Can 14 and 15 year olds get a job? Jobs can help teens gain confidence, independence, and experience in a workplace. In the United States, 14 year olds are legally allowed to get a job--it’s the minimum required age for most allowable work (in fact, the federal government has put guidelines and mandates in place for your safety and to prevent child labor abuse).
Teen jobs can be a great way to instill character and responsibility in teens. Whether you’re a parent wondering how to get your young teen working and learning about the value of a dollar, or a teen looking to get a seasonal job to extra spending cash, you’ve come to the right place. The CareerBliss team will help you navigate the ins and outs of teenage jobs. This article will discuss the options that teens have for employment as well as tips to help select a job that fits your interests.
Benefits of getting a job from a young age
All things considered, there are several reasons why getting a job as a teenager is a great idea. Not only does it build a sense of pride and achievement from a young age (and of course, give you some spending money), but it can help you discover new passions and even put you on a lifelong path toward a career you’ll love. It’s a time for exploration--the type of exploration that is harder to do once you graduate college and have to hurry up and get a job to pay off your student loans. The earlier you can start pursuing a happy career the better. However, understandably, many jobs will not hire someone without experience, let alone someone who isn’t old enough to drive yet. But all is not lost, because there are several jobs that are perfectly suited to young teens (and “old” teens too) like you.
1. Having a job may increase your chances of graduating high school
A lot of studies have been done in the areas of youth employment, and some research shows that having a summer job, or the responsibility of balancing school and a part-time job may lead to increased graduation rates for at-risk and economically-disadvantaged youth. The time-management and responsibility you develop, as well as a probable supportive environment can help you grow to achieve your best life.
2. The realization that money doesn’t grow on trees or originate from their parents pockets
Whether or not you had an allowance as a kid, young people can still tend to take for granted that money costs something. By making some of your own money, you’ll soon learn the reason why your parents aren’t as quick to drop $50 on a new video game as you may have hoped. Because money is an exchange of value--that value being time.
3. Savvy teens make savvy adults
Nothing builds responsibility faster than having to commit to being at a job on a certain day at a certain time, even when there’s something you’d rather be doing with your friends. And that sense of responsibility and commitment puts you on the path to success.
“According to the U.D. Department of Labor, for every year a person works in their teens, their income raises 14-16 percent in their 20s. When teens choose to have a job, employment teaches responsibility and good work habits, improves time management and organizational skills and helps them save money.”
How much is a teen allowed to work?
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets 14 years old as the minimum age for working in non-agricultural employment. Additionally, it mandates limitations on daily working hours as well as the type of work 14-15 year olds can hold and the wages you are entitled to (generally, you are entitled to the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr though that may change depending on the type of work you’re doing). One main rule is that you are not allowed to work during school hours, and your employment should not interfere with your school performance.
FSLA Restrictions for 14-15 year old U.S. employees include:
- You cannot work more than 3 hours on any school day.
- You cannot work more than 18 hours per week during the school year.
- You cannot work more than 8 hours per day when school is out of session.
- You cannot work more than 40 hours per week when school is out of session.
- You cannot work before 7 AM or after 7 PM on any day, except from June 1st through Labor Day, when night-time work hours are extended to 9 PM.
If you are participating in a work-study program there are exceptions to the number of hours you are allowed to work.
Entrepreneurial Jobs for 14-15 year olds
The fact is, you may have already been doing some of these jobs since you were a kid (think raking leaves, delivering newspapers, lemonade stands, typical kid-entrepreneur kinds of jobs), but they are still great ways for you to delve further into the work world and make some spending (or saving) money as you gain greater responsibility.
Here’s a list of some of the top jobs the CareerBliss team found for 14-15 year olds with an entrepreneurial mind:
- Lawn mowing
- House sitting
- Plant sitting
- Pet sitting
- Babysitting
- Nannying
- Camp counseling
- Running a lemonade stand (an oldie but a goodie!)
- Working the family business
- Washing cars
- Dog walking
- Dog grooming
- Delivering newspapers
- Running an online business (re-selling items on Ebay, starting a YouTube channel, etc)
- House cleaning
- Yard maintenance (plenty of weeds to be pulled, trash to pick up, sidewalks to sweep)
- Seasonal Yard Maintenance (Shoveling snow, raking leaves, mowing the grass, cleaning pools)
Tips for 14-15 year olds for finding a job
You’ve got a great network--use it to find a good job
You may be surprised how vast your network already is and you should make a point to make the most of it. From family members, neighbors, friends of family, teachers, counselors, your 3rd cousin twice removed--tap into the existing network you already have, letting them know that you’re looking for work. Make sure they know your age so they can make appropriate recommendations for a 14 or 15 year old looking for a job.
Another good place to start your job search is on our CareerBliss job board. We have a ton of companies on our site who have a history of hiring teen workers, giving them a boost as they grow toward young-adulthood. These companies include:
Want to get a quick start on your applications? Check out the employer profiles on CareerBliss at each of the links, and see what job openings they have near you. Look for jobs at places you would be happy working because often you will receive perks for working in specific places and you want to be able to enjoy those perks. For example, if you are vegan, don’t choose to work at a burger concession stand, look for openings at the fresh juice stand down the street instead.
Common employment for 14-15 year olds include:
- Barista
- Caddy (Golf Course)
- Lifeguard (15 year olds)
- Busser
- Dishwasher
- Ice Cream Scooper
- Theater Usher
- Concessions at Sporting Events or Amusement Parks
Create a basic resume
So you don’t have a lot of work experience yet. Don’t worry too much about that. Neither do most 14 and 15 year-olds. So you may be wondering what you should even put on your resume. We’ve got your back. Here are some places to start.
Keep it simple by focusing on leadership opportunities you’ve had at school or in social situations. Include after school activities and your achievements within them like competition dance, sports, science fair, drama, or choir performance roles to show how committed you are to team activities or organizations. Include any other jobs you may have held such as babysitting, paper deliveries, shoe shining or even lemonade stands (it doesn’t hurt to mention the entrepreneurial spirit that led you to start a juice stand at 7 years old!).
You can also list out experiences that demonstrate different qualities like diligence, responsibility and solid work ethic. Having references who can attest to your character can also give you a boost on the teen job market.
If you have the drive to get a job while you’re in high school, good for you. We applaud the amazing person you are and who you will become through it. Here’s to your current and future CareerBliss.
