7 first job experiences boomers had as teenagers that paid for things kids today need loans for

Remember those stories your parents or grandparents tell about walking five miles to school, uphill both ways? Well, they might exaggerate the distance, but when it comes to what their teenage paychecks could buy, they're not stretching the truth at all.

During my years as a financial analyst, I saw countless data points about wage stagnation and inflation, but nothing hit home quite like discovering that my dad's summer job at a gas station in 1968 paid enough to cover his entire year of college tuition.

Meanwhile, I was still paying off student loans at 35, despite having worked multiple jobs through school.

The gap between what teenage jobs paid for then versus now isn't just about nostalgia or "kids these days" complaints. It's a fundamental shift in economic reality that deserves a closer look. So let's explore seven common first jobs boomers had as teenagers that actually paid for things that would require serious loans today.

1. Pumping gas to pay for college

Back in the 1960s and early 70s, working as a gas station attendant for a summer could legitimately cover a year of college tuition at many state schools.

The minimum wage in 1970 was $1.60 per hour, and average yearly tuition at a public four-year college was around $400. That's 250 hours of work, or about six weeks of full-time summer employment.

Today? Average in-state public college tuition runs about $11,000 per year. At the federal minimum wage of $7.25, you'd need to work over 1,500 hours just for tuition alone. That's more than 38 weeks of full-time work, not counting room, board, or a single textbook.

When I graduated from my state university, I had the kind of debt that made my stomach turn every time I looked at the balance. And I worked throughout college! The numbers simply don't add up the same way anymore.

2. Bagging groceries for a car

My father loved telling me about the used Mustang he bought with cash from his grocery store job when he was 17. He worked after school and weekends for about eight months and walked out of the dealership with the title in hand. No loans, no cosigners, just a teenager with a part-time job and a savings account.

Fast forward to today, and the average used car costs around $27,000. Even if a teenager managed to save every penny from a part-time minimum wage job working 20 hours a week, it would take them over three and a half years to save that amount. And that's assuming they have zero other expenses and somehow avoid taxes.

The reality? Most young people today need auto loans, often with their parents cosigning, just to get basic transportation to work or school.

3. Lifeguarding to fund a wedding

Here's one that might surprise you: boomers who worked as lifeguards during their late teens and early twenties often saved enough for their weddings. A summer lifeguard in 1975 might earn $3.50 an hour, and the average wedding cost around $2,500. That's about 18 weeks of full-time work.

Today's average wedding costs over $30,000. A lifeguard making $15 an hour would need to work full-time for an entire year, saving every single penny, to pay for that wedding. No wonder couples are taking out personal loans or putting wedding expenses on credit cards.

4. Delivering newspapers for a house down payment

This one sounds almost mythical now, but paper routes were serious money for teenagers in the boomer era. Combined with other part-time work through high school and early college years, many young people saved enough for a down payment on their first home by their early twenties.

In 1970, the median home price was around $17,000, making a 20% down payment $3,400. Entirely achievable for a dedicated saver working part-time jobs. Today's median home price? Over $400,000 in many areas. That 20% down payment of $80,000 might as well be on the moon for most young workers.

During the 2008 financial crisis, I watched as home ownership became an increasingly distant dream for younger generations. The data was clear: what used to be achievable through teenage savings and entry-level work now requires decades of saving or substantial debt.

5. Working retail for a year of rent

Boomers who worked at department stores or clothing shops could often cover their rent for months with just a few weeks of full-time summer work. In 1970, average monthly rent was about $108. A retail worker making $2 an hour needed just 54 hours of work to pay a month's rent.

Today, average rent exceeds $1,700 per month in many cities. At $12 an hour in retail, that's 142 hours of work just for rent. Nearly a full month of full-time work for one month of housing. Is it any wonder that student housing loans and parent PLUS loans have become so common?

6. Restaurant work that paid for textbooks and supplies

When boomers waited tables or worked in restaurant kitchens, a few good weekend shifts could cover an entire semester's worth of textbooks. Books might cost $50-100 per semester in the 1970s, easily covered by tips from a busy Saturday night or two.

Today's college textbooks average $1,240 per year. That server making $2.13 an hour plus tips would need significantly more than a few weekend shifts. Many students now turn to textbook loans or emergency student loans just to afford required course materials.

7. Lawn care business for spring break and summers abroad

Perhaps the most striking difference: teenage boomers who started lawn care businesses or did landscaping work could actually save for travel. A summer of mowing lawns could fund a spring break trip or even a summer abroad program.

I once calculated that my dad's teenage lawn care earnings from one summer in 1969 would have paid for a round-trip flight to Europe and several weeks of youth hostel stays. Today? That same relative income wouldn't even cover the flight, let alone accommodation and food. Study abroad programs now regularly require students to take out additional loans on top of their regular student debt.

Final thoughts

These aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet or bitter generational complaints. They represent a fundamental shift in what work means for young people and what financial independence looks like across generations.

The point isn't to say boomers had it easy or that today's youth lack work ethic. Having analyzed financial trends for nearly two decades, I can tell you the data doesn't lie: the purchasing power of teenage and entry-level work has dramatically decreased while the cost of major life expenses has skyrocketed.

Understanding this reality helps us have more compassionate and productive conversations across generations. It also highlights why financial planning looks so different today than it did 50 years ago. When your teenager says they can't afford something despite working part-time, they're not being dramatic. They're dealing with an entirely different economic equation than previous generations faced.

What matters now is acknowledging these differences and working together to find new paths forward, even if they look nothing like the paths our parents walked.