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Key takeaways
Your 9-year-old asks for something, and you're trying to decide between yes, maybe, or no. There's another answer: “Why don't you earn the money for it?” Nine is a good age for this, because they can follow a few steps in order, count change, and feel pride in finishing something they said they'd do.
Federal law sets 14 as the minimum age for most non-agricultural work, so employers can't hire nine-year-olds. But there are plenty of jobs they can do to earn money, including special tasks around the house, small jobs for neighbors you know, and seasonal work like raking leaves.
Jobs around the house
Decide what the difference is between a chore and a job, and make sure your child is onboard. Chores are tasks they should do, even without an allowance. These include making their bed, doing homework, and cleaning their room.
1. Sorting recycling: $2 to $4 a week
Kids can sort cans, bottles, paper, and cardboard into the right bins and get them to the curb on collection day.
Parent tip: Have rinsing count as part of the job.
2. Vacuuming and dusting: $3 to $5 a room
They can vacuum a room you'd otherwise do yourself, like the living room, hallway, or stairs and dust shelves, sills, tabletops, and the tops of picture frames in the same room.
Parent tip: Remind them to vacuum under the furniture and along the baseboards and dust top to bottom.
3. Kitchen prep: $3 to $5 a meal
This entails measuring, stirring, plating, and setting and clearing the table.
Parent tip: Have them cut only with a kid-safe paring knife, and only while you're at the counter.
4. Laundry: $4 to $6 a load
They'll do a load from start to finish, including sorting, washing, drying, folding, and putting away.
Parent tip: If they can't reach the controls or choose settings yet, split the job and pay for sorting, folding, and putting away.
5. Weeding and watering flower beds: $8 to $15
Pulling weeds from one bed or border and watering what's planted there.
Parent tip: Show them what weeds look like, otherwise they might accidentally pull a plant.
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6. Organizing a garage, closet, or pantry: $8 to $15
Have them empty, sort, and put things back neatly and organized in one defined area.
Parent tip: Agree on where the job ends before they start, whether that's one shelf, one closet, or one corner.
7. Washing the car: $10 to $15
Have them wash, rinse, and dry the outside and vacuum the inside.
Parent tip: Start with your own car. After a few washes, family and neighbors can become paying customers at the top of the pay range.
Neighborhood gigs
These jobs happen on someone else's property, so keep it to neighbors you'd already trust with a house key, and go along at least the first few times. Be with your child when they make the arrangements, especially about dates and pay. It's better not to knock on doors to drum up work.
8. Bringing in trash and recycling bins: $3 to $5 a week
This entails rolling the bins from the curb back to the house on collection day for one or two neighbors.
Parent tip: Pay should be by the week, not the bin. A standing arrangement teaches kids the importance of being dependable.
9. Mail and package pickup: $3 to $5 a week
Collecting mail and moving delivered packages out of sight while a neighbor is away.
Parent tip: Ask the neighbor what's arriving and when, so a package that never arrives doesn't become your child's fault.
10. Dog walking: $5 to $8 for a 20-minute walk
Nine-year-olds can walk a small-to-medium, calm dog around the block, with you along.
Parent tip: For safety, the dog should not be bigger than your child can hold if it lunges.
11. Watering plants: $5 to $10 a week
This includes watering indoor plants, pots, and beds while neighbors travel or are at work.
Parent tip: Ask the neighbor for written instructions before they leave, including which plants to water, how often, and how much.
12. Pet feeding while neighbors travel: $5 to $10 a day
Feed, freshen water, and litter box or yard cleanup, once or twice a day.
Parent tip: Cats and caged animals suit this age better than dogs, since these pets don't require walks.
13. Running errands for an older neighbor: $5 to $10 a trip
Your child can take a short list when they go shopping with you and deliver items to the neighbor.
Parent tip: Let your child take the request, read the list back, and hand over the change.
Seasonal money-makers
These pay the best on the list, because the calendar brings customers and jobs. Nobody wants their walkway shoveled in July, but everybody wants it the morning after a storm.
14. Handmaking holiday cards: $2 to $4 each
Create cards and gift tags in batches and sell them to family, neighbors, and your coworkers.
Parent tip: Take orders before they make anything, or you'll end up buying fifty cards yourself.
15. Shoveling snow: $10 to $15 a walkway
Clear front steps, the walk, and the path to the mailbox, but not driveways unless they are small and manageable for a 9-year-old.
Parent tip: Send them out after the storm stops, not during, and set a time limit. Cold and effort both sneak up at this age.
16. Raking leaves: $10 to $20 a session
This entails raking, bagging, and getting the bags to the curb.
Parent tip: Bagging takes longer than raking. Settle whether it's included before anyone names a price.
17. Garage sale helper: $10 to $20 a day
Most 9-year-olds can price items, greet people, and keep an eye on the table.
Parent tip: Most kids this age need practice making change.
18. Lemonade or cocoa stand: $20 to $40 on a good day
Put a season drink stand out front, priced by the cup, with you nearby.
Parent tip: A stand near a park, a game, or a yard sale outsells a quiet street several times over.
You need to do two things before you put up a lemonade stand.
Check your local rules. About 15 states have passed laws letting kids run a stand without a permit, and the rest haven't.
Front the money for lemons, sugar, cups, and ice and have them pay you back out of what they take in.
5 Ground rules for safety and structure
Your child does the work, but the judgment calls are yours. When everyone commits to these guidelines, family safety and organization prevail.
1. Stay present or nearby, at least in the beginning.
A nine-year-old can do the job, but they may struggle if something unexpected happens. The dog might slip its collar, or a customer might hand over a twenty-dollar bill for a fifty-cent cup of lemonade. For jobs involving a street, a stranger, water, heat, an animal bigger than they are, or money from someone you don't know, stay present. For jobs at home, setting it up and checking the work is enough.
2. Use an effective way to keep everyone in the loop.
As your child starts scheduling jobs for neighbors, friends, and family, everyone should be able to see what's going on. A shared family digital calendar and planner in the home, placed in a prominent place, can help everyone stay updated and informed. Greenlight Family Hub puts everyone's chores, jobs, and schedules on a shared screen, so a nine-year-old can see for themselves that Thursday is a watering day and a parent knows, too.
3. Some jobs should wait a few years.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests push mowers only for kids 12 and up and riding mowers for 16 and up. Kids this age are too young for ladders, roofs, gutters, power tools, sharp knives, and babysitting without an adult in the house.
4. For inside jobs, a parent should come with the child.
Feeding a cat or watering plants means you go too, at least in the beginning, even for neighbors you've known for years.
5. It's okay to stop.
If a dog is too strong, a person makes them uneasy, or the job turns out bigger than they are, they can walk away and still get paid for what they finish. Have that discussion before they start.
If your 9-year-old has a birthday soon, check out jobs for 10-year-olds.
Help your 9-year-old build savings with odd jobs
Whether it's running a lemonade stand, washing cars, or watering plants, your child can earn their own money and learn the value of being responsible.
As they start earning cash, kids need a place to save it. The Greenlight all-in-one family finance and safety app includes an easy-to-use debit card¹ and valuable features like cash back,** savings rewards*** and financial literacy games. Your child can also learn to invest their cash with your guidance* to start building wealth.
Empower kids to earn and learn. Manage chores, jobs, and allowances. Teach kids to earn, save, and invest with the Greenlight app. Try Greenlight.
FAQ
Can a 9-year-old have a real job?
Not a hired one. Federal law sets 14 as the minimum age for most non-agricultural work. Odd jobs for family and neighbors are fair game.
How much should I pay a 9-year-old?
Around $3 to $5 for small jobs inside the house, $10 to $20 for outdoor work, and $20 to $40 for a good day at a lemonade stand. Pay a flat rate per job rather than by the hour.
What's the difference between a chore and a job?
Chores are what they should be doing anyway, like making their bed or cleaning their room. A job goes past that. Vacuuming their own room may be a chore, while vacuuming the downstairs is a job.
Should a parent be involved when a child works for neighbors?
Yes. Settle the dates and the pay with the neighbor yourself, and go along for anything involving a street, a stranger, or an animal. Nobody goes inside a house alone, even one you know well.
What tasks are considered hazardous work for minors?
Federal law prohibits 17 hazardous occupations to anyone under 18, including roofing, excavation, demolition, driving, and power-driven machinery, which covers lawn mowers, trimmers, and weed-eaters. Those rules govern paid employment, not chores at home. A good rule of thumb is if a task is off-limits to a 17-year-old employee, it's off-limits to your nine-year-old.
Do kids need a permit for a lemonade stand?
It depends where you live. About 15 states have passed laws exempting kids' stands from permits, and the rest leave it to local rules. Check with your city first.
The Greenlight Family Hub requires WiFi connectivity and is available for use with all Greenlight plans. Some features require a subscription. See Terms for more details.
¹The Greenlight® prepaid card is issued by Community Federal Savings Bank, member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard International.
*Available with Greenlight Max, Infinity, and Family Shield plans.
© 2026 Greenlight Investment Advisors, LLC (GIA), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor provides investment advisory services to its clients. Investing involves risk and may include the loss of capital. Investments are not FDIC-insured, are not a deposit, and may lose value.
**Greenlight Max, Infinity, and Family Shield families can earn 1% cash back on spending monthly. To qualify, the Primary Account must be in Good Standing and have a verified ACH funding account. See Greenlight Terms of Service for details. Subject to change at any time.
***Greenlight Core families can earn 2% per annum, Greenlight Max families can earn 3% per annum, Greenlight Infinity families can earn 5% per annum, and Greenlight Family Shield families can earn 6% per annum on an average daily savings balance of up to $5,000 per family. To qualify, the Primary Account must be in Good Standing and have a verified ACH funding account. See Greenlight Terms of Service for details. Subject to change at any time.
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