Two things make the difference between an idea that earns money and an idea that stays an idea: somebody genuinely wants the thing, and you can do it repeatedly without an adult organising it every time. Everything below is chosen on that basis.
Around age 8 to 11: at home and next door
At this age the customers are people who already know and trust you, which is nearly always parents, grandparents and immediate neighbours.
- Extra jobs at home beyond the ones expected of you — see chores and earning for how to price these.
- Car washing. Reliable, visible, and people will pay for it repeatedly.
- Garden work — weeding, leaf clearing, watering plants while neighbours are away.
- Looking after pets for people on holiday: feeding a cat, changing water, a bit of company.
- Selling your own outgrown things at a car boot sale, with a grown-up. Sorting your own stuff and watching what people will and will not pay for is an education in itself.
Around age 12 to 14: proper small jobs
Now you can be genuinely useful for longer stretches, and word of mouth starts working for you.
- Dog walking. Consistent, weather permitting, and people are loyal once they trust you.
- Regular garden maintenance for a few households — mowing, hedges, tidying.
- Helping at a family business, within the rules on hours.
- Making and selling something — baking, jewellery, prints, 3D-printed bits — at school fairs and local markets.
- Tutoring a younger child in something you are good at, an hour a week.
- Reselling — buying underpriced things at car boots and selling them on, with an adult handling the account. This teaches margin faster than any lesson.
From 13, employed work becomes legally possible in most of the UK, with a permit and strict limits on hours. Read the rules before you agree to anything.
Around age 15 to 17: real jobs
- Saturday jobs — cafés, shops, kitchens, market stalls.
- Babysitting. Well paid, in demand, and there are short courses that make you much more employable at it.
- Sports officiating — junior football and rugby need referees, courses start around 14, and it pays properly.
- Skilled freelance work — photography, editing, design, building websites for local businesses.
- Coaching at a club where you already train.
What makes people hire a young person twice
Not talent. Turning up when you said, finishing the whole job including the boring end of it, and saying clearly what it will cost before you start. Do those three and you will have more work than you can take, because the bar among adults is not high either.
Setting your price
Most young people undercharge badly, then resent the work. Find out what an adult would charge and ask for somewhat less — you are cheaper because you are less experienced, not because your time is free. Agree the number out loud before you start. "I'll do the front and back for £8" prevents almost every awkward conversation that would otherwise follow.
Staying safe
- An adult should always know where you are, who you are with and when you will be back.
- Work for people you or your family actually know, at least at first.
- Never pay money upfront for a "job opportunity". Real employers pay you, not the other way round.
- Anything online that promises large sums for very little work is not a job. It is either a scam or somebody using you to move money.
What to do with what you earn
Earned money vanishes just as easily as given money if it has no job. Decide before payday, not after — a specific goal with a date on it is the difference between having earned £60 this term and having £60.
Questions people ask
- How can a 12 year old make money in the UK?
- Dog walking, garden maintenance, car washing, helping at a family business, tutoring a younger child, or making and selling things at fairs and markets. From 13, employed work becomes possible with a council permit and strict limits on hours.
- What is the youngest age you can get a job in the UK?
- 13 in most of the country, and only in light work approved by the local council. Some councils set it slightly differently. Children under 13 can only work in specific areas like television, theatre or modelling, and need a performance licence.
- How much should a young person charge for jobs like dog walking?
- Find out what an adult would charge locally and ask for somewhat less. Agree the amount out loud before starting the work — it prevents nearly every awkward conversation afterwards.