At 14, you can legally work for real businesses, freelance in your neighborhood, and even earn money online. Federal law allows 14-year-olds to hold jobs in retail, food service, and other non-hazardous settings, and there’s no age floor on earning money through informal gigs like babysitting or mowing lawns. Here’s how to actually start bringing in cash.
Jobs That Hire at 14
Several national chains officially hire 14-year-olds. In the fast food and restaurant world, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Dairy Queen, Baskin-Robbins, Culver’s, and Rita’s Italian Ice all bring on workers as young as 14. Grocery stores like Kroger and Publix also hire at 14 for roles like bagging, stocking shelves, and working as cashiers or floral clerks.
Your tasks will be limited compared to older workers. At 14, you generally can’t operate power-driven machinery (other than office equipment), work in freezers or meat coolers, do any baking, or handle food preparation at some chains. You’ll typically start as a cashier, crew member, busser, or ice cream scooper. These jobs usually pay minimum wage or slightly above it, and many offer a predictable schedule you can build around school.
To apply, walk into the store and ask for an application or check the company’s careers page online. Many states require a work permit before you can start. Your school guidance office typically issues these, and you’ll need a parent’s signature. Get the permit process started before you interview so you’re ready to go when hired.
Federal Rules on Hours and Schedules
The Fair Labor Standards Act sets strict limits on when and how much a 14-year-old can work. During the school year, you can work no more than 3 hours on a school day and no more than 18 hours in a school week. On non-school days, you can work up to 8 hours, and during weeks when school is out (summer break, holidays), you can work up to 40 hours.
You also can’t work before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. during most of the year. Between June 1 and Labor Day, the evening cutoff extends to 9 p.m. These are federal minimums. Your state may have rules that are even stricter, so check your state’s department of labor website before committing to a schedule.
Certain jobs are completely off-limits until you’re older. At 14, you cannot work in construction, warehousing, transportation, mining, manufacturing, or roofing. You also can’t do door-to-door sales, work from ladders or scaffolds, or operate power-driven equipment beyond basic office machines.
Neighborhood Services That Pay Well
Some of the best-paying work for a 14-year-old doesn’t involve a formal employer at all. Babysitting, lawn care, pet sitting, and similar local services let you set your own rates and schedule with no work permit needed.
Babysitting is especially lucrative. The national average rate is $26.24 per hour for one child and nearly $30 per hour for two, according to UrbanSitter’s 2026 survey. As a 14-year-old, you’ll likely charge less than an experienced adult sitter, but $12 to $18 per hour is realistic depending on where you live and how many kids you’re watching. Taking a babysitting certification course (the Red Cross offers one) can justify charging on the higher end and makes parents more comfortable hiring you.
Lawn mowing typically pays $20 to $50 per yard depending on the size. If you already have access to a mower, your costs are basically just gas. Snow shoveling in winter can pay similar rates per driveway. Dog walking, pet sitting while neighbors travel, car washing, and seasonal help like raking leaves or pulling weeds are all services people will happily pay a neighborhood teen to handle.
The key to getting clients is telling everyone you know. Ask your parents to mention your services to their friends and coworkers, post on your neighborhood’s social media group (have a parent post if you need to be 18 to join), and print simple flyers for mailboxes on your street. Once you do good work for one family, referrals tend to snowball.
Making Money Online
Online earning is possible at 14, but most platforms have age restrictions that require workarounds.
Fiverr, a popular freelancing marketplace, requires users to be 18 to have their own account. If you’re between 13 and 17, you can use the platform through an account owned by your parent or legal guardian, with their permission. The parent’s name goes on the account, and their profile must note that a minor is providing the service. This works well if you have a skill like graphic design, voice-over work, video editing, or writing.
YouTube requires you to be 13 to have a Google account, but the YouTube Partner Program (which lets you earn ad revenue) requires you to be 18 or have a parent manage your earnings. If you’re interested in making videos, a parent can set up the monetization side while you create the content. Building a channel takes months of consistent uploads before real income starts flowing, so treat it as a long-term project rather than quick cash.
Etsy requires users to be 18, but like Fiverr, a parent can run the shop on your behalf if you make things worth selling: jewelry, stickers, art prints, knitted items, or digital downloads like planners and phone wallpapers. You handle the creative work, and your parent manages the storefront and payments.
Simpler online options include completing surveys through apps that allow teen users, reselling items on platforms where a parent holds the account, or selling digital art commissions through social media. None of these will replace a real job, but they can add up alongside other income.
Setting Up a Bank Account
Once money starts coming in, you need somewhere to put it. At 14, you can’t open a bank account on your own, but several banks offer teen checking accounts that you open jointly with a parent or guardian.
Capital One MONEY Teen Checking is available to kids age 8 and up. You get a debit card, can deposit checks and set up direct deposit, and can separate your balance into “Spendable” and “Set Aside” categories. Your parent doesn’t need their own Capital One account, which makes it easy to set up.
Chase High School Checking is designed for ages 13 to 17. It comes with a debit card, access to Chase’s large ATM network, and the Zelle payment app for sending and receiving money. The catch: you have to open it in a branch, and your parent needs an existing Chase checking account.
Axos Bank First Checking (ages 13 to 17) and Alliant Credit Union Teen Checking (also 13 to 17) are two more options. Alliant’s account pays 0.25% interest on your balance and reimburses up to $12 in ATM fees per month. All of these accounts let parents monitor activity and lock the debit card if needed.
Having a real bank account matters because it gives you a place to receive direct deposit from an employer, track what you’re earning and spending, and start building the habit of managing money before you’re handling larger amounts.
How Much You Can Realistically Earn
Your earnings depend heavily on whether you’re working a formal job, doing freelance gigs, or combining both. A part-time job during the school year at minimum wage, limited to 18 hours per week, brings in roughly $130 to $180 per week before taxes (depending on your state’s minimum wage). Over a school year, that’s a few thousand dollars.
Summer is where the real earning potential opens up. With the 40-hour weekly cap, you could bring in $350 to $500 per week at a formal job. Add weekend babysitting or a few lawn-mowing clients and you could clear $5,000 or more over a single summer.
Neighborhood gigs are harder to predict because work is inconsistent, but a 14-year-old who babysits two evenings a week and mows a handful of lawns on weekends can realistically make $200 to $400 per week during busy months. The trade-off is that you’re responsible for finding your own clients and there’s no guaranteed schedule.
One thing to know about taxes: if you earn more than $14,600 in a year (the standard deduction for 2024), you’ll owe federal income tax on the amount above that threshold. Most 14-year-olds won’t hit that number, but if you’re hustling hard across multiple income sources, it’s worth knowing. Your parents can help you file a simple tax return if needed.