Reviewed by the Penny Time editorial team

Average Weekly Allowance by Age in the US (2025)

You hand your kid a few dollars and immediately wonder if you got it wrong. Too much? Too little? Is every other family giving more? "How much allowance by age" is one of the most searched money questions parents ask, and the honest answer depends on age, your budget, and what the money is supposed to cover. But you do not have to guess. Real numbers exist, and they give you a range to anchor to.

Here is the figure worth knowing first. The average weekly allowance for kids aged 5 to 17 is about $13. Greenlight's 2025 data across its user base puts the average at $13.15 a week for ages 5 to 19, rising from roughly $6 at age 5 to more than $21 by age 17.

That number comes from Greenlight, the kids' debit card and money app, based on families who already use its product. It is a useful benchmark, not a nationally representative survey, so treat it as a starting point. The age-by-age pattern underneath it is where the real guidance lives.

Average weekly allowance by age (chart)

The overall average hides a lot. A 5-year-old and a 17-year-old handle very different amounts, and the gap widens fast once kids hit their teens. Here is the weekly figure broken down by single year of age, using Greenlight's 2025 data.

If you prefer broader stages, the group averages look like this:

• Ages 5 to 8: about $6.66 a week
• Ages 9 to 11: about $8.58 a week
• Ages 12 and up: about $18.11 a week

The jump around ages 12 to 14 is the one to plan for. That is when kids start covering more of their own small costs, from snacks to app purchases to hanging out with friends, and the allowance rises to match.

The $0.50 to $1 per year of age rule

Many parents skip the chart and use a quick heuristic instead: pay somewhere between $0.50 and $1 per week for each year of age. A 7-year-old lands at $3.50 to $7. A 12-year-old lands at $6 to $12. A 16-year-old lands at $8 to $16.

Compare that to the table above and you can see the trade-off. The rule tracks the real data well for younger kids, then runs low for teens, whose real-world costs climb faster than a simple formula. Use the lower end ($0.50) if allowance is pure pocket money, and the upper end ($1) if your kid is expected to cover real expenses. To see where your kid lands on any version of the rule, our allowance calculator does the math and shows the age-appropriate range side by side.

How your numbers might differ from the averages

Greenlight's figures come from families who already use a kids' money app, so they may skew a bit higher than a broad national picture. For comparison, T. Rowe Price's Parents, Kids and Money survey found a national mean weekly allowance closer to $19, a figure pulled up by older teens and by the smaller group of families who give larger amounts. Averages and medians tell different stories, so do not worry if your household lands below the headline number. Plenty of families do.

What matters more than matching an average is being consistent. A kid who gets a smaller amount every week on a predictable schedule learns more about managing money than one who gets a big irregular windfall now and then. In one survey, 78% of parents said gamifying money, turning saving and chores into a clear game with rewards, helped their kids build better habits, and 86% of families who talk openly about money said their kids feel more confident handling it.

Chores or fixed allowance? A quick decision layer

Greenlight's page gives you the numbers but skips the harder question: should the money be tied to chores? There is no single right answer, but the two models teach different things.

• Fixed allowance (paid no matter what, with chores handled separately as part of being in the family): teaches budgeting and saving because the income is reliable. Best for younger kids and for parents who want chores to feel like a shared responsibility, not a paid job.
• Chore-based allowance (paid for specific jobs done): teaches the link between effort and earning. Best for kids who respond to clear incentives, though it can backfire if a kid decides some weeks the money is not worth the work.

Many families run a hybrid: a small guaranteed base plus extra for bigger optional jobs. Whichever you pick, write the deal down so your kid knows exactly what earns what. A visual chore chart keeps it clear, and pairing allowance with a wants vs needs conversation helps your kid decide what to do with the money once it lands.

The point of allowance is not the amount

It is easy to fixate on the exact dollar figure, but the real value of an allowance is the practice it gives your kid: handling their own money, making a choice, running out before the week is over, and learning from it. Those are the lessons that stick. A slightly higher or lower number will not change that.

Use the benchmarks to feel confident you are in a sensible range, then set an amount you can sustain every week without strain. Split it into spend, save, and give so even a young child learns that not every dollar is meant for today. Consistency and a few simple habits will do more for your kid's money sense than hitting any average exactly.

Give your child their own Penny Time

Penny Time turns allowance into playful Quests your child plays on their own phone or tablet. They make real money decisions and see how each one turns out, while you set it up and stay in charge of every cash-out.

Set the allowance and growth budget, invite your child, and they play on their own device. No device for them yet? Penny Time still works as your allowance tracker.

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