Summer jobs are a great way to step out of your comfort zone, take on more responsibility and earn your own money. Though finding the time during the summer to work can be a difficult task for many students who participate in other activities, these five ideas will guide you in finding a job that fits your crazy schedule.

If you are looking to earn some extra money this summer, Forbes Magazine suggests these five summer jobs that are perfect for teens and pay well:

Tutoring is a great way to interact with younger students and develop relationships with new people. During summer, there is a high demand for tutors as many parents look to hire people to teach their children subjects that might be hard for them during the school year. If you are interested in helping younger students, tutoring is a perfect job for you.

Golf caddying, especially at a country club, “can be one of the highest-paying jobs. On average, a teenager can earn over 100 dollars on 18-holes with very generous tips. If you don’t mind sweating a little bit, interested in golf and earning lots of money this summer, this job is for you. When it comes to a busy summer and having little time for a job, Laila Elbakkal ‘21 says, “The hours [for caddying] are extremely flexible. In fact, I choose when I work; all I have to do is sign up for am and/or pm however many days per week I would like.”

Being a youth sports referee is the job for you if you enjoy sports and being outdoors. Though there is some light training required and a certification, most of these training sessions tend to be only a day long. The need for youth level sports referees has increased as more and more children are playing youth sports. Reffing is a great job for younger people as Forbes Magazine states that, “Depending on the sport and location, kids can become refs between twelve to fourteen years old.” Especially with many youth sports holding various tournaments during the summers, many games occur in a day. By reffing so many games, you can earn lots of money during the summer as the average pay for a youth referee is about thirty dollars per game.

Babysitting during the summer is a great job for a teenager looking to earn money and who might have a busy schedule. By being able to pick and choose your own hours and times you are available, this allows you to earn money and have a job, while not interfering with your other obligations. The demand for babysitters and nannies over the summer is high as many parents have busy work schedules and need someone to take care of their children during the days. Because the demand is so great for babysitting, the average pay for babysitters is thirteen dollars forty-four cents according to Forbes Magazine. Being a full-time nanny is definitely a more time-consuming task as you have to be pretty available to take children to and from their various activities throughout the day. Gabby Monahan ‘20 adds, “[The hours] aren’t flexible really at all. Since the kids [that I nanny] are young, they have to be picked up at a certain time, I go straight from my school to the youngest child’s, then we go to the other child’s school and get to their house around 4:30 every day.”

Being a lifeguard is another great summer job, yet you have to be willing to sit in the hot summer sun and be ready for high-stress experiences when needed. It takes a lot of responsibility to be a lifeguard as you are in charge of everyone’s lives who are in the pool. In order to be one, many teens have to complete a Red Cross lifeguard certification course. According to Forbes Magazine, “lifeguards make nine dollars twenty-five cents per hour on average for lifeguarding at a standard swimming pool, yet the average pay is closer to twenty dollars an hour for lifeguards working at lakes, beaches or waterparks.”

These are only some of the many summer jobs for teenagers that pay well. In general, having a summer job is very beneficial as you are able to make your own money so that you aren’t as reliant on your parents, it gives you more responsibility as you are accountable for yourself to get to work on time and show up during your hours/shifts. Having a job is also beneficial as they help you develop important life skills such as time management, confidence and allow you to branch out socially and meet people you might not usually interact with.