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What are Some Summer Jobs for Teenagers?

By Matthew F.
Updated May 17, 2024
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Summer jobs for teenagers come in all shapes and sizes. During the summer, teenagers are out of school and often looking for money to spend to go out with their friends. The best way to do this is to find a summer job to occupy themselves before the rigor of class and homework begins again in September. Many summer jobs for teenagers take advantage of the nice weather, the long days, and the simple services and hard work capable of teenagers.

Always popular among the list of summer jobs for teenagers is the do-it-yourself lawn cutting service. Involving little more than lawn cutting equipment, a few friends, some fliers, and an active participation, the lawn cutting service can make up to $15-$20 US Dollars (USD) an hour. Depending on rates, a teenager can cut for neighbors, friends, and relatives, and can find business through bulletin boards and fliers around the neighborhood. Through internet advertisement as well, summer jobs for teenagers may take on a new approach as online jobs for teenagers.

Many restaurants look for employment during the busy summer months, providing another helpful opportunity for summer jobs for teenagers. Fast food chains look for help behind the counter or cleaning and taking out garbage; restaurants look for bus boys, hosts and hostesses, and servers. These jobs can pay as low as $8-$9 USD an hour, but some do include good tips and friendly customers. Many of these jobs recruit teenagers for evening hours, 5pm to 10pm shifts are typical, allowing for the sleep-loving high schooler to remain in bed until the late afternoon.

With business increased as the weather improves, many department stores, markets, and grocery stores provide summer jobs for teenagers. These places offer teenagers jobs pushing shopping carts, working cash registers, providing customer services, bagging groceries, cleaning aisles, stocking products, and unloading merchandise. These jobs also offer many evening shifts, with early clock-out times around 10pm, allowing the teenager to maintain a social life. They also offer morning and after noon shifts frequently as many full time staffers will take time off during the summer months.

Summer jobs for teenagers can also take the form of newspaper routes, car washes, assistants in buildings and offices, and caddies at golf courses. Large work places like hospitals also offer ample employment opportunities as they employ many workers. Summer jobs for teenagers are often simple jobs with moderate pay and easy hours. The work is not too demanding and the hours are usually flexible, allowing a teenager to maintain some responsibility while still enjoying their high school years.

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Discussion Comments

By anon272203 — On May 30, 2012

Are there any summer jobs for teens whose strengths are in tech (fix computers, knowledge about Operating Systems, etc).

By anon267535 — On May 10, 2012

Summer jobs are a good thing to do. They can keep you busy while helping others, too!

By anon267534 — On May 10, 2012

That's cool! I think that summer jobs are really great and the grocery store one was a good deal for me. I think I made like $500 working in the grocery store over summer and not spending any of it. From three years ago, I got like $3,552 dollars in all so summer jobs are great!

By icecream17 — On May 22, 2011

I think that a nice part time summer job for teenagers involve working as a junior lifeguard. Many facilities offer jobs like this for experienced swimmers with CPR certification. It could be a fun job to have in the summer.

I also think that working in a fast food restaurant is also fun because you get to make friends with the people that you work with and get a discount on the food. I did this when I was in high school one summer when I moved to a new area and did not have any friends yet and I made a bunch of friends at work. I have to say that it was the best thing that I ever did at that time.

By surfNturf — On May 21, 2011

@Crispety - I think that a good job for a teenager is to work in a grocery store. Grocery stores offer flexible schedules with reliable hours every week.

Usually people that work in grocery stores get a steady schedule that will help them pay off any college expenses. This is how I paid for my college education and I always had a steady stream of hours.

You could work as a cashier and eventually work your way up to the customer service counter and possibly work in the back part of the office reconciling the cash register tills every night. It can be a fun job if you like dealing with people and this is a job that a teenager can contine having throughout high school and even college.

By Crispety — On May 18, 2011

SauteePan - I also think that summer camp jobs for teenagers would be a lot of fun and can actually help them in their college application because these jobs help to foster leadership skills.

I know that many camps hire teenagers to be junior camp counselors and this could be a really fun and rewarding job for the teenager because they get to bond with the kids in the camp. Also if they decide to go into a field like education when they go to college, the experience working with kids would be a plus.

By SauteePan — On May 17, 2011

I have to say that when I was a teenager, I got a part time summer job as a grocery store demonstrator. It was really fun because I was hired by a marketing company and all I had to do was promote the products that they wanted me to and issue coupons for the customers.

It was really fun talking to people and I only had to work about four hours per day on the weekend and I made like a $100.

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