- New data from Monzo shows the typical summer job advertised this summer pays £13.45 an hour - nearly £3 more an hour than young people expected to earn
- Young people are now 1.5 times more likely to look for jobs through social media than through their school or college.
14th August, London: As the summer holidays begin to wrap up, new analysis from Monzo, a leading digital bank, has explored how summer job opportunities matched up to young people’s expectations.
Research analysing almost 2,000 online job listings across some of the UK’s biggest cities found that summer jobs this year pay a median wage of £13.45 per hour. This is almost £3 more than the £10.87 an hour young people expected to earn when surveyed at the beginning of the summer.
The survey of 2,000 13-20-year-olds, commissioned by Monzo and conducted by Censuswide, revealed young people’s expectations for the summer job season. The survey found that over half of teens were concerned about a lack of local opportunities, and over a third (36%) didn’t know how to find a summer job.
Summer job hotspots 2026
While over half (51%) of young people worried that there aren’t enough local opportunities, the research found hundreds of summer job listings across the UK's biggest cities.
London had the highest availability this summer, taking up a third of all listings analysed. Outside of the capital, Liverpool, Leicester, and Leeds offer the most opportunities, while mid-sized cities like Stoke-on-Trent and Southampton also emerge as unexpected hotspots.
The UK’s top 10 summer job hotspots this year are:
- London
- Liverpool
- Leicester
- Leeds
- Bristol
- Manchester
- Glasgow
- Edinburgh
- Southampton
- Stoke-on-Trent
What summer jobs pay
The median hourly wage across the listings analysed was £13.45. While the average pay was highest in London (£16.70), all cities analysed offer average hourly pay between £12 and £16. For many teens, this means a first pay cheque could be worth considerably more than they realise.
The biggest summer recruiters
When it comes to who's hiring, hospitality and retail lead the way, but they're far from the only options.
Over half of the roles analysed fell outside these traditional summer job sectors, ranging from festival crew members to water sports instructors.
- Hospitality and Catering
- Retail
- Logistics and Transport
- Education
- Admin and Office
- Health and Care
How young people find jobs
While asking friends and family or walking into local businesses with a CV in hand remain the most common ways to find a summer job, social media is becoming an increasingly important route. Young people are now 1.5 times more likely to look for jobs through social media than through their school or college.
Despite this, more than a third (36%) said they were unsure where to start their job search.
The main ways teenagers look for summer jobs are:
- Asking friends or family (57%)
- Walking into local businesses (42%)
- Online job boards (32%)
- Social media (27%)
- School or college (18%)
However they find their jobs, young people think it’s worth the effort: 90% say earning their own money makes them feel more independent.
Chris Mucklow-Norell, Head of Brand Marketing at Monzo, said: "It's really encouraging to see that summer jobs are paying well above what most teens expect. And with the responsibility that comes with it, a summer job can be so much more than just a way to earn extra money.
"A first pay cheque is a big milestone, and it's also the perfect opportunity to start building good money habits. Opening a bank account can help teens start taking control of their finances, building skills that will stay with them long after the summer’s over.”
Visit www.monzo.com/blog/the-teen-summer-jobs-report-2026 to find out more.
