your clients like your service and you prove yourself faithful and trustworthy, you can negotiate for longer hours.
Some families want a babysitter for short hours while others want babysitters for long hours, and some of them come with more responsibilities.
4. Blogger/content creator
If you are very good with social media and blogs, and you love creating online contents, you can consider blogging.
All that is involved is to write your post on your personal blog. You can even be a guest blogger on other blogs if you know a lot about a topic.
You can also be a content creator on YouTube or become an influencer by leveraging websites like Instagram.
If you have a large following or views on your page, companies can pay you to advertise their brands for them. Some can even send you samples of their products to review.
Blogging is a good source of income because you can monetize your channels when your audience reaches a certain level. They can pay you to place contents, videos, or ads on your blog. Find out how to write your first blog post.
5. Wash cars
If washing cars is one of your favorite chores at home, you can earn from it by offering this service in your neighborhood. You can set up a car wash center just where you live, or even walk door to door to wash cars for people.
Car washing is a chore that people happily pay others to do for them. It is a flexible job with good pay that can be done after school hours and on weekends.
Apart from offering quick wash, you can add detailed services like vacuuming, waxing, and even polishing. You will earn more money if you offer more services.
Make sure you have plenty of supplies on hand. To venture into this business, you need to know how to manage time so that you can manage your schedule with your clients.
6. Cashier
A lot of businesses are family owned and they can hire even a 14-year-old as a cashier.
This can even serve as a big opportunity for you to learn a family business and also meet new people that can help you later in life.
You will also learn basic and simple accounting that can help you later in life if you choose to go into the accounting field.
7. After school childcare assistant
You can offer this service for parents that are not able to pick up their children immediately after closing hours. You can apply to work at an after school care in your area or close to your school.
Your job will be to work directly with kids, run activities with them, and monitor them as they play outside.
8. Crop picker
There are many large farms who will pay people to harvest their crops for them. This is called crop picking and you can earn money by being a crop picker after school and during weekends.
9. Dishwasher at a restaurant
Some local restaurants hire teens as dishwashers so that their business can flow smoothly. This is a great way to earn a decent amount of money for a relatively small effort.
10. Dog walker
Do you love dogs? If yes, you can be paid to walk dogs for busy pet owners. If you don’t have your own dog yet, this will prepare you for your own pet.
When you take up this job, you have to show up at scheduled times to take your clients’ pets for a walk. Apart from walking them, you can even take the dogs to a local dog park to enable them play extra and engage in other activities.
You can walk multiple dogs at the same time.
11. Farm stand helper
If you don’t like harvesting crops but like the idea of working in a farm, you can be a farm stand helper at a farm and get paid for it.
Some farmers run a sale stand at their homes or farm in order to sell their produce directly to members of the community. Some of them also participate in farmers’ markets where they meet the needs of people who want locally-sourced food products.
Things sold at a farm stand include eggs, dairy products, fruit, veggies, and herbs. Some of them even sell livestock.
12. Nursery or garden assistant
Some nurseries and local gardens are in need of people to care for their plants, products, and even assist their customers.
Your duty as a garden assistant will be to:
- Water plants
- Make sure the plants have proper lightening
- Prune larger plants
- Direct customers to their chosen product, etc.
13. Greeter
If you are the social or extroverted type who loves meeting new people and isn’t shy of talking to strangers, this can be an easy and fun way for you to make money and meet with new people and even make new friends.
Some stores, businesses, or organizations hire greeters, and during any occasion these greeters have to stay at the door and greet all guests and customers as they arrive.
14. Music teacher
If you are proficient in playing musical instruments, you can work as a music teacher in a school, music shop, or even start up your own music training in your home.
A lot of children who are interested in music need music lessons to succeed at art carnivals, bands, and even to develop their own skills.
Ask parents in the neighborhood you stay if any of their kids want to learn the music instrument you play. You can also offer your services in local music stores.
Let your classmates know also and the more clients you have, the more money you make.
15. Personal assistant
Your job as a personal assistant is to help busy people. You can be personal assistant to a busy parent, and your work will be to pick up orders, and engage in any tasks they ask you to do.
Personal assistant jobs are becoming popular and this is a good way to make money after school hours and on weekends if you are ready to put in the work.
If you are more interested in working for companies, you can search these websites to find jobs for 15 year olds:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are there limitations on working at a young age?
Yes! There are limitations for children and teenagers but there are still some jobs that 15 year olds are allowed to do. The job limitations for 14 and 15 year olds are stricter than that of 16 and 17 year olds.
At what age can kids work for money legally?
There are rules and regulations protecting children from child labor. These rules limit the extent at which children can work and this depends on their age.
These limits affect the number of hours a child can work, the wage they can earn, and where a child can even work. Below are some of the things you should know about working for money as a kid:
- 18 year olds are completely free to work for money
- 16 years is the minimum employment age but it also comes with restrictions and rules. One of the rule is that the job must be a non-hazardous one
- 14 year olds can work but only outside school hours and in specified conditions.
- Children under 14 years cannot work in non-agricultural occupations but they can do simple work like acting, baby-sitting, home chores, and even delivering newspapers.
This is why you have to do some research before applying for jobs. You can also look up the Fair Labour Standard Act (FLSA) to learn more about child rights.
If you don’t meet the age requirement of getting the job of your dream, you can start your own business.
Are there limits on working hours for 15 year olds?
Yes, there are.
15 year olds must ensure that they work only after school. This means they must be present for regular school hours and you are not permitted by law to take any shift during school hours.
There are also limitations on how much work a 15-year-old can be scheduled for. You are not allowed by law to work more than 3 hours on a school day including Fridays.
You are not allowed to work for more than 8 hours on non-school days like weekends, holidays, or seasonal breaks.
As a 15-year-old, you are not allowed to work more than 18 hours a week when school is in session. This means if you work 3 hours all five days of school in a week, you can only work 3 hours on weekends.
When school is not in session, you are not allowed to work for more than 40 hours a week and this includes holidays and seasonal breaks. 15 year olds cannot start work earlier than 7:00 a.m. and they must finish work earlier than or no later than 7:00 p.m.
However, by the time you turn 16, these work regulations will be removed and you can start working longer shifts.
What is the minimum wage for 15 year olds?
15 year olds who work must be paid the minimum wage enacted by the state. You can check here to see what the minimum wage in your state is.
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Some states do have higher minimum wage than others but this depends on the kind of company you work for.
The Fair Labour Standard Act (FLSA) states that employers can pay their employees a minimum wage of $4.25 for their first 90 days of work and then pay the minimum wage after that.
What other requirements do 15 year olds need to work?
Some states require certain kinds of paperwork in order to get a job as a teenager. These certifications will confirm your eligibility to work and even confirm your age.
Also, some positions may require the permission of a guardian or parent for employment.
Conclusion
There might be job restrictions and limitations for a 15 year old, but this post has all the tips you need to succeed in getting good and suitable jobs for 15 year olds. Ask for help where needed, and remember to manage your time and money properly.
