25 Highest Paying Jobs for 18 Year Olds (with No Experience!)

Where should I look for a job?

Obviously, as an 18 years old kid who is just out of high school you may not have that much experience and e3xtencive resume. Your only experience may be working at the usual entry level jobs teenagers do. The good news is that there are tons of well paying jobs that don’t require a degree.

I’ll list some of the best below. But you can also use job search apps to find more.

Highest Paying Jobs for 18 Year Olds

Here are the best high paying jobs for 18 year olds with no experience or just a high school diploma.

1. Dog walker

• Average pay: $14 an hour
• Pay range: $10 to $29 an hour

Dog walkers get paid to, well, walk people’s dogs for them! This is a pretty simple job and it can be a lot of fun too! Find dog-walking jobs on Wag! or Indeed, or advertise your services locally.

2. Freelance writing

• Average pay: $23 an hour
• Pay range: $12 to $58 an hour. $0.01 to $0.10 per word.

Freelance writers are paid to create content for clients, which can include blog posts, books, and press releases.

You will need good research and writing skills. Since freelance writing jobs are often home-based, it gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes to your working schedule.

Here are some sites to find writing work:

• Textbroker
• Verblio
• BKA Content

You can also use websites like UpWork and PeoplePerHour to find private clients.

3. Voiceover work

• Average pay: $30 an hour
• Pay range: $14 to $149 an hour

Voiceover artists can earn up to $149 an hour! The average pay is $30 an hour too, making this one of the highest paying jobs for 18-year-olds.

As a voiceover artist, you provide narration for media, like audiobooks, YouTube videos, and tutorials. If you have the voice for it, then this could be the job for you. Often, you can do this job from home.

Here’s where you can find voiceover work:

• Voices.com
• Backstage
• Upwork

4. Work as a camp counselor

• Average pay: $10 an hour
• Pay range: $5 to $18 an hour

Working as a summer camp counsellor can be a good job for 18-year-olds.

Each camp will have its own requirements for counsellors, but most will hire 18-year-olds. Get in touch with camps in your area to ask about being a counsellor.

5. Virtual assistant

• Average pay: $16 an hour
• Pay range: $10 to $27 an hour

You could work as a virtual assistant. This is a home-based job where you often get to work on a freelance basis. As a virtual assistant, you’re paid to help with tasks like scheduling appointments, making phone calls, and organizing meetings.

Have a read of my post on how to become a virtual assistant for tips on how to get started and for a list of virtual assistant jobs.

6. Customer support agent

• Average pay: $13 an hour
• Pay range: $10 to $20 an hour

As a customer support agent, you’re paid to assist customers with any issues that they may have. You do need to be personable and patient for this job. What’s good about being a customer support agent is that many jobs are home-based.

7. Pet-sitter

• Average pay: $14 an hour
• Pay range: $5 to $44 an hour

Do you love animals? If so, working as a pet-sitter could be a good job for you. As a pet-sitter, it’s your job to take care of people’s pets while they are away at work or on vacation. There’s a lot of downtime in this job, and it’s pretty fun too! This can be a good side hustle for teenagers.

Here are a few places to find pet sitting work:

• Pet-Sitter.com
• Rover
• PetBacker

8. Data entry clerk

• Average pay: $13 an hour
• Pay range: $10 to $18 an hour

Being a data entry clerk is a good entry level job for 18-year-olds. You can earn up to $18 an hour, which is pretty good! As a data entry clerk, it’s your job to enter data into documents, spreadsheets, and other data management systems.

Here’s where you can find work:

• UpWork
• Clickworker

9. Deliver groceries with Instacart and Shipt

• Pay range: $5 to $25 an hour

With Instacart and Shipt, you’re paid to shop for and deliver groceries to customers’ homes.

With Shipt, you will need to have a vehicle in order to make your deliveries.

Instacart, however, also has an In-Store Shopper role that only requires you to shop for groceries and prepare them for the customer to collect. This means that you don’t need a car. Since you can earn up to $25 an hour, this can be a well-paid job for teenagers.

10. Barista

• Average pay: $12 an hour
• Pay range: $6 to $14 an hour

As a barista, it’s your job to provide people with coffee. Your duties can include preparing drinks, operating the cash register, and serving customers.

While having restaurant or barista experience is useful, many coffee shops are willing to train those who don’t have experience.

11. Online survey participant

• Pay range: $0.05 to $25 per survey

While not technically a “job,” doing some surveys online could still earn you extra money. You could even earn $100s a month just by taking surveys from home.

The best part about surveys is that anyone can do them, and you can take surveys when it suits you.

Some good survey sites include:

• Survey Junkie
• Ipsos i-Say
• Opinion Outpost
• Pinecone Research
• Darwin’s Data

Here are some payment examples to give you more of an idea of what you can earn on each site:

• Darwin’s Data pays you $25 per survey.
• Pinecone Research pays you $3 per survey.
• i-Say pays $0.10 to $1 per survey.
• Survey Junkie pays $1 to $3 per survey.

I would recommend that you sign up for multiple survey websites. Since you won’t qualify for every survey on one site, it’s ideal to be a member of a few websites. That way, you can get access to more surveys.

12. Search engine tester

• Average pay: $26 an hour
• Pay range: $10 to $49 an hour

Earn up to $49 an hour testing out search engines!

As a search engine tester, you check if the right results appear when you enter specific words or phrases into a search engine like Google or Bing. Basically, it’s your job to improve the internet.

Here’s where you can find search engine evaluator jobs:

• Appen
• Lionbridge

13. Rideshare driver

• Average pay: $15 an hour for Uber. $16 an hour for Lyft.
• Pay range: $3 to $43 an hour

Rideshare drivers provide a taxi service to people. Use an app to accept ride requests, and then give people lifts to where they need to go.

Here are a couple of popular rideshare companies:

• Uber
• Lyft

Both companies have a feature you can use to get paid the same day too, so this is a great way for young adults and teens to make money fast.

14. Postal worker

• Average pay: $19 an hour
• Pay range: $8 to $34 an hour

Postal workers can earn up $34 an hour. This is a job for early risers though. You get paid to deliver letters and parcels to people’s homes and businesses. Since this job often starts early, you have the rest of the day to spend as you choose.

15. Babysitting

• Average pay: $11 an hour
• Pay range: $8 to $17 an hour

Earn up to $17 an hour babysitting. Many parents need a babysitter, so they’re willing to pay you. You can often work evenings and weekends, so you could even do this alongside another job or school.

Here’s where you can find babysitting work:

• Sittercity
• UrbanSitter
• Bambino Sitters

16. Transcriptionist

• Average pay: $15 an hour
• Pay range: $10 to $28 an hour

Transcriptionists are paid to listen to audio, and then type or “transcribe” what they hear. Then, they deliver the transcription document to the client. This job is often freelance based, so you get to work from home. Transcriptionists can earn up to $28 an hour, so this can be a well-paid job for 18-year-olds.

Here’s where you can find work:

• Tigerfish
• 1-888-TYPE-IT-UP
• TranscribeMe
• Scribie
• CastingWords
• Athreon

17. Proofreader and editor

• Average pay: $18 an hour for proofreaders. $25 an hour for editors.
• Pay range: $12 to $30 an hour for proofreaders. $9 to $60 an hour for editors.

Proofreaders and editors are paid to check work like articles and books for mistakes, and in the case of an editor, structural elements. This is a work from home job that’s perfect for 18-year-olds looking to earn money.

Here’s where you can find work:

• Domainite
• ProofreadingServices.com
• Polished Paper

Have a read of my proofreading guide to learn more.

18. Graphic design

• Average pay: $23 an hour
• Pay range: $9 to $38 an hour

As a graphic designer, you’re paid to create digital illustrations and designs, such as logos, website banners, and flyers, for clients. You could earn up to $38 an hour.

Many graphic design jobs are freelance based, so this can be a good job to fit in alongside school or another side gig.

You can find work on sites like PeoplePerHour and UpWork.

19. Bank teller

• Average pay: $14 an hour
• Pay range: $8 to $18 an hour

Bank tellers serve bank customers. They assist with account transactions, such as cashing checks, receiving deposits, and issuing saving withdrawals. They may also sell checks.

Here’s where you can find bank teller jobs:

• Indeed
• ZipRecruiter
• Glassdoor

20. Swim instructor

• Average pay: $15 an hour
• Pay range: $8 to $26 an hour

Another job you may want to consider is being a swim instructor. You could earn up to $26 an hour.

You will need to get a certification. You can learn more from the Red Cross here.

Here’s where you can find swim instructor jobs:

• USASwimming
• Sunsational Swim School
• Indeed

21. Video editor

• Average pay: $23 an hour
• Pay range: $8 to $40 an hour

As a video editor, you are paid to edit videos for businesses and individuals.

For this job, you’ll need video editing skills, a fast computer, and the right software.

Here’s where you can find video editing jobs:

• Indeed
• UpWork
• ZipRecruiter
• Jooble

And, you can advertise your video editing services to individuals and businesses nearby.

22. Personal trainer

• Average pay: $23 an hour
• Pay range: $9 to $46 an hour

Personal trainers are paid to help people to get fit and healthy. If you’re interested in fitness, then this could be a good job for you. Personal trainers can earn up to $46 an hour, so this can be a high-paying job.

Learn how to become a personal trainer here.

Here’s where you can find personal trainer jobs:

• Indeed
• ZipRecruiter
• Glassdoor

23. Online ESL teacher

• Average pay: $19 an hour
• Pay range: $8 to $24 an hour

Get paid to teach English as a second language (ESL). ESL teachers teach people in a variety of countries how to speak English. Often, you can do this job right from home.

Here’s where you can find ESL teacher jobs:

• Indeed
• ZipRecruiter
• Cambly
• VIPkid

24. Blogger

• Average pay: Varies

Blogging can be incredibly well-paid. You could earn $1,000s a month from this.

Of course, when you first start your blog, you won’t make money. First, you will need to build up a following.

Once your blog starts getting traffic, you can start earning money from it.

There are a few ways to earn money from a blog:

• Ads on your site with Google AdSense
• Sponsored posts
• Affiliate links
• Selling products

To get started, you will need a domain name and hosting, which you can get from sites like Bluehost, HostGator, and GoDaddy. Then, you will need to publish your blog posts through WordPress.org.

25. Online tutoring

• Average pay: $19 an hour
• Pay range: $15 to $20 an hour

Online tutoring can pay pretty well. You can work from home too and set your own hours. You’re paid to tutor people online.

Here’s where you can find work:

• TutorMe
• Tutor.com
• Indeed

Closing Thoughts

If you’re looking for the highest paying jobs for 18-year-olds, make sure that you try some of the options on our list. There’s something to suit everyone from work at home jobs like freelance writing to jobs that get you out of the house, like dog walker or rideshare driver. So, give these jobs a try.