• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less

1

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
SuccessSide Hustle

Forget babysitting, ‘ultra high earning’ teens are making 5+ figures influencing

Orianna Rosa Royle
By
Orianna Rosa Royle
Orianna Rosa Royle
Associate Editor, Success
Down Arrow Button Icon
Orianna Rosa Royle
By
Orianna Rosa Royle
Orianna Rosa Royle
Associate Editor, Success
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 16, 2024, 8:52 AM ET
Some teenagers are earning over $10,000 from online side hustles, a new study shows.
Some teenagers are earning over $10,000 from online side hustles, a new study shows.Eva-Katalin—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Getting $10 pocket money for mowing the neighbor’s lawn is so last year. Some teenagers are racking up thousands of dollars from online side hustles.

In fact, recent research from the digital marketing platform Whop has found that there is at least one “ultra-high-earning” teenager in every U.S. high school making $10,000 or more each year without leaving their bedroom.

Thanks to TikTok, Depop, and Twitch, making money online has now surpassed traditional first jobs like waitressing and newspaper delivery, according to the report.

Around 42% of American teenagers are earning money through digital channels—with some of those as young as 12. Only 38% are in traditional jobs.

Although some aspirational youngsters—an estimated one in every 625 pupils—are making thousands from their side hustles after school, the study found that the average teen has earned $718 in the past year online.

“Ultra-high-earning”’” teenagers are influencing after school

It’s not just your Kardashians and D’Amelios who are making money from snapping selfies or posting product reviews on their grids—teenagers are getting in on the action after school.

According to Whop, one in three students under 18 has been approached by a brand to sponsor a product through their digital channels, or knows someone who has. 

Eight percent are reviewing products on their channels for cash and 7% have landed brand sponsorship deals. They’re earning $94 a year on average.

Although influencing isn’t the most popular way to make money—it ranks below selling clothes and streaming video games—it has the potential to be the most lucrative. 

While the average teenager is technically earning more (just over $100 a year) by selling their unloved hoodies, sneakers, jeans, and more, the few teens taking home more than $1,000 from online gigs are most likely influencing. 

According to the report, nearly half a million U.S. teens have hit the “high-earning” threshold, thanks to brand-sponsored posts. 

Top money-making schemes for teens

1. Selling clothes, footwear, or apparel accessories — 16.69% of teens
2. Streaming video games — 10.09%
3. Earning in-game currency — 10.79%
4. Video game tournament prizes — 9.20%
5. Product reviews — 8.75%
6. Brand sponsorship earning through social media accounts — 8.60%
7. Viewer earning from social media platforms — 6.55
8. Affiliate marketing (an agreement with a company to pay commission to influencers for visit/signup/sales of their product) — 5.70%
9. Dropshipping (buying and selling products) — 5.30%
10. Paid for unboxing videos — 4.90%

Entrepreneurial youth

This isn’t the first piece of research to suggest that young people are rejecting traditional ways of earning money. 

Last month, one study revealed that 72% of Gen Z workers don’t want to climb the ladder at work and step into management. Instead, they said they’d rather progress in an individual contributor role or go solo to cultivate their own personal brand.

It perhaps explains why the second fastest-growing job title among Gen Z grads on LinkedIn right now is “founder.”

Meanwhile, separate data shows that more than half of Gen Z say they would become full-time influencers if they had the opportunity, and the percentage has only gone up in surveys dating back to 2019.

Likewise, there’s a growing cohort of young people rejecting the rat race to join trades like landscaping, HVAC, and auto maintenance, where they can be their own boss and earn six-figure salaries without student debt. 

“The way people make a living is changing—Gen Alpha and Gen Z’s entrepreneurial mindset alone is proof of that,” Cameron Zoub, Whop’s cofounder, concluded in the report. “Our findings are clear: Younger generations are hungry for opportunities to make money online. It’s a sign of the times, and what more is to come.”

“They aren’t mindlessly scrolling as some would have you believe,” he added. “They’re building their networks, meaningfully engaging with brands, and creating their own path to financial freedom.”

Are you an “ultra-high-earning” teenager? Fortune wants to hear from you about your side hustle. Email Orianna.Royle@fortune.com.

The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
About the Author
Orianna Rosa Royle
By Orianna Rosa RoyleAssociate Editor, Success
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Orianna Rosa Royle is the Success associate editor at Fortune, overseeing careers, leadership, and company culture coverage. She was previously the senior reporter at Management Today, Britain's longest-running publication for CEOs. 

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Success

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Success

Students happy outside of school
SuccessColleges and Universities
One U.S. college is fixing tuition at just 10% of parental income: ‘We’re not hiding the cost of college behind secret formulas’
By Emma BurleighJune 25, 2026
4 hours ago
Sundar Pichai
SuccessCareers
Google CEO tells graduates to stop obsessing over first jobs because ‘very few moments are make or break’ in life—a lesson he learned in Vegas
By Preston ForeJune 25, 2026
5 hours ago
TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Ducket
SuccessFortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry
TIAA’s CEO made $26,000 in her first job but still maxed out her 401(k). She has advice for Gen Z
By Emma BurleighJune 25, 2026
5 hours ago
nido
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
As an immigrant turned entrepreneur and college president, here is why I celebrate our nation as it turns 250
By Nido R. QubeinJune 25, 2026
8 hours ago
Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
SuccessBillionaires
Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 25, 2026
13 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America’s $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
SuccessMacKenzie Scott
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America’s $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
2 days ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
13 hours ago
Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
Retail
Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
Asia
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
2 days ago
Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
Success
Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 25, 2026
13 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.