By the age of 15, teens are ready to become more independent. And that usually means finding a way to earn some extra money on their own.
Luckily, there are tons of great ways for them to earn money, from finding a traditional job to working online.
With all the opportunities available to teens today, they’re sure to find a job they love! But coming up with ideas for jobs for 15 year olds can sometimes be difficult.
Keep reading to learn about places that hire at 15.
Job Requirements for 15 Year Olds
Technically, the legal age for kids to start working without scheduling limits is 16.
But kids as young as 14 can begin working in a traditional job setting with a few restrictions.
That means places that hire at 15 will need to adhere to some guidelines as teenagers work to help protect them against unfair labor practices.
According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, children under the age of 16 should limit their work time to:
- 18 total hours during a school week
- 3 hours per day on school days
- 8 hours per day on non-school days
- 40 total hours per week during non-school weeks
In addition to having restrictions placed on the number of hours a 15 year old can work each week, the act also stipulates the times of day they can work at their job.
During the school year, children under the age of 16 are required to limit their working hours to the time between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
And during the summer months, from June 1 through Labor Day, teenagers are allowed to extend their workday to 9 p.m.
Jobs Hiring at 15
Finding a job outside the home is a great way for teens to gain some independence and learn about responsibility. But finding a job that hires 15 year olds is hard if you don’t know where to look.
There are a variety of different job opportunities for teens this age, which means a 15 year old will have a few different options to choose from.
Here are places that hire at 15:
Restaurants
Restaurants are a great place to help your teenager start their job search.
There are a variety of jobs within a restaurant to choose from and a 15 year has several different types of restaurants to choose from as they do their search.
At a restaurant, teenagers could work as a host or hostess, server, bus person, dishwasher, line cook, drive thru server, or cashier.
In addition to looking for employment at locally owned restaurants, they could also apply for jobs at these restaurant chains that hire young workers:
- McDonald’s
- Burger King
- Baskin Robbins
- Ben and Jerry’s
- Rita’s Italian Ice
- Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
- Taco Bell
- Dairy Queen
- Boston Market
- Chick-Fil-A
- Arby’s
- KFC
- Culver’s
Grocery Stores
Grocery stores are another great option when 15 year olds are looking for job opportunities.
And since there are a variety of options when it comes to job choices at a grocery store, they’ll find a department that suits their interests.
Jobs for teens at a grocery store could include bagging groceries, stocking shelves, and collecting shopping carts.
These grocery store chains typically hire young workers:
- Fareway
- Giant Food
- Giant Eagle
- Kroger
- Publix
- Hy-Vee
- Winn Dixie
Service Jobs
Service jobs are a great option for teens, as well. Teens can assist customers in a variety of fields and learn a new skill at the same time!
There are large chains like AMC Theaters and Six Flags that offer service positions to teens. But a 15 year old could also assist local service providers in their stores.
That means teenagers could work at a place that helps them hone their skills or pursue their passions and earn some extra money at the same time.
These local establishments may hire teenagers, which means they’re worth investigating during a job search:
- Car wash
- Florist
- Bakery
- Landscapers
- Clothing store
- Pet store
- Skating rink
- Bowling alley
Tutoring
Another great service teens can offer others to earn money is to offer tutoring services.
By choosing a subject that they really enjoy, a teenager can easily help younger students with homework or in subjects they are struggling in.
Setting up a tutoring service can be as easy as telling friends about it or letting others know you’re available for hire after school.
Home repair
Teens who are handy fixing things around the house may find home repair jobs to be lucrative.
Small tasks like repairing holes in a wall, caulking, cleaning gutters and vents and painting small rooms are quick jobs.
Doing a few of these each week can add up and net a teen a nice paycheck.
Online Jobs for 15 Year Olds
Whether teens want to pave their own way online or they hope to find a way to earn extra cash on occasion, working online is a great way to find a job.
Using the internet, teens can find a job they can do in their spare time, which will help them work around their school schedule and extracurricular activities.
Here are the best online jobs for 15 year olds:
Create an online store
One of the best ways to make money online is to sell things.
Teens could use platforms like Etsy or Teespring to sell physical items online with a parent’s help. Or they could set up an online store to sell digital items, like graphic designs and printable items.
Offer services online
Instead of selling products online, teenagers could also sell services.
Using a site like Fiverr, which allows teens ages 13 and up to sign up, teenagers could provide a variety of services to others online.
Here are some online services a 15 year old could offer to make money online:
- Freelance writing
- Graphic design
- Website creation and design
- Editing and proofreading
- Social media management
- Video editing
Start a blog or vlog
Whether they like to write or enjoy taking videos, there’s an outlet for 15 year olds to share their point of view and make some money.
While earning money with a blog or vlog may not happen overnight, there are a few different ways to earn money online in this manner:
- Advertising
- Affiliate sales
- Sponsorship opportunities
Earning money with advertising can be as simple as having ads placed on a blog or allowing ads on a YouTube channel.
Each time someone views the ad, the owner is paid.
To make money with affiliate sales, teens can share products, books and other items they have used and loved with their audience. As an influencer, if others purchase the recommended products, they’ll earn a commission from the sale.
Sponsorship opportunities are a great way for teens to earn money because companies will pay them to promote a particular product or service.
Teens looking for online jobs can use their social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, etc., to promote products from companies and get paid for it.
Work as a virtual assistant
For teens who have experience with office work, writing, graphic design, or website creation, they could offer their services as a virtual assistant to others online.
Assisting business owners and entrepreneurs with tasks like writing, proofreading, appointment scheduling, inbox management, and social media marketing are all jobs for 15 year olds to earn extra money online.
Summer Jobs for 15 Year Olds
Schedules can be too hectic to work a job during the school year, but when their schedule frees up during the summer, teens are sure to have more time to devote to a job.
While most traditional job opportunities, like restaurants or grocery stores, probably won’t hire teens just for the summer, there are a few other options for 15 year olds to consider.
These summer jobs are great options for teenagers:
Mowing lawns
This tried and true job opportunity is a great choice for 15 year olds.
Teens can help mow lawns around the neighborhood to earn extra money.
By having the ability to set their own schedule, teens could handle this job in addition to other summer jobs to help them earn even more.
Gardening
Similar to mowing lawns, teens can spend their summer outside around their neighborhood doing gardening and landscaping jobs for neighbors.
Really ambitious teenagers can expand their work area outside of their neighborhood and earn more money providing gardening services to friends and family and others farther away from home.
Lifeguarding
Teens who are good swimmers and enjoy being in the water will love working as a lifeguard during the summer.
They can work at the local pool or a nearby beach, allowing them to enjoy time outdoors while they earn extra money.
It costs very little to get the supplies needed to start washing cars as a summer job. As a 15 year old, you’d be able to save enough allowance or ask for the money to get started from a parent.
Car washer/detailer
Washing cars in summer is another great option for teens to earn money.
But don’t just stop at washing the exterior. Including interior detailing can earn a teen even more money.
Golf course employee
Since business at nearby golf courses typically picks up during the summer months, they’ll probably be looking for seasonal help.
Teens could work as a caddy, on the maintenance crew, or in the clubhouse as a server or cashier.
Camp counselor
Did your teen attend summer camp when they were a kid?
Once they’re older, they can return to their favorite camp as a counselor. Enjoying some time away from home and out in nature while also having fun with other kids is a win-win.
Working as a camp counselor also gives teens the opportunity to have a positive impact on younger kids while earning some extra money.
Summer babysitting
As a teen, time may be limited during the school year, but summer is the perfect time to start babysitting to earn some extra cash.
Parents still have to work in the summer even when their kids are out of school. That makes summer babysitting a very lucrative job opportunity for a 15 year old with time on their hands.
Painting
Some people have small painting jobs that they don’t have time to complete. Summer is the time to ask around and see if neighbors or family members have any small outdoor painting jobs they need completed.
Some ideas for outdoor painting jobs include painting dog houses, front doors, tables and chairs, bird houses, dressers or fences.
Running errands
With school out and more time available a teen can start running odd errands for neighbors and friends as a way to make money over the summer.
Elderly neighbors may need someone to run to the grocery store for them once a week. Busy parents may need someone to grab something from the store that they forgot.
By getting a few reliable clients to run errands for, a teen can have a reliable summer income.
Bicycle repair
When it’s warm outside, more people get out and ride their bikes. Teenagers who are good at fixing bikes can become the go-to person for bike repairs.
As a 15 year old, consider either working in a bike repair shop or fixing bikes independently.
From fixing dislocated chains to brake repair, summertime is the perfect time to have a steady flow of customers who need their bikes fixed.
Conclusion
Getting a job as a 15 year old can open up a world of possibilities for teenagers to learn time management and money management. These are important skills as they mature and take small steps toward becoming an adult.
