How Old Do You Have to Be to Get a Job? Federal Rules

Short answer: Under federal law, you generally have to be 14 to get a job outside agriculture. At 14 and 15 you can work only certain jobs and limited hours. At 16 and 17 you can work any hours in any job that is not declared hazardous. At 18 the federal youth rules no longer apply. Some jobs, such as delivering newspapers, acting and working in a parent’s business, have no federal minimum age. States can set stricter rules.

Teen employee starting a part-time job — Federal law sets the floor; your state may set more.

Federal minimum age by age group

Age	Non-farm jobs (federal rules)
Under 14	Generally not allowed, except the exempt jobs listed below
14 and 15	Allowed in approved jobs, with limits on hours and times of day
16 and 17	Any hours, in any job not declared hazardous
18 and older	No federal youth employment limits

These rules come from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). When federal and state law differ, the stricter rule applies.

Jobs with no federal minimum age

Children under 14 can do some work under federal law, including:

Delivering newspapers to consumers.
Acting or performing in movies, TV, radio or theater.
Working in a business wholly owned by their parents, except in mining, manufacturing or hazardous jobs.
Babysitting on a casual basis and minor chores around a private home.
Making evergreen wreaths at home.

Hour limits for 14- and 15-year-olds

Rule	Federal limit
During school hours	Not allowed
School day	Up to 3 hours, including Friday
School week	Up to 18 hours
Non-school day	Up to 8 hours
Non-school week	Up to 40 hours
Time of day	7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; until 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day

Example: a 15-year-old during the school year can work 3 hours on Monday through Friday after school (15 hours) and 3 more hours on Saturday, reaching the 18-hour weekly limit.

What 14- and 15-year-olds can do

Federal rules list the jobs allowed at 14 and 15. Common ones:

Cashiering, bagging, shelving and price marking in retail.
Office and clerical work.
Some food service: serving, busing, cleaning and limited cooking with equipment such as electric grills that do not use an open flame.
Lifeguarding at traditional pools, at age 15 with certification.

Not allowed at 14 and 15: most baking and cooking, operating power-driven machinery, construction, warehouse work, loading and unloading trucks, and any job barred for all minors.

Rules for 16- and 17-year-olds

Federal law puts no limit on hours or times of day at 16 and 17. The limit is on the work itself. The Department of Labor has 17 hazardous occupations orders that bar anyone under 18 from jobs such as:

Operating forklifts and other power-driven hoisting equipment.
Operating meat slicers, power-driven bakery machines, and paper balers and compactors.
Roofing, excavation, demolition, mining and logging.
Driving on public roads as part of the job, with narrow exceptions for 17-year-olds.

States often add their own hour limits for 16- and 17-year-olds, especially on school nights.

Farm jobs follow different rules

Agriculture has separate, looser federal rules. At 16, a minor can do any farm job, including hazardous ones. At 14 and 15, minors can do non-hazardous farm work outside school hours. Children 12 and 13 can work outside school hours with a parent’s written consent or on the same farm as their parent, and children of any age can work on a farm their parents own or operate.

Work permits and state rules

Federal law does not require a work permit, but many states do. Depending on the state, a minor may need an employment or age certificate, often issued through the school, before starting work. States can also set a higher minimum age, shorter hours, required breaks or earlier end times. Check your state labor department before hiring anyone under 18.

Pay rules still apply. Under federal law, employers may pay employees under 20 a youth minimum wage of $4.25 an hour for their first 90 consecutive calendar days, unless state law requires more. After that, the regular minimum wage applies.

Employer checklist for hiring minors

Confirm the applicant’s age and keep a record of date of birth.
Check your state’s work permit rules and get any certificate before the first shift.
Confirm the job and every task are allowed for that age.
Schedule within federal and state hour limits, including school-week limits.
Track actual hours, not just scheduled hours.

For employers, the full guide is child labor laws for employers. EZTime scheduling helps you build schedules that respect each employee’s availability, and the time clock records actual hours, with overtime and break alerts, so you can spot shifts that run past the limits.

Frequently asked questions