Allowance by Age: How Much to Give Kids From 5 to 16
How much allowance should kids get by age? Concrete weekly amounts for ages 5–7, 8–10, 11–13 and 14–16, a base-plus-bonus model, and how to adjust as they grow.
The short answer: allowance by age
A common rule of thumb is roughly $1 per week per year of age for younger kids, with a bit more per year once a child takes on real expenses of their own. That works out to about:
- Ages 5–7: $2–$5 a week
- Ages 8–10: $5–$10 a week
- Ages 11–13: $10–$20 a week
- Ages 14–16: $20–$50 a week, often paid monthly
These are starting points, not rules. The right amount depends on your household budget and, above all, on what the child is expected to pay for. A 15-year-old who buys their own clothes needs more than a 15-year-old who only needs movie money. What matters is that your child knows what the money covers and that the rules stay the same from week to week.
Below you will find suggested amounts and responsibilities for each age band, a simple base-plus-bonus model, and a plan for adjusting as your child grows.
Ages 5–7: first contact with money
At this age, allowance is about discovering that money can be counted, saved and swapped for things. The amount barely matters. The routine is everything.
Suggested amount: $2–$5 a week. Cash works well early on, because the child can see and hold it. Many families move to a digital setup once school starts.
What the child can be responsible for:
- Putting away their own toys and clothes in the hamper
- Setting and clearing the table with an adult
- Feeding a pet with help
- Getting their own backpack ready for school
Typical "own" expenses: small things like stickers, a treat on Saturday or saving up for a toy. Help your child split the money into a "spend now" jar and a "save" jar, ideally two see-through containers. That is the first budgeting lesson, and it sticks.
Ages 8–10: regular duties and small choices
Now your child understands that a week has seven days and that $8 does not last if it all goes to candy on Monday. It is a golden age for introducing a clear agreement.
Suggested amount: $5–$10 a week. Many families settle around $7–$8.
What the child can be responsible for:
- Keeping their own room tidy without help
- Emptying the dishwasher or taking out the trash on set days
- Vacuuming a room
- Keeping track of homework and sports gear
Typical "own" expenses: snacks, weekend treats, small games, gifts for friends. Your child should run out of money once or twice. That is cheap learning now and expensive learning at 19.
This is also the age when the nagging for extra money tends to start. A base-plus-bonus model, explained below, takes a lot of that pressure off. You can read the guides on allowance for a 10-year-old and chores for a 10-year-old.
Ages 11–13: more responsibility, bigger items
Early middle school is what many parents call "the hard phase" for allowance. Kids want freedom, compare themselves with classmates and suddenly have expenses like phone plans, clothes and lunch money.
Suggested amount: $10–$20 a week, or $40–$80 a month. Consider switching to a monthly payout. It builds the habit of planning over a longer stretch.
What the child can be responsible for:
- Cooking simple meals and cleaning the kitchen afterwards
- Doing their own laundry from start to finish
- A fixed weekly job like the bathroom or the floors
- Picking up small grocery items from a list
Typical "own" expenses: things with friends, games and subscriptions, some clothes and shoes within an agreed limit. Write down what is the child's responsibility and what parents still cover. Fuzziness here is the source of most arguments.
Comparison with other kids is almost unavoidable. If you hear "everyone else gets more", we have collected nine answers that actually work. See also allowance for a 13-year-old.
Ages 14–16: budgeting for real
By now, allowance should look like a small budget. Many teens this age also earn money from summer jobs or babysitting, and it is perfectly fair for the family's contribution to take that into account.
Suggested amount: $20–$50 a week, in practice $80–$200 a month depending on what it covers. Some families add a separate "clothing budget", for example a fixed amount each season.
What the teen can be responsible for:
- Larger recurring chores at home without reminders
- Their own spending on clothes, leisure and phone
- Saving for something big: a laptop, a trip, a first car fund
- Keeping a simple record of money in and out
Typical "own" expenses: most things apart from food at home, housing and school costs. A good sign is when your teen starts saying no to things because they "can't afford it this month". That means the system is working.
Base plus bonus: the model that works for most families
There are two extremes. Some parents give allowance with no strings attached; others pay only for work done. Both have weaknesses. With no conditions, kids learn little about the link between effort and money. With pay-only, kids may refuse to help "for free".
Combining the two takes the best of both:
- A fixed base every week, no matter what. This is the child's practice budget and should never be used as punishment.
- Regular duties, unpaid. Tidying up, setting the table, keeping their room. That is just how a family works.
- Bonus jobs with a price tag. Washing the car, raking leaves, cleaning windows, extra babysitting. The child chooses whether to take the job.
An example for a 10-year-old: $6 base, plus bonus jobs at $2–$5 each. A busy week might bring $15, a quiet week $6. The child sees the connection without losing the basic security.
For siblings, use the same model with age-adjusted amounts and jobs. It makes "why does she get more than me" much easier to answer. There is more on that in fair allowance for siblings.
How to adjust the amount
An allowance that never changes quickly becomes "wrong". Either too little, and the child nags, or too much, without the responsibility keeping pace.
- One scheduled adjustment a year. A birthday or the start of the school year are natural moments. The child expects a conversation anyway.
- Move responsibility before you move the amount. If the child is getting more, something new should become their responsibility at the same time, such as snack money or the bus pass.
- Write it down. A simple agreement on the fridge, or in an app, ends the "you never said that" debate.
- Do not use allowance as punishment. Take away bonus opportunities rather than the base. Otherwise the child loses trust in the whole system.
- Compare with your own budget, not the neighbors'. The amount should be something you can pay every single week without stress.
Start this week
- Pick the age band and a fixed weekly amount from the list above.
- Write down three regular duties that are unpaid, and three bonus jobs with a price.
- Choose a fixed payday. Friday works well for many families.
- Have a short talk with your child and ask what they think the money should cover.
- Set a date one year from now for the next adjustment.
Many families use a whiteboard on the fridge. Others prefer an app like Kroni, where kids earn virtual coins for chores, parents approve them, and rewards are agreed within the family. There is no real money in the app, so it works just as well for a 6-year-old with a piggy bank as for a 15-year-old with a bank-linked card. The idea is the same: regular duties, visible bonus jobs and an agreement everyone can see.
Whatever tool you choose, the routine does the work. A small amount that arrives every single week teaches more than a large amount that arrives whenever someone remembers.
You will find more articles on the topic under allowance and by age.
Frequently asked questions
- How much allowance is typical for a 10-year-old?
- Many families land somewhere between $5 and $10 a week for a 10-year-old, often as a fixed base plus a small bonus for extra chores. What matters most is that the amount fits your budget and the child knows what it is meant to cover.
- Should allowance be tied to chores?
- A mix works best for most families. A small fixed amount gives practice managing money no matter what, while a bonus for extra jobs teaches that effort pays. Everyday duties like tidying up after yourself should stay unpaid.
- At what age should we start giving allowance?
- Around 5 to 7, once your child understands that money can be swapped for things and can count a little. Start small, for example $2 to $3 a week, and raise it as responsibility grows.
- How often should we adjust the amount?
- Once a year is enough, ideally on a birthday or at the start of the school year. Have a short talk about what the child will now pay for themselves, and set the new amount from that.
