At 14 or 15, teens often strive to gain independence from their parents and relatives. First of all, it is about money, as it opens different horizons and unlocks exciting possibilities. Another significant advantage for teens is starting their first jobs early. The sooner youngsters take up a job, the more chances they can develop valuable professional skills and gain experience to lay the foundation for their future career path. However, one should remember that being at the age of 14-15 is still a kid, so there are some restrictions regarding the workload and working conditions. They usually depend on where you are based, but as for the US, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) poses such limitations for 14 and 15-year-olds who are eager to work:
So now, let’s have a closer look at the jobs that young girls and boys will be able to handle even at the age of 15.
Average salary: about $12/hour
Core responsibilities: This job implies preparing such drinks as coffee, coffee-related items, and tea, assisting customers with picking a beverage, checking them out, and, of course, keeping the spot, equipment, and customer area neat and attractive. A barista may also be in charge of renewing the supplies required for the items on the menu and doing the books.
Average salary: about $11/hour
Core responsibilities: If you are interested in becoming a waiter/waitress in the future, this job might be a good start for you. A busser is a waiter or waitress’ assistant who has to do cleaning-related work, such as clearing or wiping down tables, dealing with dirty dishes, or loading a dishwasher. They may also help with carrying food and refilling guests’ alcohol-free drinks.
Average salary: about $14/hour
Core responsibilities: Are you into golf? If you’d like to be closer to professional golf players and learn about this sport inside out, try yourself out as a caddy. You’ll be carrying sportsmen’s golf equipment, cleaning out golf balls, ranking sand bunkers, holding flags, and diving into a real golf atmosphere with the players.
Average salary: about $9/hour
Core responsibilities: This job is for those passionate about participating in camp life, leading games, organizing various activities, and dealing with kids 24/7. It also provides a nice perspective to receive a senior counselor position once a teenager reaches the age of 16.
Average salary: about $12/hour
Core responsibilities: A cashier mainly works with payments, receiving cash or credit card payments, handling refunds, and issuing cash checks. Technically, the job doesn’t require specific expertise. However, one should be attentive when dealing with money so as not to run into a wrinkle during their shifts.
Average salary: about $11/hour
Core responsibilities: The name speaks for itself. A dishwasher is charged with washing dirty dishes and kitchen utensils and putting them in their places. Dishwashers can be asked to set or wipe down tables in some restaurants.
Average salary: about $16/hour
Core responsibilities: Having fun with dogs can be paid for! Whether you are a freelance dog walker or work for a company, the main duty is to take clients’ pets for a walk and provide them with high-quality time outside. Depending on preferences, one can take a different number of dogs at a time. However, they should have similar breed characteristics, as it often influences the duration and requirements for the time outside.
Average salary: about $12/hour
Core responsibilities: This job is quite energy-consuming and requires being on your feet all day long, as a grocery bagger has to quickly arrange customers’ purchases into bags and carry them to customers’ cars or other vehicles.
Average salary: about $12/hour
Core responsibilities: If you want your occupation to bring happiness to other people, an ice cream scooper will be a perfect match. The duties include greeting and assisting customers, consulting them on the menu, scooping and serving ice cream, carrying out payments, and maintaining neatness at your working spot.
Average salary: about $12/hour
Core responsibilities: If you strive to do a responsible and meaningful job, a lifeguard might get you interested. You will work at either public or private pools, monitoring that all the guests follow safety guidelines and enjoy their water activities safely. In case of an emergency, a lifeguard has to provide first aid before an ambulance arrives.
Average salary: about $17/hour
Core responsibilities: A wonderful job opportunity for teens who are into sports, as referees are responsible for monitoring compliance with the rules during sporting events. Referees directly participate in different sports games as they start, stop, and resolve any violations of the standard game rules.
Average salary: about $17/hour
Core responsibilities: A win-win situation for both a remote babysitter and clients. There is no need to go somewhere because a remote babysitter just goes online via zoom or any other program, and a kid is engaged for a couple of hours. You can arrange fun online games or even learn something together. Parents who work from home and require some personal space can breathe out.
Average salary: about $10/hour
Core responsibilities: Theater atmosphere lovers will definitely satisfy their preferences if they work as theater ushers. They will deal with monitoring if all visitors follow the rules, keeping all auditoriums and lobbies clean, and helping with resolving guests’ issues or requests.
Average salary: about $24/hour
Core responsibilities: This job will suit you perfectly if you are keen on sharing and explaining information. Kids or teens tend to have hard times with some subjects from their curriculum, and working on it with a peer (or almost a peer) might cut down on tension, which is so typical when studying with a much older person or in a crowded classroom.
Average salary: about $14/hour
Core responsibilities: If you want to pursue office positions later, this job may contribute to your future. It is mostly administrative work that needs to be done, such as responding to phone calls and emails, scheduling meetings, organizing a manager’s calendar, preparing spreadsheets and keeping records, creating presentations, and many more. A big plus is that this job can be done literally from any place with a good Internet connection.
