Searching for the best jobs for high school students? While the best summer jobs may require some effort to get, the pay and benefits to teens can be worth the investment of time and energy.
For teenagers who don’t want to rely on their parents to fund all their summertime social outings, getting a job can be a great way to keep up a steady stream of cash while school is out. A part-time job isn’t a burden on your three months of bliss before it’s back to the books; actually, a job can be much like school, except you’re paid for what you do and it’s probably more fun. Best of all, none of these opportunities require homework.
Unfortunately, there is a common misconception that no place will hire high school students because there are so many unemployed professionals and college students that could do the job instead. Yes, this may be true of some industries, and companies do tend to favor college students over high school students since many don’t have their parents to cover their expenses anymore.
However, if you are a high school student or the parent of one, just know that businesses are willing to hire teenagers in the summer – you just have to know where to look. Let’s explore some of the best summer jobs and opportunities for high school students who want to make money!
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Best Summer Jobs and Opportunities for High School Students
Swimming Lessons
If you have proper certification – first aid, what to do if someone is drowning, etc. – then you could teach younger kids how to swim. This is an immensely important job, since you’re teaching kids how to behave around and in the pool, as well as proper swimming techniques so they don’t drown.
You’ll need a good amount of patience, as well as the ability to turn seemingly boring swimming exercises into fun games to get the kids excited about will initially seem like a scary activity. Also, it’s generally better to teach at a public pool under an organization – YMCA, for example – because certain liability issues may arise if something happens to the child at your home pool or their own pool.
Note, if you’re under 18, you may need to acquire a work permit prior to applying for pool-related jobs.
Lifeguarding
This job also has certain age requirements, but if your local pool or beach accepts younger applicants and you want to protect people from water-related hazards, then lifeguarding could be a fantastic summer job for high school students. You’ll make friends and soak up the sun, but this job isn’t exactly a breeze: you need basic water rescue training, along with CPR, first aid, and more. The pay is generous compared to other jobs that are open to high schoolers, but the job is considerably difficult and requires you to be a strong swimmer.
Pool Cleaning
If teaching kids to swim or preventing people from drowning aren’t summer jobs you’re interested in, then maybe you’d consider cleaning pools. This job requires physical activity and attention to detail, but the demand for pool cleaners is high during the summer months, so drumming up business shouldn’t be too difficult (it does require some self-promotion though!). Job duties may include: brushing or vacuuming the pool, removing leaves and other debris, equalizing the chemicals, and adding water to level it out.
Start A Blog
Starting a blog and making money online is quickly becoming one of the best side hustles for people of any age. Whether you want to create and build a food, sports, fashion, beauty or lifestyle blog, the process is basically the same. The coolest part about becoming a blogger and earning income through the internet is that you can work on your website through college and grow it into a multi-million dollar enterprise. Plus, the cost of blogging is really cheap – all you need is $10 for a domain name, $3 per month for hosting, and a free blogging software like WordPress.
Tutor
Although it’s summertime, many students still need tutoring. High school students with excellent academic records are primed for this type of work, since you’re surrounded by potential customers and could network through your local elementary or middle school, too.
Pick a subject or two that you really excel at. Math? Spanish? Piano? Chemistry? Whatever your strong points may be, you can use your knowledge to your advantage and get paid to teach other students who may be struggling with these subjects. Even though school isn’t in session, many parents want to get their children up to speed with the academic level of their peers before the next school year begins.
These jobs usually pay $10-30 per hour (depending on where you live, how much you know about your subject, etc.) and you can strike it out on your own or tutor through a company, such as The Academic Advantage.
Babysitter
Teaching isn’t for everyone, but if you like kids, then you could babysit kids this summer. Babysitting is a fairly informal job for high school students and the pay can range from $9-25 per hour, depending on the cost of living where you live, how many kids you’re looking after, and any special responsibilities involved (e.g. changing a diaper or taking the kids somewhere). This doesn’t include tips, plus the parents will usually give you some meal money to cover yourself and the kids.
It may be hectic when you first get there, but after putting the kids to bed and cleaning up a little, you can sit back, relax, and wait for the parents to get home.
Pet Sitter
Some people prefer animals over children, and if babysitting isn’t up your alley, then you may be a good candidate for pet sitting. And summertime demand for pet sitting means you’ll have plenty of business!
Many families go on vacation during the summer, but very few bring their beloved pets along. This leaves them with few options: kennel or pet sitter. Kennels can be expensive and generally lack personal attention for the pets, so families go the pet sitter route. This works well as a summer job for high schoolers, because you don’t need long-term contacts or certification to become a pet sitter.
Taking care of other people’s pets isn’t as easy as feeding and watering them, however. Some owners will want you to groom their car or dog (or bird or reptile…there are several different pets that may require someone to look after them when their owners are away). Some pet owners will ask you to pick up poop in their yards, change potty pads and litter boxes, and clean food dishes. A good pet sitter is comfortable around animals, knows some animal first aid, doesn’t mind some “dirty work,” and genuinely wants to comfort other people’s pets when their owners are out of town.
If becoming a pet sitter over the summer sounds interesting, here are some aspects of the job to be aware of. Many pet sitters only go to clients’ houses to care for their pets. Sometimes you’ll stay for 30 minutes or an hour; sometimes you’ll stay overnight. Some pet sitters offer to pet sit out of their own home, but unless your parents are okay with this, stick to going to other people’s homes.
Pay ranges from $10 to $40 per hour, depending on how many pets you’re caring for and what people living in your area are willing to pay for quality pet care. To build up your summer income, you could offer additional services, such as pet grooming or dog walking.
Wash Cars
The demand for car washes goes up during the drier, warmer months, and you could get a piece of the pie by offering car washing services during your summer break. Your upfront investment is relatively small: just some scrub brushes, towels, a bucket or two, car soap, and window cleaner.
Start off by washing your neighbors’ cars then expand your client base through word of mouth. The best way to get referrals is to do a superb job on people’s cars, even if it requires extra time and effort to make the car spotless.
Camp Counselor or Coach
Like being outdoors? Like kids? Want to supervise fun activities and make money while doing it? If you said “yes” to these questions, then you may be a prime candidate for a camp counselor position. These are popular summer jobs, particularly for high school students who are physically active and good with kids.
If you play a sport, then why not coach kids this summer? Whether you play football, soccer, baseball, etc., camps around the country could benefit from having assistant coaches to teach skills to kids who want to get more involved in sports. Duties would include: setting up cones, observing drills, teaching a specific skill to a group, gathering up equipment after practice, subbing for scrimmages, and more.
Get A Good Summer Job
Getting a job can be a part of the great summer experience. Not only will you earn money and build up your resume, but you’ll be productive and make friends while you’re at it. Don’t assume that just because you’re in high school nobody will hire you. Quite the contrary, as you can see from the jobs selection above.
Although it may take a while to find clients and you may only make minimum wage, earning money and having fun while doing it is a great goal to have this summer.
