Let's be honest. Most advice on how to make a lot of money as a 13-year-old is total garbage. You’ve probably seen the lists. They tell you to walk your neighbor’s dog for five bucks or sell lemonade on a corner like it’s 1955. That isn't how you get rich. It’s how you get enough for a bag of chips. If you want to actually see your bank account hit four or five figures before you can even drive a car, you have to stop thinking like a "kid with a chore" and start thinking like a business owner.
Money doesn't care how old you are. It really doesn't. The internet has leveled the playing field so much that a middle schooler in a hoodie can out-earn a corporate lawyer if they understand one thing: leverage.
The Reality of Making Big Money Young
You're 13. You have legal limits. You can't get a "real" job at a grocery store or a fast-food joint in most places until you're 14 or 15. Even then, those jobs pay peanuts. If you want to know how to make a lot of money as a 13-year-old, you have to look at the digital economy or high-end service niches.
The biggest hurdle isn't your age. It's the law. In the United States, for example, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets the minimum age for most non-agricultural work at 14. But there’s a loophole as wide as the Grand Canyon: Self-employment. When you work for yourself, those specific "employee" age restrictions basically vanish. You just need a parent to help you with the "adult" stuff like signing contracts or setting up a PayPal account because, legally, you can't sign a binding contract until you're 18.
Why Most Kids Fail
Most kids fail because they give up when they don't make $1,000 in the first week. They see a YouTuber flashing a Rolex and think it happens overnight. It doesn't. To make actual money—we’re talking thousands of dollars—you need a skill that people are willing to pay for.
Think about it. Why would someone give you $500? They do it because you solved a problem that was worth $1,000 to them.
High-Income Digital Skills for Teens
If you want to stay in your room and work on a laptop, you need a high-income skill. This is the fastest way to scale.
Video Editing is a Goldmine.
Every single person with a YouTube channel or a TikTok account needs an editor. Good editors are hard to find. If you can learn how to use DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere Pro (which you can learn for free on YouTube), you can charge a lot. I’m talking $50 to $100 per short-form video. If you land three clients who need four videos a month, you’re suddenly making $600 to $1,200 a month. That’s a lot of money for a 13-year-old.
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The key here is specializing. Don't just be an "editor." Be the person who knows how to make "MrBeast-style" retention edits. Use fast cuts, subtitles that pop, and sound effects that keep people watching. Creators are desperate for high retention. If your edits keep people on the video, you are making the creator money, which means they will pay you more.
The World of Thumbnail Design.
This is another massive opportunity. A YouTube video is dead if nobody clicks it. The thumbnail is the most important part of the video. 13-year-olds who are good at Photoshop or even Canva can charge $20, $50, or even $100 for a single image. Look at guys like James Jani or MagnatesMedia; their thumbnails are works of art. If you can replicate that style, you will never be broke.
Coding and Web Development
If you're tech-minded, learning Python or JavaScript is basically like learning to print money. You don't need a degree. You just need a portfolio. Local businesses have terrible websites. Most of them look like they were made in 2004. If you can go to a local dry cleaner or a landscaping company and show them a sleek, modern landing page you built, you can charge $500 for a weekend of work.
The "Old School" Hustle (Upgraded)
Maybe you hate sitting at a computer. That’s fair. You can still make a ton of money in the "real world," but you have to stop doing "chores" and start running a "service business."
The Pressure Washing Game.
This is a classic for a reason. You can buy a decent pressure washer for a couple hundred bucks (or ask for one for your birthday/Christmas). Neighbors will pay $100 to $300 to have their driveway or deck cleaned. If you do two driveways a weekend, you're making $400 a week. That’s $1,600 a month. Compare that to a paper route that pays $20 a week. It’s not even a contest.
Reselling and Flipping.
This requires some starting cash, but it’s how many young entrepreneurs get their start. Look at the "sneakerhead" culture. While the market has cooled off a bit, flipping limited-release shoes or vintage clothes from thrift stores is still a massive business. Use apps like Depop, eBay, or StockX.
The secret to flipping is knowing the market better than the seller. If you spend your time at Goodwill looking for specific 90s streetwear brands that the workers there think is junk, you can buy a shirt for $2 and sell it for $45. Do that ten times a week.
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How to Handle the "Adult" Stuff
You can't have a bank account by yourself at 13. You just can't. You need a "Custodial Account." This is where your mom or dad signs for the account, but it's in your name.
- Step One: Get a custodial debit card like Greenlight or Copper. These are designed for teens and allow you to receive direct deposits or transfers.
- Step Two: Set up a PayPal or Stripe account through your parent. Most online platforms require you to be 18 to have an account, so you have to work under your parent's supervision. This is non-negotiable. If you try to lie about your age, they will eventually find out and freeze your money. Don't risk it.
- Step Three: Keep track of your taxes. Yes, even at 13. If you make more than $400 in a year from self-employment, the IRS (if you’re in the US) wants a cut. Set aside 20% of everything you earn in a separate "tax" folder. You'll thank yourself later.
Making Money Through Content Creation
Everyone wants to be a YouTuber. The problem? It takes a long time to make money from ads. You need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time. That could take a year.
Instead, think about Faceless Channels. You don't even have to show your face. You can make "Top 10" videos, AI-narrated stories, or niche news channels. Use stock footage from sites like Pexels or Storyblocks. If you pick a niche with a high CPM (Cost Per Mille)—like finance, tech, or real estate—the ad revenue can be huge once you finally qualify.
But don't wait for ad revenue. Use your channel to sell a service. If you have a channel about gaming, sell coaching sessions. If you have a channel about coding, sell your templates.
The "Social Media Manager" Angle
Small businesses are terrified of TikTok. They know they need to be on it, but they have no idea how it works. They don't know what "rizz" is, they don't know the trending sounds, and they definitely don't know how to edit a vertical video.
This is your superpower. You grew up with this.
Go to a local business—a gym, a cafe, a bookstore—and tell them you’ll manage their TikTok for $300 a month. Tell them you'll post three times a week. If you get five clients, you’re making $1,500 a month. You can do all the work from your phone during your lunch break or after school.
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How to Pitch:
Don't walk in and say, "Can I have a job?"
Walk in and say, "I noticed your last TikTok was from six months ago. I’m a local creator and I’ve helped other pages grow. I’d love to show you how we can get more people into your shop using Reels and TikToks. Can I send you a quick proposal?"
It's much harder for a business owner to say no to "more customers" than it is for them to say no to "a kid asking for money."
Important Warnings and Ethics
Listen, when you're 13 and making more money than some adults, it’s easy to get a big head. Stay humble. Also, stay safe.
- Don't share your personal info. Never give out your home address or full name to strangers online.
- Avoid "Get Rich Quick" schemes. If someone tells you that you can make $5,000 a day by clicking a button or "investing" in a weird coin, they are lying. They are trying to scam you.
- Balance school. It sounds boring, but don't drop out of life. You can build an empire and still pass algebra.
Moving Forward With Your Business
If you’re serious about how to make a lot of money as a 13-year-old, you need to start today. Not tomorrow. Not after your exams. Today.
Pick one thing. Just one. Don't try to be a video editor and a pressure washer and a sneaker flipper. You’ll end up doing all of them badly. Pick the one that fits your skills and your neighborhood.
Spend the next two weeks learning everything about that one thing. Watch every YouTube tutorial. Read every forum. Then, find your first client. Offer to work for free for the first person just to get a testimonial. Once you have one happy customer, you have proof. Once you have proof, you have a business.
Keep your costs low. Don't go out and buy a $3,000 laptop if your $400 Chromebook can do the job. Reinvest your profits back into your business. If you make $200, use $100 to buy better software or better equipment. This is how you go from making "extra cash" to making "a lot of money."
Actionable Next Steps
- Identify your "Marketable Skill": Are you better at talking to people (Sales/Service) or working on a computer (Editing/Coding)?
- Audit your gear: What do you already own? A phone? A bike? A lawnmower? Use what you have first.
- Talk to your parents: Explain your plan. You need them on your side to handle the legal and banking aspects. Show them you're serious by having a written plan.
- Set a "Client Goal": Don't set a money goal yet. Set a goal to find your first three customers. The money follows the work.
- Build a Portfolio: Whether it’s photos of clean driveways or a link to a YouTube video you edited, you need to show people what you can do. Proof is more valuable than a resume when you're 13.