Jobs for 14 year olds: what the law allows and who hires

What the law lets you do at 14

Fourteen is the youngest age at which most employers can hire you under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. You can work outside school hours, in jobs the U.S. Department of Labor lists as allowed for 14 and 15 year olds.

You can	You cannot
Work a register, bag groceries, stock shelves	Use power-driven machinery (office machines are fine)
Do office work	Bake, or work in freezers or meat coolers
Work in most shops and restaurants	Work from ladders or scaffolds
Cook on electric or gas grills with no open flame, and use fryers that lower and raise the baskets by themselves	Do door-to-door sales or sign waving
Teach, play music, make art, perform	Work in manufacturing, or in most construction and warehousing jobs

Your hours at 14

When	Federal limit
A school day (Fridays included)	3 hours
A school week	18 hours
A day with no school	8 hours
A week with no school	40 hours
Time of day	7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or 9 p.m. from June 1 to Labor Day

These limits are the same at 14 and 15. They lift at 16, which is why many employers wait until then.

Your state can be stricter

When federal and state law both apply, the stricter rule wins. Federal law does not require a work permit, but many states do, often called working papers or an employment certificate. Check your state on the Department of Labor's state table, then on your state labor department's own site. This page does not give any one state's rules.

Employers that say they hire at 14

Lists online name dozens of chains "that hire at 14". We only list an employer when its own careers site says so. We checked on October 2, 2026:

• Six Flags parks. Six Flags says "All of our properties hire individuals who are 16+! Some of our properties also hire 14- and 15-year-olds", that the age for each role is in the job posting, and that "a work permit may be required for associates under the age of 18." Look for postings at your nearest park that are open to 14 year olds.

That is a short list on purpose. Many restaurants and shops are franchises, where each owner sets the age. Chick-fil-A, for example, says hiring decisions are made by each restaurant's Operator, and asks you to contact the restaurant about its minimum age. Job boards report different ages for the same chain, which is why you should ask the store itself.

Where to ask in person

Places a 14 year old can work under federal law, and that often do hire young teens locally:

• Family-owned restaurants, ice cream shops and cafes. Front counter, cashier, clearing tables.
• Small grocery stores and markets. Bagging, stocking, the register.
• Summer jobs. Day camps, pools (as a cashier or snack bar worker; lifeguarding starts at 15), and seasonal parks.
• Your town. Some towns and counties run summer job programs for teens: ask at the library or town hall.

Walk in at a quiet time (mid afternoon on a weekday), ask for the manager, and say: "Hi, I'm 14 and looking for a part-time job after school. Do you hire people my age?"

Jobs you can make yourself

Some of the best first jobs have no employer at all. Federal child labor rules do not cover casual babysitting or minor chores around private homes.

Job	What it pays you in	The honest caveat
Babysitting	Cash, and a reference from every family	Take a first aid and CPR class first. Parents ask.
Pet sitting and dog walking	Repeat customers on your street	Big dogs pull. Start with ones you can hold.
Lawn care, raking, snow shoveling	Seasonal cash	Work for a lawn care company is different: under 16 you cannot run power-driven machinery for an employer.
Tutoring younger kids	Steady weekly sessions if you are strong in a subject	You find your own clients. Ask a teacher to mention you.

Be careful with "online jobs for 14 year olds". A real job never asks you to pay to start, or for a parent's bank details.

Your first resume

Most hourly applications for teens do not ask for a resume, but a one page resume makes you the 14 year old who came prepared. Put school first, then anything that shows you are reliable: babysitting, a club, volunteering, sports. You can make your first resume here, on your phone. For what to put on it, see resume for teenagers.