On-Demand Jobs for People Under 21 Years Old

On-demand jobs are great opportunity for college students and people just starting out in the work world. Many of them don’t require much work experience, the hours can be adjusted to fit your schedule, and you don’t have to deal with a boss who yells at you for showing up five minutes late.

College towns are also filled with people who need rides, food delivery, and other on-demand services, and many more people that need to make money but can’t work traditional 9-to-5 jobs.

That’s why it has to be frustrating to many 18–20 year olds that they can’t work for the major rideshare companies. Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar all require drivers to be 21 years of age or older. It’s easy to understand the reasoning behind these policies: they want their drivers to have a longer driving history and less risk of accidents or other mistakes. This still prevents a large of group of potential workers from being a part of the major ridesharing networks.

Fortunately, there are a growing number of on-demand companies that will hire contractors that are under 21 years old. Each company has its own additional requirements when it comes to driving experience, type of vehicle, work experience, and other factors considered in your employment application.

Here are some on-demand companies you can consider applying to if you are under 21:

Postmates

Postmates offers delivery from any restaurant or store in your city. You can use a car, truck, motorcycle, scooter, or bike to perform deliveries. They are currently in a few dozen cities and are continuing to expand into more markets. You can set your own schedule and earn up to $25 an hour.

DoorDash

DoorDash offers restaurant delivery in 18 metro areas. You must be 18 years old and have an iPhone or Android smartphone to work as a dasher. You can make deliveries using your car, motorcycle, scooter, or bike, and you can even walk in some markets.

If you use a vehicle, you need 2 years of driving experience, a valid driver’s license, insurance, and a clean driving record.

Caviar

Caviar offers restaurant delivery in more than a dozen U.S. markets. Caviar couriers must be 18 or older, have a smartphone and a vehicle (car, motorcycle, bike, scooter). Work a flexible schedule and earn up to $25 an hour.

Luxe

Luxe offers on-demand valet parking. Luxe valets must be 18 years old with a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, and they must pass a criminal background check.

You don’t need your own vehicle, and you don’t have to worry about paying for gas and other expenses because you aren’t driving your own car. Luxe is currently available in nine markets across the U.S.

Sprig

Sprig offers healthy food delivered in San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Chicago. Sprig servers must have two your of driving experience. There are no vehicle restrictions, so people with older model or two-door cars can apply to be Sprig servers.

Many of these companies also have less stringent vehicle requirements than ridesharing networks do. If you have an older car or use a motorcycle, scooter, or bike, then these are good options for finding on-demand employment.

If you’re not sure which on-demand companies are active in your city, you can log into the Dispatcher app to check.

Originally published at Dispatcher Blog.