Typical weekly allowance at age 8
$7.22
Per month
$31.29
Per year
$375.44
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Average weekly allowance by age
The table behind the calculator, in full. Ages 5 to 16 are published 2025 averages from Greenlight; age 4 is our estimate since published per-age data starts at 5.
| Age | Average per week | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4* | $5.00 | $21.67 | $260.00 |
| 5 | $6.18 | $26.78 | $321.36 |
| 6 | $6.44 | $27.91 | $334.88 |
| 7 | $6.79 | $29.42 | $353.08 |
| 8 | $7.22 | $31.29 | $375.44 |
| 9 | $7.86 | $34.06 | $408.72 |
| 10 | $8.53 | $36.96 | $443.56 |
| 11 | $9.35 | $40.52 | $486.20 |
| 12 | $10.37 | $44.94 | $539.24 |
| 13 | $11.59 | $50.22 | $602.68 |
| 14 | $13.13 | $56.90 | $682.76 |
| 15 | $15.26 | $66.13 | $793.52 |
| 16 | $17.89 | $77.52 | $930.28 |
* Our estimate; see methodology below.
Chore-based or unconditional?
The honest answer: US families do both, and mostly a mix. The AICPA's survey found 80% of allowance-giving parents require it to be earned, and T. Rowe Price found 59% pay only when it's earned. The case for a mix is practical: an unconditional base gives your child steady money to practice saving and budgeting, while chore-linked money teaches that income follows effort. If you want help deciding what the chores themselves should be, our free chore chart maker suggests age-appropriate tasks.
Where these numbers come from
Per-age figures are 2025 averages published by Greenlight from US app families. Age 4 is our estimate anchored to RoosterMoney's US report and the $0.50 to $1 per week per year of age rule popularized by Ron Lieber. Broader parent surveys (T. Rowe Price, AICPA) report higher averages because they lump in teen spending money and cash gifts, so treat our table as a conservative benchmark.
- Greenlight: Average allowance by age (2025). Per-age weekly averages from Greenlight app families; the spine of our table (ages 5 to 16).
- RoosterMoney: US Allowance Report (2016). Ages 4 to 14; anchors our age 4 estimate.
- T. Rowe Price: Parents, Kids & Money Survey (13th annual) (2021). 59% of parents pay allowance only when it's earned; mean $19.30 per week for ages 8 to 14.
- AICPA: Allowance survey with The Harris Poll (2019). 80% of allowance-giving parents tie it to chores; all-ages average $30 per week.
Worth knowing: app-measured data like Greenlight's skews toward financially engaged families, and general surveys skew high by counting gifts and teen spending money. The truth for your family is whatever fits your budget and your values. For the full discussion, read our guide on paying allowance for chores.