Two in five teens are making money from their hobbies, as side hustles replace traditional Saturday jobs

From reselling clothes to gaming, nearly 40% of teens have made money from a hobby, but many lack confidence with the financial side

Serious teenage girl with headphones working on laptop

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Published: September 21, 2026 at 12:03 PM

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If your teenager has started talking about selling clothes online, creating social media content or making money from gaming, they are far from alone. New research suggests almost two in five 16 to 17-year-olds have already turned a hobby, passion or skill into a source of income.

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Traditional teenage jobs such as paper rounds and weekend shifts appear to be becoming less common, while side hustles and passion-led ways of earning are increasingly appealing to young people.

New research from NatWest Thrive, NatWest’s financial education and future skills programme, found that 39% of the 1000 16 to 17-year-olds they surveyed have made money from a hobby or skill in the last two years, making an average of £389. And if they haven't done so already, nearly nine in ten aspire to earn money from something they enjoy.

What are teenagers making money from?

Selling unwanted belongings is currently the most common way teenagers are making extra cash, with 56% saying they have done this.

Other popular options include babysitting, charging for a skill or hobby, helping in a family business and buying items to resell for profit.

Traditional teenage work is still part of the picture, but just 15% of teens surveyed said they had made money from a newspaper round or weekend job, compared with 35% of adults who had done so at the same age.

Among teenagers looking to make money from their interests, creating social media content came top of the list of entrepreneurial ideas, followed by starting another small business, dog walking or pet care, gaming and streaming, and cooking or baking.

Teens are looking beyond a traditional salary

The research suggests young people's ideas about work are changing, too. Nine in 10 teenagers (91%) said they had made money, tried to make money, or would like to make money from a hobby, passion or personal skill.

Four in five (80%) said they would ideally like to have at least two different sources of income, while 34% said they would choose entrepreneurship over a secure, well-paid job.

For those interested in starting a business or side hustle, having greater control over their future was the most commonly cited motivation, at 42%. Seeing young people make money online was another factor for 28%, while 23% liked the idea of being able to start something online relatively cheaply.

AI is also becoming part of the picture. More than a third (35%) of teenagers said they are already using AI to come up with business or side-hustle ideas, while others are using it for things such as designing logos, creating social media content and managing money.

But the money side can be a challenge

While teenagers may be enthusiastic about earning their own money, the research highlights some areas where they feel less confident.

Paying tax was the area teenagers felt least confident about when it comes to running a business, with 33% saying they would struggle with it. Unexpected costs came next at 30%, followed by knowing how to fund or borrow money for a business at 23%.

There is also a gap between what young people see online and the reality of building an income. More than four in 10 (41%) said business and side-hustle content makes success look quicker than it probably is.

Teenagers also said they would like successful entrepreneurs to be more open about how long it took them to make a profit, the mistakes they made and how much money they needed to get started.

How can parents support a teen with a side hustle?

Emily Fuller, Head of NatWest Thrive, said parents can use their teenager's interest in earning money as an opportunity to build practical financial skills.

Rather than dismissing a business idea as "just a hobby", parents can ask questions about who it might help, how it could make money and what success would look like.

A first payment can also become a useful money lesson. Teens can be encouraged to keep track of what they earn, understand their costs and learn the difference between revenue and profit.

Starting small can be another way to keep things manageable. More than half of teenagers have already earned money by selling things they no longer wanted, providing a relatively low-risk introduction to buying, selling and managing money.

Parents can also help teenagers look beyond the highlight reel of social media, where successful side hustles can appear to happen overnight.

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The research was released alongside Money Talks by NatWest Thrive, a financial education initiative aimed at helping 16 to 17-year-olds understand the financial realities of entrepreneurship, side hustles and earning from their passions.

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