Are you a preteen or parent of a 12-year-old looking for ways to make money? As preteens approach their teenage years, it's not uncommon for them to become eager to earn their own money and gain some independence. While traditional employment options are limited for this age group due to child labor laws, there are plenty of informal opportunities for 12-year-olds to earn money, develop responsibility, and start building valuable skills.
This guide explores practical and age-appropriate jobs for 12-year-olds that fit around school schedules and don’t require previous work experience. Whether your 12-year-old is saving for something or just wants spending money of their own, these options provide real ways for them to start building financial independence.
Can 12-Year-Olds Legally Work?
Before exploring job ideas for 12-year-olds, it’s important to understand the legal considerations. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) generally restricts formal employment for children under 14. There are just a few exceptions:
- Agricultural work (with parental permission)
- Entertainment/acting (think Shirley Temple, who began her career at just 3 years old)
- Family businesses
Even with these exceptions, most employers won't hire 12-year-olds due to paperwork requirements, liability concerns, and social security regulations. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for entrepreneurial preteens to earn money without filling out a W-2.
15 best jobs for 12 year olds
1. Babysitting jobs for 12-year-olds 👶
Many teen entrepreneurs start their “careers” in childcare, first watching younger siblings or cousins for short periods of time while adults are nearby. Babysitting is the classic first job for a reason- it teaches responsibility and typically pays better than other preteen gigs.
Pro tip: Encourage 12-year-olds to take a Red Cross Babysitting Certification course. This formal training boosts confidence and makes parents more comfortable hiring younger sitters.
2. Dog Walker 🐕
For animal-loving preteens, this is a fun and easy first job. Many dog owners will pay around $10 per 30-minute walk. This job is perfect since it doesn’t require any previous work experience, has flexible scheduling, and has exercise built into the work! \
3. Car Washing Entrepreneur 🚗
With minimal start up costs (a bucket, some soap, and sponges), this summer job for 12-year-olds can be easy and quite profitable. Many successful young entrepreneurs charge $15 for exterior washes and build a regular weekend customer base throughout their neighborhood.
4. Lawn Care Assistant 🌱
While operating power equipment isn’t always appropriate or safe for 12-year-olds, there are plenty of tasks that preteens can handle. These include weeding gardens, raking leaves, watering plants, and snow shoveling (a great winter job for 12-year-olds!).
5. Pool Maintenance Helper 🏊
This opportunity is perfect for 12-year-olds who live in neighborhoods with pools. Many preteens earn $20-$30 per visit for basic maintenance help that keeps their backyard pool clean and inviting.
This could include skimming debris from the water surface, emptying skimmer baskets, brushing pool walls and steps, organizing pool toys and equipment, and sweeping the deck area around the pool.
This job requires minimal equipment and can be scheduled flexibly around school and sports activities. While swimming skills aren't necessary for basic maintenance tasks, parents should ensure proper supervision around water. For safety, 12-year-olds should only work when adults are on the property.
6. Tech Support for Seniors 💻
In today's digital world, kids often have more expertise than older adults in this area. Helping elderly neighbors with iPad and smartphone basics for $10 per lesson can be a rewarding way to earn money while building connections within your community.
7. Pet Sitting 🐱
When neighbors travel, responsible 12-year-olds can help feed and water pets, clean litter boxes, provide companionship, and send photo updates to traveling pet owners. This job teaches real responsibility—animals depend on their care regardless of whether kids "feel like it" that day.
8. Yard Sale Assistant 🏷️
Yard sales are weekend events that create perfect part-time jobs for 12-year-olds with no experience. Neighbors preparing for a yard sale often need help with organizing and cleaning items, creating signage, setting up tables and display areas, and greeting customers. This opportunity teaches valuable customer service and organizational skills while typically paying $25-$35 for a weekend's work.
9. Peer Tutoring 📚
If your preteen excels in a subject, tutoring other younger students can be rewarding. Many young tutors charge $12-15 for 45-minute reading or math sessions with elementary students.
10. Craft Seller 🎨
Artistic and creative preteens can sell homemade jewelry, greeting cards, holiday ornaments, custom artwork, and much more. Parent-supervised online shops or local craft fairs are great places to sell these creations.
11. Gardening Assistant 🌻
Many neighborhoods, especially older adults or busy professionals, welcome help with seasonal tasks they find physically demanding. Preteens can help with planting seeds in the spring, watering plants during the summer heat, harvesting vegetables, pulling weeds, mulching beds, or collecting seeds for the next season. This job teaches patience, responsibility, and an appreciation for growing food, with typical pay ranging from $10-15 per hour.
How Till can help your 12-year-old manage their money and develop financial skills
The Till debit card provides 12-year-olds with a secure, parent-managed way to handle their money while learning responsibility. Unlike traditional bank accounts that may have age restrictions or complicated fee structures, Till is specifically designed with young earners in mind.
As preteens start earning money from these jobs, having a safe and educational way to manage their earnings becomes essential. Till offers the best debit card and app for preteens, giving kids independence while allowing for parental oversight and guidance.
Benefits of Till for preteens and parents:
Real-world financial education: Kids learn to manage their earnings with a physical card that works just like an adult debit card but with parental oversight.
Saving goals: The app helps 12-year-olds visualize and work toward specific savings goals, such as buying a new bike or saving for bigger future purchases.
Parent controls: Parents can monitor spending, set limits, and help guide decisions while still giving kids a sense of independence.
Direct deposits: Neighbors and family friends can pay directly to the card (with parental approval), eliminating the need to handle cash.
No monthly fees: The free debit card and app are perfect for kids starting their earning journey. As kids get older, Till offers a premium tier that includes cashback, save rewards, and much more.
Chore and job tracking: The app can help track regular jobs and payments, teaching consistency and work ethic.
By combining age-appropriate jobs with a money management tool like Till, 12-year-olds can develop confidence, responsibility, and smart money habits that will benefit them long into adulthood.
Final thoughts
While preteens are often focused on earning for that new bike or video game, the life skills they develop through these early jobs are the real payoff. Years later, many young adults still reference these experiences in college and job interviews.
These early jobs for 12-year-olds teach children about responsibility, communication, problem-solving, and the satisfaction of earning their own money. Whether a preteen works throughout the year or just finds a summer job for a few months, the confidence they'll gain is priceless.
The journey of helping a 12-year-old find appropriate ways to earn money is rewarding for both the child and their parents. Watching them develop work ethic, learn to manage money, and grow in confidence creates memories and skills that will last a lifetime.
