The job market can be tough, even for adults. So, as a parent, you may be wondering if there are jobs for 12-year-olds to earn money. Despite the fact that 12-year-olds are still children, there are many jobs that they can do.
Child labor laws and federal child labor laws protect them from working in certain hazardous occupations or for too many hours, but there are still many safe and age-appropriate jobs that they can do. In addition, some states make it mandatory to supervise children in the workplace.
While some may argue that children this age should not be working, there are many benefits to having a job at this age, such as developing a sense of responsibility and gaining work experience. In addition, there are a whole host of jobs for 12-year-olds, including babysitting, pet sitting, dog walking, car washing, tutoring, becoming a social media influencer, and many more.
So, if you are wondering what jobs you can get as a 12-year-old, here are 21+ jobs for 12-year-olds.
When searching for a job, there are some things to consider. The most important thing is to find a job that is both safe and age-appropriate. You also want to find a job that pays well and offers good hours.
What Are The Benefits Of Getting A Job At 12-Years-Old?
There are many benefits to getting a job at a young age. For one, it teaches them responsibility and time management skills. It also helps build independence and self-confidence. Plus, it can give you a sense of accomplishment and pride.
Besides the personal benefits, there are also financial benefits to getting a job at 12 years old. You can save money for college or, eventually, a down payment on a house. You can also learn about budgeting and how to manage your money.
Not every job will be perfect. There will be challenges like any job, especially for 12-year-olds. However, if you focus on the benefits, you will find a job that’s right for you.
Best Tips To Help You Find Jobs For A 12-Year-Old
Here are some tips to help you find 12-year-old work:
- First, consult with your parents or guardians. They’ll be able to give you advice on what kinds of jobs would be appropriate for someone your age and where to look for them.
- Consult with people in your neighborhood or community. Businesses are looking for young workers.
- Look into online job boards designed for teenagers. These can include websites like TeenJobSection and MyFirstPaycheck.
- Don’t forget the power of networking! Talk to family, friends, or even your teachers—they may know of somewhere that’s hiring and would be perfect for you.
5 Easy Online Jobs For A 12-Year-Old
One great thing about online jobs for 12-year-olds is that they can be done from anywhere with an internet connection. This means that 12-year-olds can work from home, at a friend’s house, or even at a library. Additionally, online jobs are often very flexible so that 12-year-olds can work around their public or private school hours and extracurricular schedules.
Some of the most popular online jobs for 12-year-olds include content creators include writing articles, creating YouTube videos, and designing logos or websites. There are many 12-year-olds who are extremely successful at these online jobs.
1. Become A Social Media Influencer
Suppose you are really active on major social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In that case, you may be able to make money as a social media assistant or influencer. In addition, if you know your way around Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites, you could offer social media management services to small businesses and busy professionals.
You can try and reach out to local small companies to see if they could use your expertise. Lots of smaller companies are struggling with their social media. You can use your expertise to help.
Local companies want to engage with children in your age bracket. So they will pay you to just engage with them, promote products or services on social media platforms like Instagram or Twitter, manage their social media, and so on.
2. Become A Content Writer
If you have a knack for writing, you could write articles, blog posts, or other content for other businesses and individuals to make money using your writing skills.
You could also create content for a blog around your favorite hobby or around a topic that you are interested in. Once your blog starts getting some traffic, you can make money from your blog with online ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and more ways. Other people will pay you if you can write interesting or engaging content on their websites or blogs.
You can earn from a few dollars to several hundred dollars per article or blog post, depending on your expertise and who you work for.
3. Start A YouTube Channel
If you enjoy watching videos on YouTube and have a knack for making quality videos, you may create your own YouTube channel and make money from your YouTube videos. If you can create consistently interesting, amusing, or informative YouTube content about a topic that you know a lot about or that interests you, you could build an engaged audience and start making money from your videos.
Some ways to make money from your videos include: advertising revenue from ads that people watch before or after your videos get played, affiliate marketing, promoting your own products or services, sponsored content, etc.
4. Make Money As A Graphic Designer
If you have excellent graphic design skills, an easy online job you can start as a 12-year-old is to sell your graphic design services online to businesses and individuals. Companies and people will pay you to design logos, advertisements, flyers, websites, banners, and graphic elements. Create a portfolio to showcase your best work and land jobs.
You can sign up with some online platforms that connect graphic designers with clients worldwide to sell your services as a graphic designer.
5. Become An Affiliate Marketer
Another way that 12-year-olds can make money online with an online job is by promoting other companies or people’s products or services. That is where affiliate marketing comes in. This can be a great way to earn a commission on sales, as this involves you promoting someone’s product or services on your own blog or site, social media, or other online platforms via a unique link called an affiliate link provided by them. Then, you earn a commission on that sale when someone buys something through the link. So, it can also be a lot of fun.
You can join affiliate programs of the relevant products or services or join an affiliate network that connects you with companies or people that offer affiliate programs you are interested in. Of course, you will need to build an engaged following to make money with affiliate marketing. However, this can be a great way to earn extra money, especially if you have a lot of traffic to your site or social media pages.
The 10 Best Weekend Jobs For 12-Year-Olds
If you are looking for a weekend or non-school day job for 12-year-olds, here are some great options:
6. Babysitting
This is a classic option that many 12-year-olds go for. If you love kids, are responsible enough, and have plenty of time and energy, then babysitting could be the perfect job for you! Although, before taking on any clients, you need to be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
As a babysitter, your job is to look after small children while their parents are busy or absent. You can play with them, feed them, and get them to bed on time. It is a great way to earn some extra cash. You can earn up to $15 per hour. In addition, working as a babysitter can help you develop good interpersonal skills and time management skills.
7. Lawn Mowing
Many people will pay good money to have someone else take care of their lawn, especially during the summer months.
8. Dog Walking
Do you enjoy spending time with animals? Then dog walking may be the perfect job for you if you love dogs. Walking dogs is not only a great exercise, but it is also a great way to make some extra spending money. You can ask your neighbors, advertise your services on Facebook, and post flyers around town to get clients.
You can earn up to $15 per hour as a dog walker. If you can walk multiple dogs at the same time, you can make more money per hour.
9. Car Washing
Another popular summer activity for 12-year-olds is washing cars. Car washing is a classic gig for teens and one of the best jobs for 12-year-olds. It is an easy and popular way for them to make some extra cash. You can charge $5-$10 per car. You can charge more if you clean the inside of a vehicle.
You will need access to supplies such as buckets, sponges, hoses, a vacuum cleaner, some car wash soaps, clothes, and wax and shine kits to get started. Set up shop in your driveway or in front of a local business, and soon enough, people will start pulling up, wanting their cars washed! You will need to clean/wash cars or other motor vehicles to a standard.
10. Lemonade Stand
This one might seem like a no-brainer, but starting up a lemonade stand can be quite profitable, especially when it is hot outside! It is a classic job for 12-year-olds. Not only will it give you a chance to earn some money, but it will also teach you valuable skills in customer service and marketing. To get started, you will need to develop a business plan and find a good location.
You will also need to ensure you have a supply of lemons, sugar, and water. Once you are up and running, you will need to keep an eye on your supplies and make sure you are providing your customers with a quality product. Be sure to set up a stand in a high-traffic area near a local park, playground, or school district.
11. Selling Crafts
If you are crafty or creative and enjoy making things, then selling handmade crafts is something worth considering. You could sell your wares at local events and craft fairs, on Etsy and Facebook Marketplace, and to local craft stores.
If you want to reach out to a wide audience of potential customers for your wares, then set up an online shop using a ready-made crafts selling platform like Etsy.
12. Pet Sitting
Pet sitting is one of the best jobs for 12-year-olds. Pet sitting is another great option to make money as a 12-year-old if you love animals. This might involve simply stopping by someone’s house once or twice per day to check on their pets or staying overnight if needed when they are gone on vacation. You can earn around $13 per hour as a pet sitter. This job can help teach responsibility and skills like attention to detail,
13. Housekeeping
Doing chores around the house might not sound like fun, but getting paid to do them is! If you are good at housekeeping, offer your services as a housekeeper to families in your neighborhood or community. The best way to find work as a housekeeper is to ask around your neighborhood. You can also advertise your services on social media.
14. Plant Watering
If you have a green thumb, use it by becoming a plant waterer! Many people are willing to pay good money to have someone else water their plants while they’re away on vacation or business trips. You can also carry out gardening work that involves mowing lawns, watering plants, plants, pruning planting seeds, and providing other services in outdoor areas.
15. Yard Sale Assistant
Garage sales are becoming increasingly popular as people look for ways to get rid of unwanted items and make some extra cash at the same time. But there are people looking to hire others to help set up the sale, price items, and handle customers’ sales on the big day! That is where you come in. You can offer your services as a general sale helper or yard sale assistant to make some extra cash.
5 Top Summer Jobs For 12-Year-Olds
There are plenty of great summer jobs for 12-year-olds. Here are a few ideas:
16. Lifeguard
This job requires excellent swimming skills and the ability to stay calm under pressure. In addition, lifeguards must be able to rescue swimmers in distress and provide first aid if necessary. This job is great for responsible and mature 12-year-olds who enjoy being outdoors and staying active.
17. Camp Helper
Camp helpers typically work at day camps, helping with activities and supervision. Lifeguards protect swimmers from potential dangers and provide assistance if needed. Swimming instructors teach people of all ages how to swim.
18. Swimming Pool Maintenance Worker
One of the best summer part-time jobs for 12-year-olds is working as a swimming pool maintenance worker. This job is perfect for those who love being outdoors, enjoy working with their hands, and have cleaning skills.
As a swimming pool maintenance worker, your primary duties include cleaning the pool, checking the pH levels, and adding chlorine as needed. You will also need to empty the skimmer baskets and vacuum the pool. You can earn $15-20 per hour for this service. Ask local neighbors with pools to find clients. You can also check with family members and friends.
19. Ice Cream Truck Worker
Assuming the minimum wage in the United States is $7.25, an ice cream truck worker would make about $108 per day. This job is excellent for 12-year-olds because it does not require a lot of experience, and the hours are flexible. Most ice cream truck workers can work whenever they want as long as they are available during the day.
20. Farmhand
12-year-olds are usually the perfect age to start working on the family farm and help in the family business. They are old enough to handle some of the tasks that need to be done, but they are still young enough to have the active skills and energy to do them.
Farmhands typically work on tasks such as feeding the animals, cleaning the pens, and collecting eggs. This can be an excellent way for a 12-year-old to learn responsibility and earn extra money. As a beginner farmhand, you can make $5-10 per hour. You can contact small farms in your area to find work as a farmhand. You can also check local bulletin boards for open jobs.
3 Top Winter Jobs For 12-Year-Olds
There are a few different types of jobs over Winter for 12-year-olds. These are seasonal jobs. Some of these are:
21. Snow Shoveler
If you live in a cold area where it snows a lot, then one of the top winter jobs for 12-year-olds you can do is shoveling snow for elderly neighbors or businesses in your local area. This is a great way to make some extra pocket money while also getting some exercise. You can earn up to $20 per job.
It is a seasonal opportunity for teens living in a cold area that gets snow to make some extra money. Many people are unable to or do not want to clear the snow on their property. So they are happy to pay others to clean the snow out of their driveways and sidewalks instead.
If you have a strong back, you can shovel snow for people in your local area to make some extra money. Reach out to your neighbors to see if they would be interested in your services.
22. Ski Resort Helper
Another option is to help out at a local ski resort. This could involve working in the rental shop or helping with the ski school.
23. Research Online For Winter Jobs In Your Area
12-year-olds could also do some online research to find other winter job options in their area. Set up a job alert with your email address to get notified when a suitable job becomes available. When you no longer need the alert, use the unsubscribe link.
5 Best-Paying Jobs For 12-Year-Olds
There are a few different best-paying jobs for 12-year-olds. These are:
24. Babysitting
One of the best-paying jobs for 12-year-olds is to work as a babysitter. According to Care.com, the average hourly rate for babysitters is $13.25. So babysitting is a traditional way for 12-year-olds to earn extra money.
25. Dog Walker
Another high-paying job for 12-year-olds is to work as a dog walker. You can earn more per hour if you can walk multiple dogs together. The website Rover.com reports that the average hourly rate for dog walkers is $11.43.
26. Yard Worker
Another option for 12-year-olds is to work as yard workers. The website Thumbtack.com reports that the average salary per hour for yard workers is $12.50.
27. Tutor
If you are good at math, science, or another academic subject, you could consider tutoring others in a subject or subjects you excel. You can advertise your services online or through word-of-mouth. This can be a great way to earn some extra cash. Ask your family, friends, and neighbors to find work as a tutor. You can earn up to $15 an hour as a tutor.
28. Start Your Own Small Business
Another option for you as a 12-year-old to make some money is to start your own small business. This could involve mowing lawns, walking dogs, car washing, or doing odd jobs for people in your community. If you’re entrepreneurial and have a good work ethic and some basic business skills, this could be an excellent option for you.
Of course, the amount of money you can make will depend on the job you get and your experience. However, if you are willing to work hard and put in the hours, there are plenty of ways to make good money as a twelve-year-old.
Conclusion
The best jobs for 12-year-olds outlined in this blog post provide great opportunities for young people to earn money and gain valuable work experience. Getting a job at 12 can be a great way to learn responsibility, build character, and develop important life and communication skills. With the right attitude and a little hard work, any of these jobs can be a great way to earn money and gain valuable work experience.