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Top Jobs For Under 18s

There are some legal restrictions on what kinds of job you can do when you are under 18, as well as limits on the number of hours you can work. We’ll get the legal stuff about jobs for under 18 year olds clear first and then highlight the best jobs for teenagers in the UK - including part time jobs for teenagers, weekend jobs for teenagers and school holiday jobs for teenagers...
Under 18s Jobs - The Legal Bit
There are a few grey areas when it comes to the age children and young adults can work in different types of jobs. But there are also some clear black and white areas too, so it pays to know what your rights are as a young worker in the UK.

For example, it’s usually the case that 13 is the minimum age to start some form of part time job, albeit even then, confined to part time “light work.” However, with permission and the relevant licences, even children under the age of 13 can ‘work’ in certain fields such as TV or theatre acting and modelling.

Once you reach the minimum school leaving age you can start to work full time, for up to eight hours a day and 40 hours a week. Or, of course, you can work part time and continue with your education, too.

There are also different minimum wage rates which apply to young people at different ages.

The rules on child employment are prone to change from time to time, and sometimes vary even between local councils, so, to make sure you are up to date with the current rules and regulations, check out the Child Employment section of GOV.UK. There is also a great overview of the law as it applies to work for young people on the Citizens Advice website.
Babysitting Jobs For Teenagers

Babysitting is one of the most popular part time jobs for teenagers - and there are very good reasons for that. The first reason is that it’s usually quite easy to find babysitting work in your own local area because parents are always keen to get out in the evenings.

And the second reason is that it’s a pretty easy job! Most of the time you’ll probably just be watching TV with the kids. You just need to check that the children are alive and well so it’s unlikely that you’ll have to make meals for them or anything like that. And, if there are any problems, the parents are just a phone call away.

Babysitting jobs for teens are usually paid by the hour, with rates varying depending on whereabouts you live in the UK (and how generous the parents are!) The minimum age requirement for you to be able to carry out babysitting work is just 13 too, so it’s a career where you can start out early.

But parents need to trust you, so one of the easiest ways to get babysitting work is through referrals. Ask around your own family members, like aunts and uncles, to see if they’ll let you babysit for them. You could even do it for free the first time to prove how good you are. If you do a good job and enjoy it, then ask them if they know anyone else who might need a babysitter. You could even show some entrepreneurial spirit by offering them a discounted rate next time if they refer someone else to you!

Another thing you could do to put yourself ahead of any other budding babysitters in your area is to print some business cards to make recommendations easier. You can put them through the door of neighbours who have young children.

If you prefer to network online then register with Koru Kids for babysitter jobs in London or Care.com for jobs across the UK.


One other thing to mention about babysitting jobs for teenagers is that they are a great way to kickstart your CV because this sort of work really shows what a responsible young person you are!

Koru Kids

Paper Round Jobs For Teenagers
Not quite as abundant as they once were due to more people getting their news online these days, but a paper round could still be a decent way to make money if print is still popular in your area.

You’ll need to be at least 13 to do a paper round. Ask around at all of your local newsagents to see if they would love your help in delivering their dailies, the local weekly paper or magazine subscriptions.

If you’re not a morning person (think 7am alarm clock or even earlier) then you’ll be limiting your chances of finding a paper round job, as that’s when most deliveries are made. However, you might be lucky enough to find a newsagent who only needs deliveries made in the afternoons or evenings.

You don’t need to be super fit to do a paper round but you do need to be realistic about the amount of walking or cycling that might be involved. As long as that doesn’t seem like too much effort, then think of this sort of teenage job as a great way of keeping fit while earning some pocket money.

Alternatively, EPCRS need brochure distributors and accept applications from anyone aged 16 and over.
Dog Walking Jobs For Teenagers
Plenty of dog owners do not have the time to walk their dogs twice every day, but some of them are prepared to pay other people to walk their dogs for them. There are even quite a lot of professional dog walkers out there who get paid to take dogs for a walk every day!

If you like animals and are good with dogs, then this could be a good job for a teenager like you. It is a big responsibility to take out someone’s beloved pet, but if you get on well with dogs and enjoy walking then this is a good way of making some regular money.

If you see people in your area out walking their dogs early in the morning, and they look a bit rushed because they need to get to work, then why not be pro-active and ask them if they’d be willing to spend a little money on your own dog walking services? It might sound a bit cheeky, but using your initiative like this can really pay off and start to earn you decent money.

Oh, but don’t forget your pooper-scooper! Find dog walking jobs here.
Pet Sitting Jobs For Teenagers
When pet owners are away for an extended period of time like a weekend or holiday, they need someone to look after their animals. Many pet owners prefer not to use a cattery or kennel (usually because they know their pet wouldn’t enjoy the experience) so they are often willing to pay someone good money to look after their beloved animal or animals in their own house.

There are a variety of pet sitting options but they are generally expensive, so, if you like animals and have some experience looking after them, then you could offer to pet sit for your neighbours to get your first bit of experience in these sorts of jobs for teenagers.

Pet sitting normally involves popping over to the owner’s house once or twice a day to feed and water the pets. Some owners might want you to give their pets some company for a couple of hours, in which case they will probably pay you more money.

Most pet owners will need to trust you and know that you are fond of animals before giving you this level of responsibility, so it will be easiest to get this kind of work from people you already know. Then, as with babysitting, if you do a good job for them they are likely to give you good recommendations for future work.

Agree a rate of pay and a list of tasks with the pet owner in advance so there is no doubt about what is expected and how much you will charge for your services.

Bonus tip - You could also offer to water plants and take the rubbish bins out to add even more value to your clients while the pet owners are away. Find pet sitting jobs here.
Car Washing Jobs For Teenagers
There are over 30 million cars in the UK, and they all need washing every now and then!

Professional car washes are pricey and also require the owner to drive there and sit in the car while it is washed. If someone like you offers to wash the car in the owner’s driveway, then it doesn’t take up any of their time.

Find out how much your local car wash costs, then make sure you undercut them by charging less. Then make sure you do a decent job and leave the car sparkling, waxed and dried!

You will need a bucket, sponge, chamois cloth, wash and wax, which require an upfront investment, so check there is interest before buying them, but they are easily purchased from Halfords or your local garage.

To wash cars in a car park you will need permission (and potentially a licence and public liability insurance) from whoever owns the car park, so it is probably easiest to start by washing neighbours’ cars in their driveways.

Car washing work can be found all through the year, but summer is probably the best time to make good money. In the hotter, drier weather, all those cars in your neighbours’ driveways will be like a magnet for dust, so you should be able to increase the frequency of your local car washes. You really can make hay when the sun shines in this line of work!
Gardening Jobs For Teenagers
You don’t necessarily need to be an expert gardener to pick up a bit of gardening work as a teenager - but, certainly, you might be able to get more hours and recommendations if you have green fingers.

It’s highly unlikely that you’ll be landscaping gardens or carrying out topiary, but you should be able to find some local work keeping people’s gardens tidy. You could just be cleaning up leaves or watering the lawns, especially for people who are away for the weekend or on holiday.

If you family have a push mower, then get some experience using it on your own lawn, and then ask them if you could borrow it for your teenage job on other people’s gardens.

If you really know what you are doing, or don’t mind learning, then weeding, planting and pruning are also good skills to add to your portfolio and which could put you ahead of your competitors.

As with many of these best paid jobs for under 18s, it’s easiest to find gardening work by starting in your local area and asking the neighbours if they need any help. Once you’ve got a few jobs under your belt, and you don’t start charging extortionate rates for your services, you should find that the offers of gardening work will start to flood in.

Like with car washing work, gardening jobs are more frequent in the summer when everything is growing at a faster pace and drying out quicker in the warmer weather. Make sure you put the hours in during the summer holidays as gardening work can often dry up in the winter. Find gardening jobs here.
Bar & Restaurant Jobs For Teenagers
Bar and restaurant jobs can be good fun and can grow your confidence because you will be meeting so many members of the general public on a regular basis.

However, not all bar and restaurant jobs are open to young people due to alcohol laws. For example, if you are you 16 or 17 then you are allowed to serve alcohol as a waiter or waitress in a restaurant, provided that the alcohol is drunk with a meal.

You may also be allowed to serve alcohol in a bar or pub too at that age, but the licence holder or bar manager must approve the sale by overseeing you at all times. In some parts of the UK, you might be restricted to serving just cans or bottles of alcohol, rather than draught from the pump or wine by the glass, for example.

Kitchen assistant jobs provide more flexibility for young people as you won’t be directly in contact with alcohol. You could work as a washer-up or food assistant in a local bar, pub, cafe or restaurant and gain some valuable work experience for your CV.

Ask around your family and friends to see if they know of any bars or restaurants are looking for staff as these sorts of jobs are often handled by the bar or kitchen manager rather than the brewery or restaurant chain owner. You could even pop in to all of your local eateries and drinkeries and ask if they need any help on a part time basis. Find bar jobs here.
Shop Jobs For Teenagers
It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do much part time work in a shop during the week in term time, unless, of course, you can find local shops which stay open quite late in the evenings. However, you should be able to find weekend jobs for teenagers in stores at your local shopping centre, on the high street or in working in supermarkets.

There’s also plenty more scope for shop work during the school or college holidays when stores are usually at their peak trading time. You’ll still only be able to work part time if you are under 16, but you can really earn quite good money with a shop job during the summer, Christmas or Easter holidays. Find retail jobs here.

Gaining some retail experience at this early age will put you in prime position for future full time retail work when you finish your education. And, it’s not all about the money in this sort of teenage job; as a member of staff you might be entitled to other perks and benefits such as staff discounts or a store clothes allowance. We’ve written before about the perks of retail jobs and some of the rewards you can expect when working in supermarkets.
O2 jobs for students
Savers retail jobs for students
Leaflet Dropping Jobs For Teenagers
Leaflet dropping or leaflet distribution jobs can be a nice little earner, and, like paper rounds and dog walking jobs, they have the added bonus of keeping you fit.

Many local businesses have leaflets, flyers or business cards which they would love to get in front of the eyes of new customers in their area - and you can help them out by distributing them through doors.

Ask around in your local fast food take away joints, estate agents, hairdressers, physios - basically any business in your local area which could be looking for increased exposure in the neighbourhood.

Bonus Tip - If you have good design skills, then maybe you could help any local businesses which don’t already have leaflets to get them printed up - at a small cost, of course! And, then you can make even more money by then leaflet dropping for them. This way you’ll really make a name for yourself and your services should be in high demand.
Theme Park Jobs For Teenagers
Every teenager loves a theme park don’t they? So, why not work at one?

There is a huge range of roles on offer at big theme parks such as Alton Towers, THORPE PARK, Blackpool Pleasure Beach - and many of the jobs are suitable for 16 to 18 year olds.

If you fancy a seasonal job like this then be sure to read our complete guide to Theme Park Jobs In The UK.
Online Jobs For Teenagers Under 18

Can teenagers make money online at home?

The internet has opened up a whole new world of work for teenagers. There are all sorts of internet jobs for teenagers, so it just depends on your own particular skills.

Just a few examples of work which teenagers can get paid for doing online include:

We won’t go into detail about this line of work here, though, as we already have comprehensive guides to online freelance jobs and work which you can do on your laptop.

Research Tribe Product Testing
Earn Cash With Paid Surveys
Some companies and research organisations are very keen to learn what consumers and general members of the public think about their products or ideas - and, as a teenager, you are a perfect demographic for this sort of work.  

You won’t make a fortune doing paid surveys online, but it’s easy work if you have access to the internet - and you can pick and choose which paid surveys you want to take part in. Find out more about earning money for filling out online surveys.
Get paid for your opinion
Go Shopping Or Run Errands For Elderly Neighbours
This is one of the teenage jobs you can usually start to do even when you are 13. There must be a few elderly neighbours right on your doorstep who could use hand with a few errands or their daily and weekly shopping.

As well as earning a bit of pocket money for yourself, you’re also helping out the community!
Police Line Ups
Not a very regular line of work, but some UK police forces keep a team of people on their books to take part in ‘line ups’ or identity parades. If they have a suspect and you have a similar profile fit (eg similar age, same gender etc) then they could pay you to stand in line next to them at your local station while a witness tries to pick out the offender.

Ask at your local police station to see if they have this system (rather than using their own officers) and if you might be eligible.
Lifeguard Jobs For Teenagers
If you’re a strong swimmer then you’d probably enjoy a teenage job as a lifeguard, making sure that everyone around you feels safe in the water. You might be surprised to learn that you can be a lifeguard from the age of 16 and there could be opportunities at local swimming pools, health centres, beaches, activity camps or other places near you right now.

Find out how to find and apply for lifeguard job opportunities now.
Phlebotomy
If you’re 17 or over and looking for a way into a career in health, then Phlebotomy could be one route into the sector. Phlebotomists are people who collect blood samples to help diagnose illnesses in patients. You can find out more about entry routes into Phlebotomy on the NHS Health Careers website.
Tutoring
If you are good at a certain subject at school or college - AND you have a genuine passion for it - then you might be able to find some home tutoring work. Passing down your knowledge of Maths, English, Science or a language to younger students is very rewarding, both on a personal level and in the monetary sense too.

Okay, as a teenager you won’t be able to command the same wages as someone who holds a degree in a specialist subject, but you might still be earn a decent crust doing something that you like.

If you have already earned good GCSE grades then that should qualify you to teach kids aged 5-14.

However, to tutor anyone under the age of 18 then you’ll need to complete a DBS check. You can find out more about that check - and many other aspects of this kind of work - in our detailed guide to tutoring jobs in the UK.
Explore Learning
Sports Coaching
If you are a keen sports fan or you’re mad about fitness, then sports coaching could be a nice little part time job for you. It’s not the easiest route into work for a teenager, but, with a bit of dedication you could get the qualifications you need for sports coaching from the age of 16.

There are very few employers or organisations which will offer you on the job training as a sports coach, so you will probably need to get some qualifications under your belt before you start applying for jobs. Find sports coaching jobs here.
The Little Foxes
Sport4kids
If it’s football coaching that you are interested in, then your local county’s Football Association will more than likely offer a Level 1 Award In Coaching Football. You will probably have to pay up to £200 to complete the course, but prices vary between different counties, so it’s best if you contact your particular county FA for current rates. You can find contact details here.

If you can’t afford a full Level 1 Award in Coaching Football course on your own, then check out this page of the McDonald’s website as they offer free places on the county FA courses from time to time.

For more general sports coaching qualifications you could enrol on a City & Guilds Coaching course which would give you a good overall grounding of coaching as a discipline, and which would lead to solid qualifications. You could later choose to specialise in one or two particular sports, if you fancy.

Just a small selection of the companies which have advertised sports coach jobs through the e4s website include:
  • UK Elite Soccer - recruit qualified football coaches from the UK to work at summer soccer camps across the USA coaching kids aged between 3 and 18
  • Premier Sport - offers coaching in over 20 different sports including football, gymnastics, fencing, handball and basketball
  • A & V Rhythmic Club - Offer gymnastics coaching at their South East London club
Many providers of kids camps throughout summer in the UK also advertise a variety of sports coaching jobs, which qualified teenagers could apply for, with Churchill House School of English Language being just one example.
Referee Jobs
Related to sports coaching, another idea for sporty teenagers looking for part time work is refereeing. With football, you can become a referee from the age of 14, but there are also lots of other sports where clubs, teams or individuals will pay for a referee with good skills. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough!

As with coaching, you’ll probably need to complete a basic training course to qualify as a paid referee. For football refereeing check out these FAQs and then contact the referee development officer in your area. There is also some good information about training as a referee on this page of the Amateur FA website.

Refereeing, of football and most other sports, is one of those jobs where it’s not always about what you know, it’s about who you know (although a sound knowledge of the game you’re refereeing is obviously imperative). Ask the adults at your local sports clubs for advice on where you might be able to qualify locally as a referee, and grill them about whether they know of the best places for you to look for work once you are a qualified referee.
Mystery Shopping Jobs
Mystery shopping is where companies want feedback on their customer service, so they hire a mystery shopping company to send people into their shops to buy something and then report back on the service they received.

So mystery shopping jobs involve getting paid to go into shops, buy something and then write a report/complete a survey about the service received. Most mystery shopping jobs have a minimum age of 18 but Cosine are recruiting 16-18 year old's to buy National Lottery tickets to check whether ID is requested. It is straightforward work and can pay more than £50 per day!

Find out more about Mystery Shopping Jobs
Cosine
Find Good First Jobs For Teenagers In Your Area Now
If you’re eligible and ready and keen to start working, then find part time vacancies and holiday jobs for teenagers in your area now. We have a huge range of part time jobs, weekend work and school holiday jobs right across the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions

Can you work in a supermarket at 16 and 17?

Working in a supermarket as a teenager is a great option as many pay very well and offer students flexibility to work a range of hours.

 

Can teenagers get jobs with no experience?

Most jobs for teenagers require no experience - this is because you haven't yet had the opportunity to gain any experience through work.

 

What are the best jobs for teenagers?

There is a wide range of jobs available for teenagers as we have outlined over 20 of the best jobs for teenagers.

 

Can you work in retail if you're under 16?

If you are under 16, you only be able to work in a shop part time. But it is still a great way to earn money and experience.

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