what is the highest paid job for a 16 year old?

[ramsamsam]

I can't afford to give my 16 year old DD nice things at the moment so she, very sensibly, wants to get a part time job to be able to buy herself things. She applied to Starbucks but you have to be 17 to work there apparently. I really don't want her working for 4 pounds an hour if at all possible. What is the highest paid job a 16 year old can get? She is smart and sensible. We live in London.

Also worth considering less traditional options - you mention she is smart and sensible, could she do set herself up as a private tutor for younger children?

If she has any interest in computers etc, she could do a online course on app/web development - no immediate recompense but that would be a skill you can definitely monetise in contract/part time way (and at the end of the day is likely to pay very well by comparison).

Is she strong academically? Even in just one or two subjects? We pay my daughters tutor £15 a hour and she’s a 6th former… plans on carrying on at Uni too as it’s flexible and well paid! That said she did get straight 9s at gcse and is predicted high a level grades. We asked at school for a suitable person and they asked the students if anyone was interested. It’s worked perfectly for all concerned 😀

Costa pay well, defo take on 16 year olds, not sure if they have to be post gcse though.....

Our local Greene King (Hungry Horse) employs a lot of 16yo's. They basically do everything except alcohol service (table service, glass collecting etc) and I believe they get paid pretty well.

As others have said, it's far easier to get the job you want when you already have a job and some experience.

Of course you shouldn't work for pittance BUT if a company pays under-18's the same as over 18's then there is little incentive for them to employ someone straight from school rather than someone who has experience.

This is the reason behind the Minimum Wage age bandings. Despite what some might suggest it's not to exploit young people but rather incentivise employers to take on inexperienced staff (who will likely require additional training etc) and give them experience rather than simply employ experienced (older) people to begin with.

Most retail does not pay the NMW for age as they would have no employees! My DD has been paid £8.50 to £9.50 an hour minimum since 16. Places like local cafes might pay £4 an hour if you can walk there but your Primarks and Costas pay adult min wage to everyone especially as most need to travel to them and it's uneconomic. They have high turnover (e.g. kids going to uni, travelling, changing jobs) so have to pay approx £10 an hour now.

Lifeguarding is a good job for a 16 year old. My son has been doing it since 16 , now 21. He always picks up shifts at David Lloyd during holidays from uni as they can only hire qualified staff and need people for the rota.

Anything that has a bit of skill or experience will pay more. My DS is a surf instructor in the summer which pays around £15/hour. He also coaches in a martial art. Friends do things like gymnastics coaching also works for younger teens.

Why would you want them to do that when you can work in McDonald's for £9 an hour? (That's what DSS got when he was 16, it'll likely be more now!)

What she might need to do is take a low paid job and start trading up. I did a month in my first weekend job on £1.60 an hour before moving on quickly to £3.50 an hour.

Once she has experience - she can trade up.

If she goes straight to McDonald's - great

Another vote for babysitting. I'm in London two young DC and the going rate for teenagers is £10 per hour. And that includes while they are asleep and the babysitter is just sitting studying or watching TV. She could knock on the doors of your neighbours or drop flyers through letterboxes offering babysitting, feeding pets while people are on holiday.

I worked for B&Q at that age (15 years ago) and was earning £10+ an hour, they also transferred me when I went away to uni. In my gap year I sold kitchens for them and earned more in that year than I did as my first year as a qualified midwife 😂

I'm sure my kids were paid substantially more than that just working in local shops and cafes at 16 or 17. Their best paid jobs were teaching piano and footaball refereeing, but obviously require specialist skills!

Not many places seem to be willing to take on 16 year olds now. The only job I have found (London suburbs) is lifeguarding, if you have that skill.
McDonalds pays well but most of their vacancies are for more hours than are suitable for someone at school.

My DS has worked at McDonald's since he was 16. Gets paid 9ph and has a really good team he works with whilst doing his A Levels. He takes home about £380 per fortnight and has saved up for his first car and supplemented the driving lessons we got him for his birthday.

Influencer, content creator, or YouTuber.

I know I’ll get bellowed at and shouted down by most on here for the moral side etc, but that’s where the money is .

SavoirFlair That just sounds a lot like suggesting she stars in an Oscar wining film to me. It's just not something the ordinary person can be sure to make money from.

Ah ok, no worries, you crack on @ramsamsam

Primark take 16 year olds round us.

I've had a couple of 16 year old who were lifeguards in a swimming pool and were paid £16.50 per hour. They only worked 3 hours each per week.

Mine have worked in Decathlon, KFC, Morrisions and Co-op - all reasonably well paid

My DD now 17 gets paid £20.48 an hour as a level 2 swim teacher and £10.50 an hour for lifeguarding, both of these roles require you to do the courses to qualify though.

My son is 16 and is getting £11 an hour in MacDonalds.