The teen summer jobs report 2026

For many teenagers across the UK, the summer holidays don’t just mean a break from school – they’re also the opportunity for a first real paycheque. Whether it’s pet-sitting, waiting tables, or working the floor in retail, a summer job can be the first taste of financial independence.

But what does the summer job scene look like for young people right now? We’ve analysed thousands of online job listings in the UK’s biggest cities to find out:

We also surveyed 2,000 UK 13-20-year-olds and found that 65% are planning to find a summer job this year. So what’s in store for them?

Despite over half (51%) of young people worrying there aren’t enough local summer job opportunities, our analysis found vacancies across every city we looked at. While London accounted for a third of the listings we analysed, opportunities weren’t just limited to the capital. Cities across the North and Midlands – including Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester – also offered a high number of roles.

Leicester, Stoke-on-Trent and Southampton were also hotspots, showing that mid-sized cities can rival major hubs for summer job opportunities.

The median hourly wage offered across the listings we analysed is £13.45, showing that summer jobs can be a great way to earn your own money, build confidence and pick up experience. The majority of roles offer at least £12, and only 7% offer less than £10.

And it’s not just a London thing: while London offered the highest average hourly wage, several cities in the Midlands and North weren’t far behind despite offering a lower cost of living. Across the listings we analysed, every city offered an average hourly wage between £12 and £16:

The majority of young people expect to earn £10-£12 an hour from a summer job, and the average expected wage was £10.87. By comparison, the median wage of £13.45 across our listings is a pleasant surprise, offering over £2.50 more per hour than young people expect. But remember – higher hourly pay doesn’t always mean you’ll earn more overall, the number of hours available matters too.

Hospitality takes the top spot, closely followed by retail. There are also roles in more specialised industries like logistics, while education and care sector roles are emerging as major sources of summer employment:

While hospitality and retail remain the backbone of summer employment, more than half of roles now sit outside these traditional sectors, including watersports instructor roles paying up to £25 an hour, and festival crew positions paying up to £18 an hour. So, if the shop floor isn't for you, there are plenty of niche opportunities that could be a better fit!

Every career starts somewhere, and for many, it starts with an assistant role. This was the most common position in our research, appearing in over 300 job titles. The positions available include retail roles like ‘sales assistant’ and ‘shop assistant’ as well as caring roles like ‘nursery assistant’.

If you’re applying for your first job, don’t worry if you don’t have lots of experience. Employers are often looking for reliability, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.

Summer isn’t just about work. If you’re hoping to earn money and still have time to see friends or go to a festival, there’s good news: over 50% of the listings we analysed are advertised as part-time. With 78% of young people agreeing that flexible hours would make them more likely to apply for a summer job, it’s good to know that earning some extra cash doesn’t have to come at the expense of making the most of the holidays.

Most young people (57%) turn to friends or family when looking for a summer job. While 42% still use the traditional method of walking into local businesses, most likely with a CV in hand, a growing number (27%) are turning to social media to find opportunities. So you might even spot your next summer job while scrolling TikTok.

Overall, almost half (46%) are worried about how easy it will be to find a job and over a third (36%) say they don’t know where to start their search. Popular sites like Indeed and LinkedIn regularly advertise entry-level and seasonal roles, while local employers often recruit through their own websites or advertise vacancies in-store. Checking a few different places, including job boards and social media, can help you find more opportunities and increase your chances of landing a role.

Landing your first summer job is exciting, and figuring out what to do with your first paycheque can be just as important.

With a Monzo 16-17 Account, you can get paid straight into your account and track where your money goes in real time. Saving for a festival, driving lessons or a holiday? You can put money aside each payday into a Savings Pot so it’s there when you need it, while keeping your spending money separate. And if your employer pays by Bacs, you can also use Get Paid Early to get your hands on your wages one business day early.

16–17 year olds only. UK residents. Ts&Cs apply. Get paid early is available to Monzo customers who get paid via Bacs.

Research methodology

The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2000 young people aged between 13-20 years old.

The data was collected between 21.05.2026 - 26.05.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles

Data was collected from Indeed between 25–29 May 2026, analysing more than 1,800 UK job listings in 19 of the UK’s biggest cities. Listings were identified using keywords related to seasonal employment, including summer jobs, seasonal jobs, temporary jobs, and student jobs. Data on job titles, locations, sectors, and pay rates were collected, with duplicate listings removed before analysis. The final dataset was used to identify trends in summer hiring opportunities across the UK.

Sources and research [1] www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates