Ways for 13-year-olds to earn money

teen

Thirteen is when the income ceiling rises — multi-family babysitting clientele, a real lawn-mowing business with referrals, online tutoring (TakeLessons, Wyzant) starts to be plausible.

Labor law for age 13

Federal: 13 is the last age before 14 work permits. Babysitting, lawn care, newspaper delivery, and casual neighbor work require no permit. Formal employment (retail, food service) usually starts at 14.

12 ideas

Each idea below shows realistic pay, time commitment, and how much parent help is needed. Pay ranges are starting points — adjust to your local cost of living and your kid\'s experience level.

Neighbor / community

Babysitting (multi-family, weekly)

$12–$22/hour

Start-up $35·⏱ 4 hr·On their own

Pet sitting (week-long bookings)

$75–$250/week

⏱ 1 hr·On their own

Car washing / detailing service

$15–$40/job

Start-up $30·⏱ 1 hr·On their own

Garage / basement organization service

$15–$30/hour

⏱ 4 hr·Minimal parent help

Physical / outdoor

Lawn-mowing business (5-8 customers)

$100–$300/week

⏱ 8 hr·On their own

Snow shoveling (full route, multi-day storms)

$100–$300/week

Start-up $30·⏱ 1 hr·On their own

Snow weeks only — but big numbers.

Camp counselor-in-training

$60–$250/week

⏱ 30 hr·Minimal parent help

Tutoring & teaching

Tutoring (online + in-person)

$80–$150/week

Start-up $10·⏱ 1 hr·On their own

Tech tutoring for older adults

$15–$30/hour

⏱ 1 hr·On their own

Online

Etsy shop (parent-managed, growing)

$30–$300/week

Start-up $100·⏱ 2 hr·Minimal parent help

Print-on-demand / merch shop

$0–$200/week

⏱ 1 hr·Parent help recommended

Redbubble, Printful via parent.

Creative

Birthday party host / kid entertainer

$30–$80/job

⏱ 3 hr·Minimal parent help

Pricing tip

At 13 — start tracking your hourly rate across services. If lawn mowing nets $25/hour and babysitting nets $12/hour, eventually you're going to want to lean into the higher-rate work. That math is a useful adult life skill.

Tax note

A 13-year-old with $1,000+ in earned income should be putting some into a custodial Roth IRA (parent opens, kid contributes). Even $50/month at 13 grows to ~$200,000 at 65 at historical equity returns.

The parent angle

Thirteen is the age the entrepreneurial kid starts to outpace allowance. This is the right year to have the "you're running a business" conversation — pricing, time tracking, customer service, reinvestment. Treat their work like work.

Frequently asked

Can a 13-year-old get a real job?

Babysitting, pet sitting, lawn care, and tutoring need no permit. Formal employment (retail, restaurants) generally starts at 14 with a state work permit. But the informal sector at 13 can clear $200-400/week in summer.

How much should a 13-year-old charge for babysitting?

$12-22/hour depending on number of kids, time of day, and your location. Major metros can go higher. With certifications and 6+ months of experience, $18+ is reasonable.

Is a Roth IRA actually worthwhile for a 13-year-old?

Yes — possibly the highest-leverage thing you can do. $1,000 contributed at 13 grows to ~$50,000 at 65 (8% historical). $1,000 at 23 grows to ~$22,000. The 10-year head start more than doubles the result.