Girls earned more than boys through part-time jobs during 2010 for the first time in five years, a survey suggested.

The average girl aged between eight and 15 earned £18.77 a week last year, 46p more than the £18.31 the typical boy earned, according to Halifax.

It is the first time that girls have earned more than boys since 2005, when at £25.52 they earned nearly a pound more than their male counterparts.

Overall, both sexes earned an average of £18.52 a week last year, 59p more than in 2009, and the third consecutive year during which the figure has increased.

Around eight per cent of children have a part-time job, rising to 14 per cent among those aged between 12 and 15, working for an average of five hours a week.

Unsurprisingly, older children earn more than their younger counterparts, with those aged 12 to 15 earning £19.05 a week, compared with £14.80 for those aged between eight and 11.

A paper round was the most popular job held by children and teenagers at 45 per cent, followed by working in a shop at 15 per cent and babysitting at 13 per cent. Two-thirds of children also received money for doing jobs around the house.

Flavia Palacios Umana, head of savings products at Halifax, said: “Many children are choosing to take on a part-time job to increase their own income levels, giving themselves the financial means to save up for something special that they really want.”

TNS questioned 1,204 children aged between eight and 15 between August 26 and September 2.