Side Gig Finder

How Old Must You Be for Each Side Gig?

Oct 14, 2026 — Side Gig Finder team

There is no one age for side gigs. Each gig sets its own youngest age. The gig’s own page is the place to find it.

This post says what each page says and where we read it. It also names the pages that say nothing. We read the pages between October 10 and 19, 2026. The Sources list gives each date. Pages change. Check the gig page before you apply.

Poll work: 16 in some places, 18 in others

Poll work means helping run a voting site on election day. Ages differ by place. The pages below are the state and county pages we read. If your place is not here, ask your local election office.

Three more come from a federal agency’s list of state laws. A compendium is a collected set of laws. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission made this one, in its August 2026 edition. Its Arizona entry cites 2023 laws.

See Work the Polls on Election Day.

Age 18: many platforms

Here is what each page says.

Grubhub. The driver page says delivery partners must be 18, and 21 or older in Las Vegas. The help center adds a rule for car delivery. If you are 18, you need at least 2 years of valid license. A license is the paper that lets you drive. We read the help center on October 11, 2026. See Deliver Food With Grubhub.

Mercari. The help center says you must be at least 18, or the age of majority. The age of majority is the age when the law treats you as an adult. Ages 13 to 17 need an account registered in the name of a parent or guardian. See Sell Your Stuff on Mercari.

Outschool. Teachers must be at least 18. Learners are a different group. Classes are for learners ages 1-18, and Outschool does not support classes for adults. That is the age of the students. It is not an age to work. See Teach Classes on Outschool.

Prolific. Prolific is a site where you take paid studies. Its pages use two wordings. The participant help page and the FAQ say you must be over 18. The researcher page says all participants are at least 18. “Over 18” and “at least 18” differ at exactly 18. If you are exactly 18, ask Prolific which one applies. See Take Paid Studies on Prolific.

Tutoring and teaching sites.

Typing, testing, and shopping.

Age 21: Papa (blog post)

The 21 comes from a Papa blog post for companion caregivers. It lists “Age 21 or older”. That page is a blog post, not the application page. See Visit Older Adults With Papa.

Age 55 and up: where you can be too young

Some gigs set a floor on the other side.

Both program rules come from federal rules. We read the govinfo.gov copies on October 19, 2026. See Get a Stipend With AmeriCorps Seniors and Work a Community Service Job With SCSEP.

Pages that do not say

On some gigs, the pages we could read print no age. Silence is not permission. It means we do not know.

Rev. We read the Rev freelancer page, the freelancer transcription page, an applicant page, and the press and blog pages. None gave a minimum age for freelancers. Rev lists what you need as a computer, reliable internet connection, and strong English skills.

Two other Rev pages print 18, but not for freelancers. Rev’s customer terms say a customer represents that it is at least 18. Rev’s privacy policy says its calling and texting program is only for people 18 or older.

The privacy policy also says the site is “not designed for children under the age of majority in any jurisdiction”. That paragraph gives no number. The policy applies to anyone who uses the site or services. It names no freelancers.

We could not read Rev’s help center for workers. A bot check blocked our tool. We also did not see the application form or the freelancer agreement behind sign-up. A freelancer age may be printed there. Check before you apply. See Type Audio for Rev.

Substitute teaching. A substitute teacher fills in when the regular teacher is out. We found no minimum age on these pages we read:

The five Swing pages are:

Swing’s page for subs lists no requirements. It says Swing guides you through them. Its other four pages list requirements but no age.

The other pages list other things:

Each state and district sets its own rules. We found no national age, and we claim none. We did not read other states’ education pages, or districts beyond Fairfax County. See Substitute Teach at Local Schools.

Do this today

Do this before you apply.

  1. Open the gig’s terms page or help page.
  2. Use the search tool in your browser. On a phone, look for “Find in page” in the browser menu.
  3. Search for “age,” “18,” “21,” and “minor.”
  4. Read the whole sentence around each match. Some say 18 in one place and 21 in another.
  5. If a page says an age, write it down with the page name and the date.
  6. If the page says nothing, treat your age as unknown. Do not treat it as allowed.
  7. If you are close to the line, ask the company before you spend time on an application.

Some gigs also check your record after you apply. Our post on that is Which Side Gigs Run a Background Check?

Sources and dates

Each line gives the page and the date we read it.

All posts or all gigs.