How much should I pay my child per chore?

It depends on the child's age and the difficulty of the task. A common starting point from Greenlight and BusyKid survey data: $0.50-$1 per chore for ages 4-6, $1-$3 for ages 7-10, and $3-$5 for ages 11-14. Harder tasks like mowing the lawn or cleaning bathrooms should pay more than simple tasks like making the bed. The key is consistency - pick rates and stick with them so kids learn to predict their earnings.

Should all chores be paid or should some be unpaid?

Most child development experts recommend a hybrid system. Keep basic household responsibilities unpaid - things like making their bed, putting dishes in the sink, and picking up their toys. These are "family contribution" chores everyone does because they live in the house. Then offer paid "extra" chores that go above and beyond: washing the car, organizing the garage, weeding the garden. This teaches both responsibility and the work-to-income connection.

At what age should kids start earning money for chores?

Kids as young as 3-4 can start with unpaid chores like putting toys away. Paid chores work best starting around age 5-6, when children can understand the connection between completing a task and receiving money. A 2019 survey by the American Institute of CPAs found that the average age parents start giving allowance is 8, but many families begin earlier with small amounts ($0.50-$1 per task) tied to simple jobs.

How do I handle it when my child refuses to do their chores?

With a priced chore chart, the consequence is built in: no work, no pay. Avoid punishing or nagging. Instead, let the natural consequence teach the lesson. If your child skips chores for a week and then wants to buy something, point to the chart and the empty earnings column. Most kids course-correct within 1-2 weeks when they see their peers or siblings earning money they are not. Stay calm and consistent.

Should chore prices increase as kids get older?

Yes. Just like real jobs, the pay should reflect the complexity and effort involved. A 6-year-old sorting laundry earns $1. A 12-year-old doing full loads of laundry (sorting, washing, drying, folding) earns $3-$4. Revisit your chore chart every 6-12 months, especially as your child takes on harder tasks or their expenses grow. This also teaches kids that developing skills leads to higher earning potential.

By Penny Time Editorial April 19, 2026

Part of our Earning hub.

Allowance Chore Chart With Prices: What to Pay Kids for Every Task

You know your kids should help around the house. You might even believe they should earn their spending money. But when it comes to putting actual dollar amounts on each chore, most parents freeze up. How much is "taking out the trash" worth? Should you pay for making the bed? What if your 8-year-old argues that $1 for vacuuming is not enough?

A chore chart with prices solves this by making the rules visible and consistent. Kids see exactly what each task pays, decide which chores they want to take on, and learn the direct connection between effort and income. According to a 2019 survey by the American Institute of CPAs, 86% of kids who receive allowance say they earned at least some of it through chores. The system works because it mirrors the real world: you work, you get paid.

Here is how to set up a chore chart with prices that actually works for your family, with specific dollar amounts by age group.

Step 1: Split chores into unpaid and paid categories

Before assigning prices, divide tasks into two lists. This is the part most parents skip, and it causes arguments later.

Unpaid chores (family responsibilities): These are tasks every family member does simply because they live in the house. No one gets paid for them.

Making their own bed
Putting dirty clothes in the hamper
Clearing their plate after meals
Picking up their own toys and belongings
Brushing teeth and basic hygiene

Paid chores (extra work): These go beyond basic self-care and contribute to the household. This is where the price list lives.

Our chores vs. no chores guide walks through three different allowance models if you are still deciding which approach fits your family.

Step 2: Set prices by age group

These ranges come from Greenlight, BusyKid, and RoosterMoney survey data. Adjust based on your budget and local cost of living, but these give you a solid starting point.

Ages 4-6: $0.50-$1.50 per chore

Feeding a pet - $0.50
Putting away groceries (lower shelves) - $0.50
Dusting low surfaces - $0.75
Sorting laundry by color - $1.00
Watering plants - $0.50
Matching socks - $0.75

Ages 7-10: $1-$3 per chore

Emptying dishwasher - $1.50
Vacuuming one room - $2.00
Taking out the trash - $1.00
Sweeping the kitchen - $1.50
Folding laundry - $2.00
Wiping down bathroom counters - $1.50
Raking leaves (small yard) - $3.00

Ages 11-14: $2-$5 per chore

Mowing the lawn - $5.00
Cleaning the bathroom (full) - $4.00
Washing the car - $5.00
Doing a full load of laundry - $3.00
Cooking a simple meal - $4.00
Weeding the garden - $3.00
Organizing the garage or closet - $5.00

Ages 15-17: $5-$15 per chore

Deep cleaning a room - $8.00
Grocery shopping with a list - $10.00
Babysitting younger siblings (per hour) - $8.00
Yard work (mowing + edging + cleanup) - $15.00
Cleaning out and organizing the car - $10.00
Painting a fence or wall - $15.00

Use our chore chart tool to generate age-appropriate chore lists with paid and unpaid tags for your child's specific age.

Step 3: Set weekly earning caps

Without a cap, your 10-year-old will try to do 47 chores on Saturday morning. A weekly maximum keeps things realistic and prevents your family budget from ballooning.

Practical caps by age:

Ages 4-6: $3-$5 per week
Ages 7-10: $5-$10 per week
Ages 11-14: $10-$20 per week
Ages 15-17: $20-$40 per week

The allowance calculator can help you figure out the right weekly total based on your child's age and your family situation.

Step 4: Make the chart visible

A chore chart stuffed in a drawer does not work. The chart needs to be somewhere your child sees every day - the fridge, a kitchen wall, or a family bulletin board. For each chore, include:

The task name
The dollar amount
A checkbox or space for the child to mark it done
A space for a parent to verify (younger kids need this)

Digital options work too, especially for older kids. Penny Time tracks chores, payments, and savings all in one place, so you do not need to manage a paper chart and cash separately.

Step 5: Pay on a consistent schedule

Pick a pay day and stick to it. Weekly works best for kids under 12. Biweekly or monthly can work for teens, since it more closely mirrors real paychecks. The critical rule: pay on time, every time. If you are inconsistent, kids stop trusting the system and stop doing the chores.

Once they receive their pay, have them split it. The allowance splitter helps kids divide their earnings into save, spend, and give categories before they spend everything in one go.

Common mistakes to avoid

Paying for everything: If making the bed earns $1, you have removed any expectation of basic responsibility. Keep core self-care tasks unpaid.
Negotiating prices mid-week: Set prices once, review quarterly. Constant renegotiation teaches kids to argue instead of work.
Paying before the work is verified: Especially with younger kids, check the work before signing off. A half-vacuumed room is not a completed chore.
Inconsistent paydays: Forgetting to pay destroys trust and motivation faster than anything else.
Setting prices too high: If your 7-year-old earns $25 a week with minimal effort, there is no incentive to learn the value of money.

What if the chore chart stops working?

Every family hits this. After 4-6 weeks, the novelty wears off and participation drops. Three things that help:

Rotate chores monthly. Fresh tasks feel less boring than the same list forever.
Tie earnings to a savings goal. When your child saves for something specific - a $30 game, a $50 pair of shoes - the motivation is concrete. The savings goal calculator makes the timeline visible.
Add seasonal or one-time bonus chores. Spring cleaning the garage for $15 or raking all the leaves for $10 gives a boost when the regular list feels stale.

The underlying lesson here goes well beyond household tasks. Kids who grow up connecting effort to earnings, managing a predictable income, and making spending choices with their own money develop financial habits that stick into adulthood. A priced chore chart is one of the simplest ways to start that process.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

: It depends on the child's age and the difficulty of the task. A common starting point from Greenlight and BusyKid survey data: $0.50-$1 per chore for ages 4-6, $1-$3 for ages 7-10, and $3-$5 for ages 11-14. Harder tasks like mowing the lawn or cleaning bathrooms should pay more than simple tasks like making the bed. The key is consistency - pick rates and stick with them so kids learn to predict their earnings.
: Most child development experts recommend a hybrid system. Keep basic household responsibilities unpaid - things like making their bed, putting dishes in the sink, and picking up their toys. These are "family contribution" chores everyone does because they live in the house. Then offer paid "extra" chores that go above and beyond: washing the car, organizing the garage, weeding the garden. This teaches both responsibility and the work-to-income connection.
: Kids as young as 3-4 can start with unpaid chores like putting toys away. Paid chores work best starting around age 5-6, when children can understand the connection between completing a task and receiving money. A 2019 survey by the American Institute of CPAs found that the average age parents start giving allowance is 8, but many families begin earlier with small amounts ($0.50-$1 per task) tied to simple jobs.
: With a priced chore chart, the consequence is built in: no work, no pay. Avoid punishing or nagging. Instead, let the natural consequence teach the lesson. If your child skips chores for a week and then wants to buy something, point to the chart and the empty earnings column. Most kids course-correct within 1-2 weeks when they see their peers or siblings earning money they are not. Stay calm and consistent.
: Yes. Just like real jobs, the pay should reflect the complexity and effort involved. A 6-year-old sorting laundry earns $1. A 12-year-old doing full loads of laundry (sorting, washing, drying, folding) earns $3-$4. Revisit your chore chart every 6-12 months, especially as your child takes on harder tasks or their expenses grow. This also teaches kids that developing skills leads to higher earning potential.

Track chores and allowance in one place

Penny Time lets kids see their chores, mark them done, and watch their earnings grow. Parents set the prices, kids do the work. Free for the whole family.

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