Does mowing lawsna nd washing cars count? I made about $100 a week when I was 12 years old. Of course, few people would allow an unlicensed 12-year-old to mow their lawn, let alone hand them the keys to their car (never further much than their driveway that is).
The racket ended when I turned 15. Demand fell, and 3 months later, I took up working for a flat rate as an assistant camp counselor. They moved me about, but for three weeks I was lucky enough to maintain the video arcade!
The first real job was working for Publix Supermarkets after camp ended, which I did for a little over 5 years while in high school and college. I bagged groceries, stocked shelves (actually a promotion!), and then was in charge of inventory, ordering, planning, etc. They got me on the cheap, looking back. But they let me set my schedule, no questions asked, after all those years. Pretty cool. I stated off at $4/hr and ended with $7.50/hr.
But I amassed a ton of employee stock benefits when I "retired", thanks the massive growth of the company during that time (1989-1995). Quiting paid me more than working there!
I was still in high school and had no car, so I'd ride a train to downtown Portland after school, work until 10 PM or so. I think minimum wage was $4.75/hr at the time and I was making whopping $5/hr, so they valued me highly. I started out as a dish washer, then a kitchen help. It was a easy job, and free dinner was a plus. 👍
