Best Summer Jobs for Teenagers:
Be an Employee!

Looking for summer jobs for teenagers - ones where you earn a regular paycheck from an employer? But not sure exactly where to start looking past your neighborhood fast food place?

First, make sure you meet the age requirements for both federal and state (get started by reading this). If you are old enough under the guidelines, think about other limitations or advantages you may have. For instance, many of these student summer jobs may require that you have your own transportation. You will want to consider this when you do your teen job search. And don't forget to focus on doing something you enjoy as well as looking at the pay. Here are some suggestions on finding a job. that can fit you.

• Local amusement park. In our area, these are sought-after summer jobs for teens. They provide a steady schedule and paycheck. The park has lots of teens working in the summer which increases the fun factor. These jobs definitely require transportation and some physical stamina since you will likely be on your feet outdoors most of the time. The season for amusement parks is longer than some other summer options, but it is still limited so this won't turn into a year-round job.
• Local pools or waterparks. Most of these jobs are usually as lifeguards, but there can also be limited work in the snack counter or front office. Lifeguards require training and specific skills, so this may not work for everyone. Plus, unless there are also inside facilities or you are in the Sunbelt, these jobs have fairly limited seasons.
• Golf courses or driving ranges. It used to be that country clubs were the only place for golf courses - and the jobs there were limited to the kids who had parents as members. Not anymore. There are a number of public courses that don't even have members...anyone can play. Owners need help maintaining the course, stocking pro shops or snack bars and taking fees from golfers. Perfect summer jobs for teenagers!
• Local banks or other professional businesses. Often these business offer temporary summer employment that help them cover the vacations of their regular employees. In some cases, these are called internships (which can be paid positions or not) which are great student summer jobs. They usually offer work in an office environment that can give you exposure to many parts of the business. Pluses here include regular work hours and the possibility of carpooling with co-workers if you don't have your own car. The downside may be that the job is 40 hours per week.
• Retailers. This includes everything from Wal-Mart to shops in the mall to your local grocery store. The best part? They are usually air-conditioned stores - a blessing in 100 degree heat. The downside? You may be the summer fill-in for the regular staff to take vacation. That means that you may not have great flexibility or the number of hours you want. A better option? Focus on small, local retailers. Not only may you have a better schedule or the hours you are looking for, you may be more likely to learn the business.
• Fast food restaurants. The teen classic - and not as bad as it sounds. The advantages are that you usually have flexible scheduling and can learn basic customer service (something that will always come in handy). Be sure to look for friendly staff and good management. You can usually get a good idea of this from just being a customer or from the talk among other teenagers.

Of course, these aren't the only options. There may other choices in your area that are unique to where you live. Look around. Talk to older teens. Make sure you review the worst summer jobs for teenagers, though, some of those jobs might be on that list. And if you need help walking through the steps to land a job after you decide which one you want to pursue, check out these pages.

• Doing a teen job search.
• Landing a job. Tips on finding and getting any of the student summer jobs you want.
• Keeping the job. You've gotten one of the summer jobs for teenagers...now what?