Summer is here, kids are out of school, and it might be time to have the older ones start to pull their own weight on the financial front. Not necessarily to help out with the normal household bills, but to stop them from breaking your wallet while they’re on break.

But what kind of job should they get? What is a good starter job for a youngster in Washington? We have some ideas, and you can check them out below.

My first job was working for my father doing custodial services at a music store in Yakima called Talcott Music. Yep, at the ripe old age of 5 years old, I was sweeping stairways and vacuuming hallways. It was for my “allowance,” although my brother and I didn’t get a traditional allowance, my normal custodial payment was getting to recycle the pop cans.

Doing this so young taught me several lessons about working for something, how much you appreciate and take care of what you spend your money on, and the importance of recycling.

kids loading a big black bag into the back of a white van.
Jeromey Balderrama via Unsplash
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At that same time, my grandparents took advantage of the willing child labor by having us help out in the orchards. Changing water early in the mornings, setting gopher traps, picking up brush, and occasionally my grandfather would trust me to pick apples (but never on the latter, that was reserved for my older brother).

shoes standing on grass, next to a bag full of apples
LeeAnn Cline Via Unsplash
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Should you send your child to the orchards for the first job? Maybe. It is hard work, but being away from a screen and getting some fresh air and sunshine couldn’t hurt the youngin’.

READ MORE: When will Washington Workers 'Burn Out'?

My first OFFICIAL job (complete with its very own W2 form) was at Thompson’s Fruit Stand in Naches. I loved it. It taught me about customer service, completing tasks on my own, the hustle of everyday work responsibilities, and, sadly, to a lesser extent, taxes.

Those were my first three jobs: custodial, orchard worker, and fruit stand clerk. The one job I always wanted to give a try during the summer, was at a car wash. You get to beat the heat by being surround by water, nice clean cars, and non-stop squirt gun fights against dead bugs. Maybe for my next career.


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So there are 4 ideas, but we promised 11, so here are 7 more ideas of summertime jobs for teens that are a perfect fit for Washington.

The 7 Best Summertime Jobs for Teens in Washington State

Here are a few ideas for the best summertime jobs for teens in Washington State

Gallery Credit: Rik Mikals


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Whatever job your teen might fall into, they may hate it, but in the long run, they’ll either look back on it fondly or realize it could have been worse.
What was your first job? Tap the App and let us know.

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Gallery Credit: Rik Mikals