Can 15-Year-Olds Work? Hours, Permits, and Pay Rules

Yes, 15-year-olds can work in the United States. Federal law permits it but sets firm limits on the hours, the times of day, and the kinds of jobs allowed. The Fair Labor Standards Act groups 14- and 15-year-olds together and treats them more restrictively than older teens, and most states add their own rules on top.

How Many Hours a 15-Year-Old Can Work

During a school week, a 15-year-old can work no more than 3 hours on a school day and no more than 18 hours across the full week. All of that work has to happen outside school hours.1eCFR. 29 CFR 570.35 – Hours of Work and Conditions of Employment Permitted for Minors 14 and 15 Years of Age

When school is out, the limits rise to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. Year-round, shifts must fall between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. From June 1 through Labor Day, the evening cutoff moves to 9 p.m.1eCFR. 29 CFR 570.35 – Hours of Work and Conditions of Employment Permitted for Minors 14 and 15 Years of Age

These are federal minimums. Many states set shorter daily caps, earlier evening cutoffs, or required days off during the school week. When a state rule is stricter, it applies. When a state rule is more lenient, the federal rule wins.2U.S. Department of Labor. Selected State Child Labor Standards Affecting Minors Under 18

Jobs a 15-Year-Old Is Allowed to Do

Federal rules for this age group work by permission, not by exclusion: if a job isn’t on the approved list, it’s off-limits. Employers can’t invent exceptions.3U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43 – Child Labor Provisions of the FLSA for Nonagricultural Occupations

  • Retail and grocery work such as cashiering, bagging, stocking, and price marking.
  • Office and clerical tasks like data entry, filing, and answering phones.
  • Food service including taking orders, busing tables, and limited food prep. Cooking is restricted to electric or gas grills without an open flame and to deep fryers with automatic basket-lowering devices.
  • Tutoring, performing, and other creative or artistic work.
  • Lifeguarding and swim instruction at traditional pools and water parks, if properly certified.

The cooking rule is where families most often get tripped up. A 15-year-old can build sandwiches or work a flat-top, but open flames, manual deep-frying, rotisseries, and pressure cookers are prohibited.4U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 58 – Cooking and Baking Under the Federal Child Labor Provisions of the FLSA

Jobs That Are Off-Limits

The Department of Labor’s 17 Hazardous Occupations Orders ban anyone under 18 from especially dangerous work, and none of them have exceptions for 15-year-olds.5eCFR. 29 CFR Part 570 – Child Labor Regulations, Orders and Statements of Interpretation

Practically, this means a 15-year-old cannot drive for a delivery app, operate a forklift, run commercial mowing equipment, or work at a construction site in any role. The prohibition covers more than operation. Even cleaning the disassembled parts of a meat slicer is banned for anyone under 18.4U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 58 – Cooking and Baking Under the Federal Child Labor Provisions of the FLSA

Working for a Parent or on a Family Farm

A parent, or someone standing in a parent’s place, can employ their own child under 16 in almost any occupation. Manufacturing, mining, and jobs covered by the Hazardous Occupations Orders remain off-limits even in that setting.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 203 – Definitions

The exemption is narrower than families often assume. The child has to be employed exclusively by the parent. If a teen helps a parent who works for someone else’s business, the child is treated as employed by both the parent and that employer, and the exemption no longer applies.7eCFR. 29 CFR 570.126 – Parental Exemption

Agriculture follows a different track. A 14- or 15-year-old can do any non-hazardous farm job outside school hours, with no federal cap on daily or weekly hours. On a family-owned farm, a parent’s child can do any farm task at any age.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 213 – Exemptions

How Much a 15-Year-Old Can Be Paid

Federal law lets employers pay workers under 20 a youth wage of $4.25 per hour during their first 90 consecutive calendar days on the job. After that window closes, or when the worker turns 20, the standard federal minimum of $7.25 per hour kicks in.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 206 – Minimum Wages

The 90-day clock runs on calendar days, not scheduled shifts, so it ticks whether the teen is working or not. Employers can’t fire or cut hours for existing staff to bring on youth-wage workers.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 206 – Minimum Wages

In practice, most large employers pay their standard starting rate to all workers regardless of age. The youth wage turns up more often at small businesses. About half of states set a minimum wage above $7.25, and that higher state rate applies to teens too.10U.S. Department of Labor. State Minimum Wage Laws

Work Permits and Paperwork

Most states require 15-year-olds to get a work permit, sometimes called an employment certificate or working papers, before starting. Federal law authorizes the Secretary of Labor to require proof of age, but the permit systems themselves are run by the states.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 212 – Child Labor Provisions

The process usually calls for a few things:

  • Proof of age, such as a birth certificate or passport.
  • A parent or legal guardian’s written consent.
  • A statement from the employer describing the job duties and hours.
  • School approval, often signed off by a guidance office confirming the schedule won’t conflict with classes.

Permits are typically tied to a specific employer, so changing jobs usually means a new permit. Many states issue them for free, and turnaround runs from same-day to a couple of weeks. Start the application before the planned first day.

Safety and the Right to Refuse Unsafe Work

Teen workers get the same OSHA protections as adults. Employers have to provide safety training about workplace hazards, supply and train workers on any required protective equipment, and explain what to do if someone is hurt. That training must be given in a language the worker understands.12Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Young Workers – Safe Work for Young Workers

A 15-year-old asked to do something dangerous, work past legal hour limits, or operate prohibited equipment can refuse and report it. The FLSA makes it illegal for an employer to fire, cut hours, demote, or otherwise punish a worker for filing a complaint about labor violations.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 215 – Prohibited Acts

Federal law does not require meal or rest breaks for any worker, including minors. Most states, though, require a 30-minute break for minors working shifts longer than five consecutive hours. Check your state labor department for the specific rule.

Taxes on a Teen’s Paycheck

A 15-year-old’s paycheck is subject to the same payroll taxes as anyone else’s. Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) come out of every check regardless of how little the teen earns.

Federal income tax is different. Most 15-year-olds working part-time earn less than the standard deduction and owe zero federal income tax for the year. In that case, the teen can claim exempt on their W-4 by checking the “Exempt from withholding” box, filling in name and filing status, signing, and skipping the other steps. To qualify, the teen must have had no federal income tax liability the prior year and expect none this year.14Internal Revenue Service. Form W-4 – Employees Withholding Certificate

Claiming exempt keeps income tax from being withheld, so the paycheck is larger. If a teen skips this step and has tax withheld, they can get it back by filing a return the following spring. Either way, no money is lost. It’s a question of whether the teen is paid now or refunded later.