How much allowance should a 6th grader get per week?

Based on data from Greenlight (7 million families) and the RoosterMoney 2025 Pocket Money Index, the average for an 11-year-old falls between $10 and $12 per week. If the allowance only covers discretionary spending like snacks and entertainment, $10 is reasonable. If your child also pays for school lunch extras or birthday gifts for friends, $12-$15 is more realistic. Use the amount that matches what you expect them to cover.

Should a middle schooler earn their allowance or get it for free?

Research supports both approaches. A 2019 AICPA survey found that 80% of parents who give allowance require kids to earn it through chores. However, many child development experts recommend a hybrid: a base amount for learning money skills (not tied to chores), plus optional extra earnings for tasks beyond everyday household responsibilities. This gives your middle schooler consistent practice managing money while still connecting effort to income.

When should I increase my middle schooler's allowance?

The best time to raise allowance is when your child takes on new financial responsibilities, not just when they ask for more. Starting to buy their own school supplies, covering their phone data plan, or managing their own clothing budget are all good triggers. An annual birthday increase of $1-$2 per week keeps pace with their growing social costs. RoosterMoney data shows a steady upward curve through the middle school years.

Is $20 a week too much for a 13-year-old?

It depends entirely on what the $20 covers. If your 13-year-old uses that money for school lunches, weekend outings, personal care items, and friend birthday gifts, $20 may not stretch far enough. If it is pure spending money on top of everything you already pay for, it is above the national average of $14-$16 for that age. The real question is not the dollar amount but whether the responsibility matches the money.

Should I give allowance weekly or monthly in middle school?

Weekly works better for most 11-12 year olds who are still building budgeting habits. By 8th grade (age 13-14), consider switching to biweekly or monthly to practice longer-term planning. T. Rowe Price research shows that kids who manage money over longer intervals develop stronger self-regulation around spending. Start weekly, then stretch the interval as your child shows they can make the money last.

By Penny Time Editorial May 8, 2026

Part of our Allowance hub.

Middle School Allowance: How Much to Give Your 11-14 Year Old

Middle school changes everything about allowance. Your kid is no longer saving up for a $7 toy. They want lunch with friends on Friday, a movie ticket on Saturday, and a birthday gift for a classmate next week. The $5-per-week system that worked in elementary school stops making sense around 6th grade.

At the same time, 11-14 year olds are old enough to handle real budgeting. They can plan ahead, compare prices, and feel the consequences of spending too fast. This makes middle school the best window to move from "here is your spending money" to "here is your budget, you decide how to use it."

Average allowance by grade: 6th through 8th

Based on data from Greenlight (7 million families) and the RoosterMoney 2025 Pocket Money Index, here is what middle schoolers typically receive:

6th grade (age 11): $10-$12 per week. Covers small personal purchases, snacks, and occasional outings.
7th grade (age 12-13): $13-$15 per week. Social spending increases as kids start going out with friends independently.
8th grade (age 13-14): $15-$20 per week. More social events, personal care products, and growing independence.

These are averages. Your family's number depends on your local cost of living, what the allowance is expected to cover, and your household budget. A $12/week allowance in rural Kansas stretches further than $12 in Brooklyn. The allowance calculator can help you find a starting point based on your child's age and what you want them to manage.

Why middle school is the time to change your system

Most families start with a simple flat-rate allowance. Five dollars every Saturday, no strings attached. That works well for 6-9 year olds who are learning that money is finite and choices have tradeoffs.

Middle school is when flat-rate stops teaching much. Your child can handle more, and they need to. Within a few years they will be managing part-time job income, and eventually a full budget. The transition from flat-rate to responsibility-based allowance gives them a practice run.

Responsibility-based means the allowance covers specific categories. Instead of "$12 to spend on whatever," it becomes "$18 to cover your school lunch extras, weekend activities, and personal purchases." The total goes up, but so does what they are responsible for. You stop buying those things separately.

This shift does two things. First, it gives your middle schooler real budgeting practice with real consequences. If they blow the whole amount on Monday, they pack lunch from home the rest of the week. Second, it often saves parents money because you stop making one-off purchases throughout the week.

Not sure if your child is ready for the switch? The allowance quiz walks through readiness signals for different approaches.

What your middle schooler should pay for

The best allowance systems grow with the child. Here is a realistic breakdown of what middle schoolers can manage on their own:

Start with these (6th grade):

Snacks and treats outside of family meals
Small personal items (stickers, accessories, trading cards)
Entertainment with friends (movies, arcade, mini golf)

Add these by 7th grade:

Birthday and holiday gifts for friends
School supplies beyond the basics (fancy notebooks, colored pens)
Apps, games, and digital purchases

Add these by 8th grade:

Personal care items (deodorant, hair products, skincare)
Clothing accessories beyond what you provide
Phone-related costs (extra data, screen protectors, cases)

Each time you add a category, increase the allowance to match. Do not hand them more responsibility without more money to cover it. The allowance splitter can help your child divide their budget across categories so they know exactly how much goes where.

How to set the right amount

Forget the national averages for a minute. The right number for your family comes from a simple exercise:

Track what you already spend on them for two weeks. Count every snack run, movie ticket, friend's birthday gift, and impulse buy you cover. Most parents are surprised by the total.
Decide which of those expenses shift to the child. Pick 2-3 categories to start. You can always add more later.
Add a small buffer. Round up by $2-$3 per week so they have room to make a mistake without going completely broke.
Set it and review quarterly. Do not adjust week-to-week based on how they spend. Let them feel the consequences of bad choices. Review the amount every 3 months and adjust if their responsibilities have changed.

Run your numbers through the allowance calculator to see how they compare to families with kids the same age.

Common mistakes with middle school allowance

Bailing them out. When your 12-year-old burns through their weekly budget by Wednesday, the temptation is to hand over a few extra dollars. Do not. The point of allowance at this age is learning to plan ahead. A hungry Friday teaches more than any lecture about budgeting. Pack them a lunch and let the lesson land.

No clear expectations. If you have not told your child what the allowance is supposed to cover, they will treat it as pure fun money and still ask you to buy everything else. Write it down together. A short list on the fridge works.

Inconsistent payments. According to T. Rowe Price research, kids who receive allowance on a regular schedule develop better financial habits than those who get irregular amounts. Pick a day and stick to it. If you forget constantly, set a recurring reminder or use an app that automates it.

Keeping the same amount too long. A 6th grader's allowance should not be the same in 8th grade. Social costs rise every year in middle school. Review the amount at each birthday and adjust for new responsibilities.

Making middle school the turning point

Research from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shows that hands-on money practice during adolescence leads to better borrowing decisions, lower debt, and higher savings rates in adulthood. Middle school is the sweet spot: old enough to handle real responsibility, young enough that mistakes are cheap.

The goal is not to get the dollar amount perfect. It is to give your child enough money and enough responsibility that they are making real choices every week. A middle schooler who learns to stretch $15 across five days of social life is building a skill that pays off for decades.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

: Based on data from Greenlight (7 million families) and the RoosterMoney 2025 Pocket Money Index, the average for an 11-year-old falls between $10 and $12 per week. If the allowance only covers discretionary spending like snacks and entertainment, $10 is reasonable. If your child also pays for school lunch extras or birthday gifts for friends, $12-$15 is more realistic. Use the amount that matches what you expect them to cover.
: Research supports both approaches. A 2019 AICPA survey found that 80% of parents who give allowance require kids to earn it through chores. However, many child development experts recommend a hybrid: a base amount for learning money skills (not tied to chores), plus optional extra earnings for tasks beyond everyday household responsibilities. This gives your middle schooler consistent practice managing money while still connecting effort to income.
: The best time to raise allowance is when your child takes on new financial responsibilities, not just when they ask for more. Starting to buy their own school supplies, covering their phone data plan, or managing their own clothing budget are all good triggers. An annual birthday increase of $1-$2 per week keeps pace with their growing social costs. RoosterMoney data shows a steady upward curve through the middle school years.
: It depends entirely on what the $20 covers. If your 13-year-old uses that money for school lunches, weekend outings, personal care items, and friend birthday gifts, $20 may not stretch far enough. If it is pure spending money on top of everything you already pay for, it is above the national average of $14-$16 for that age. The real question is not the dollar amount but whether the responsibility matches the money.
: Weekly works better for most 11-12 year olds who are still building budgeting habits. By 8th grade (age 13-14), consider switching to biweekly or monthly to practice longer-term planning. T. Rowe Price research shows that kids who manage money over longer intervals develop stronger self-regulation around spending. Start weekly, then stretch the interval as your child shows they can make the money last.

Put their allowance to work

Penny Time helps middle schoolers track allowance, set savings goals, and learn to budget on their own. Free for the whole family.

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