Need a Summer Job? 15 Cities With the Highest-Paying Short-Term Gigs

Once upon a time in America, a summer job was a seasonal staple for teens. Over the years, summer jobs have become less and less common. The decrease can be partly attributed to the advent of internships, which many high-schoolers seek based on the career lessons internships can teach and the value they may provide on college applications.

The importance of summer jobs for teens may be fading, to an extent, but it is far from extinct. According to data from Gusto reported by USA Today, teens are expected to make up nearly one in five summer hires in 2023.

The question that now arises: Which locations tout the highest-paying summer gigs not only for teens, but for workers in general? To help answer this inquiry, Cool Jobs checked out data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 Quarterly Workforce Indicators and 2021 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ 2021 Regional Price Parities and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. 

Here are the 15 largest U.S. metro areas with the highest-paying summer jobs for teens, according to Cool Jobs’ findings. 

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• Average monthly earnings: $950
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 15.6%
• Number of teens working summer jobs: 24,868

Summer pay in Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown is decent enough to get ranked on this list; but if you are not a teenager living with your parents and need to pay all of the bills for your household: The average cost of living in Round Rock is $2,237, landing it in the top 4% of the world’s most expensive cities, according to LivingCost.org. 

• Average monthly earnings: $1,038
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 21.4%
• Total teens working summer jobs: 41,279

A summer job in the Denver area could bring in over $1,000. Note though that the cost of living here is on the rise: up 5.1% over the year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

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• Average monthly earnings: $908
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 23.6%
• Total teens working summer jobs: 16,291

Buffalo-Cheektowaga is a pretty sweet spot for a summer gig. It’s also fairly affordable compared to many other cities. The cost of living here is 27% lower than the state average and 5% lower than the national average, according to RentCafe. 

• Average monthly earnings: $1,195
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 11.6%
• Total # of teens working summer jobs: 31,386

Though summer gigs in the Bay Area pay decently, this is an incredibly expensive region to live in. Consider, for example, that in San Francisco, the median rent is $3,436, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Groceries are about 17% higher than the national cost.

• Average monthly earnings: $1,159
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 14.0%
• Total teens working summer jobs: 32,463

The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area is another example of a region where the cost of living varies — but it’s not cheap. In Tacoma, the cost of living is 23% higher than the national average, according to PayScale. In Bellevue, the cost of living is 66% higher than the national average, and in Seattle it’s 50% higher, PayScale finds. 

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• Average monthly earnings: $1,037
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 18.7%
• Total teens working summer jobs: 64,681

Yet another location where the summer pay is potentially adequate but the cost of living is steep. According to Livingcost.org, the average monthly cost of living in Chandler is $2,595, making it in the top 1% of the most expensive cities in the world. The cost of living in Mesa is 3% higher than the national average, according to PayScale. Phoenix is 4% higher than the national average, according to RentCafe. 

• Average monthly earnings: $1,205
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 10.5%
• Total teens working summer jobs: 21,277

Unfortunately, the cost of living in this area is outrageously high. In Chula Vista, the cost of living is 35% higher than the national average, according to PayScale, while in Carlsbad, the cost of living is 69% higher than the national average. According to RentCafe, the cost of living in San Diego is 44% higher than the national average. 

• Average monthly earnings: $977
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 13.4%
• Total teens working summer jobs: 9,019

It’s sunny in Tucson 300 days a year. But it’s rather pricey 365 days a year: 4% higher than the national average, according to PayScale.  

• Average monthly earnings: $1,156
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 14.6%
• Total teens working summer jobs: 22,409

Portland’s population has been shrinking of late, which could reflect a surplus in available gigs. But this area has become pretty expensive. The cost of living in Portland is 24% higher than the national average, per PayScale. 

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• Average monthly earnings: $1,060
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 14.8%
• Total teens working summer jobs: 23,046

A top vacation destination, Las Vegas is also a booming hub for working teens. It’s one of the more affordable places to live on this list, as it’s just 1% higher than the national average, according to PayScale. 

• Average monthly earnings: $1,295
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 9.3%
• Total teens working summer jobs: 76,196

This Southern California region boasts pretty good pay for summer gigs, but keep in mind the priciness of Los Angeles alone, where you need over $116,000 a year to live comfortably, according to a recent GOBankingRates study. 

• Average monthly earnings: $1,281
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 12.4%
• Total teens working summer jobs: 14,850

Ah yes, more great gig pay, considering, but high cost of living — 49% above the national average, according to PayScale.  

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• Average monthly earnings: $1,225
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 14.1%
• Total teens working summer jobs: 22,335

The historical home of the California Gold Rush, Sacramento is a potential gold mine for summer workers. And yet, one must factor in the high costs associated with living in the state capital. According to PayScale, this city’s cost of living is 19% higher than the national average.

• Average monthly earnings: $1,262
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 10.0%
• Total teens working summer jobs: 7,898

You stand to make over $1,200 working a summer gig in Fresno. Hopefully that’s enough to cover a cost of living that, according to PayScale, is 7% higher than the national average. 

• Average monthly earnings: $1,337
• Percentage of teens working summer jobs: 9.3%
• Total teens working summer jobs: 32,659

California for the win again! According to this list, the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area has the highest-paying summer gigs. But alas, this region is not terribly affordable. For example, the cost of living in Riverside is 17% above the national average, according to Salary.com.  

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