How old you have to be to get a job? Here's what state and federal labor laws allow for. (2024)

The first child labor law in 1836 required factory-working Massachusettschildren under 15 to attend school for at least three months of the year. It wasn’t until 1939, with the Fair Labor Standards Act,that federal regulations were put in place to limit the age and hours of child employment.

Today,there still isn’t perfect compliance with labor laws. In November 2022, the Department of Labor sued Packer Sanitation Services, accusing them of employing dozens of minorson overnight shifts in hazardous conditions.A Pennsylvania McDonald's was also accused of child labor violations involving 101teens, in December.

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What is the youngest age to get a job?

According to the Department of Labor, the minimum age for employment in the United States is 14for non-agricultural jobs. Employed minors have restrictions on the types of jobs they can work and thenumber of hours permitted.

When it comes to jobs in the agriculture sectorthe minimum age is much lower. The federal guidelines are 16 for work during school hours, 14 for outside school hours and age 12 with written parental consent or on a farm where a parent is employed.According to the DOL, children under 12 with written parental consent are exempt from federal minimum wage provisions.

At the state level, some minimum age requirements are lower for specific jobs. In Hawaii, 10-year-olds and oldercan work in coffee harvesting.In Oregon,nine-year-olds can be employed picking berries or beans with parental permission.

This doesn’t apply to work exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act, like babysitting, chores in a private home, delivering newspapers, or working in non-hazardous businesses owned by their parents. Children of any age may also perform in radio, television, movie, or theatrical productions. Many states regulate child theatrical employment and require work permits.

In California, a hotspot for entertainers of all ages, underage performers cannot work more than five consecutive days, cannot miss more than five days of school, and may be required to save a portion of their earnings in a trust.

In some states, employment and age certifications are needed under state child labor laws. Many states use certifications in practice or provide certificates upon request, but are not required, according to the DOL.

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Youth employment restrictions

Minors also have various restrictions that apply to their jobs, and they may vary on a state-by-state basis. For example, 14and 15-year-olds can only work outside of school hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and for no more than three hours on a school day. According to the DOL, states defer to theirregulations if they have higher age or hourly restrictions than those at the federal level.

On the federal level, youth workers ages 16 and 17 can work for unlimited hours in non-hazardous occupations, according tothe DOL. Hazardous occupations may involve heavy power-driven machinery, mining, explosives, food processing machines, saws, and radioactive material –all of which are prohibited for minors.

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