Places That Hire at 14 and 15: Retail, Restaurants, Theaters, etc

While the pay and available positions vary by location and season, there are plenty of grocery stores, restaurants, theaters, and amusement parks that hire 14- and 15-year-olds.

If you’re a 14- or 15-year-old hoping to work at a clothing store, however, you may have to wait for another year or two — we couldn’t find any clothing retailers that hire employees younger than 16.

Policies may also differ according to state laws, so it’s always a good idea to check with your local store to make sure it can accept your application.

As a teenager, you can head to the businesses listed below for part-time work in the summer, after school, or on weekends. If none of these businesses are local to you, we also list some other ways for entrepreneurial teenagers to make money.

Limitations for Working at 14 or 15

There are a few limitations to working as a minor. These rules apply to all employers, regardless of industry:

• The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour for most employees, but federal law permits a youth minimum wage. This allows employers to pay employees under 20 years old wages as low as $4.25 for their first 90 days of employment or until they reach age 20 (whichever comes first).^[1]
• You can’t work for more than three hours on a school day or 18 hours in a school week. If it’s not a school day, you can work up to eight hours per day or 40 hours per week.^[2]
• You can only work between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., except for between June 1 and Labor Day, when those hours extend to 9 p.m. to accommodate for summer employment.^[2]
• For more information on working at a grocery store as a minor, see the Department of Labor’s policies regarding youth employment at grocery stores.
• For more information on working in the food industry as a minor, see the Department of Labor’s policies on youth employment at food service stores.

Earnings

As a working teenager, it’s unlikely that you’ll be hired at a rate higher than the minimum wage established by the federal government and your state.

To find out if your state has set the minimum wage to something other than the federal minimum, check out the U.S. Department of Labor’s state-by-state minimum wage map. Currently, 29 states have rates higher than the federal minimum.

There are a few types of jobs in which 14- and 15-year-olds may earn more than minimum wage. While rates vary widely depending on where you are and the type of establishment, you’re most likely to earn more than minimum wage in the following positions:

• Lifeguard (Note: This requires special training and certifications.)
• Babysitter (Note: You may also want to earn additional certifications for this role.)
• Pet sitter
• Golf caddy (Note: This position also has the potential to earn tips.)

Comparison Table

You can use the following table for a brief comparison of the hiring ages at places that hire at 14 and/or 15.

Select any business or scroll to the list below for more information, and you can use the arrows at the top of each column to sort the table.

Table Plugin

The List

Grocery Stores

Typical grocery store positions available for a 14- to 15-year-old are stocker and front-end associate (bagging groceries and bringing in carts).

The list below includes stores where we could confirm, through speaking with corporate customer service, that at least some of the company’s locations hire 14- and 15-year-old employees.

1. Publix

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[3]
• Jobs available: Cashier, floral clerk, or front service clerk^[3]
• Average pay: $10 per hour^[3]
• Search for openings

2. Wegmans

• Minimum age requirement: 15 years old (at some locations)^[4]
• Jobs available: Customer service associate^[4]
• Average pay: $10 per hour^[4]
• Search for openings

3. Safeway

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old (at some locations)^[5]
• Jobs available: Varies by location^[5]
• Average pay: $9 per hour^[5]
• Search for openings

4. Giant Food

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[6]
• Jobs available: Courtesy clerk, bagger, cashier, hourly team member^[6]
• Average pay: $9 per hour^[6]
• Search for openings

5. Hy-Vee

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old, though most stores won’t hire until age 16. We confirmed with a live chat representative on Hy-Vee’s website that each Hy-Vee store is independently owned and operated, so check with your nearest location.^[7]
• Jobs available: Courtesy clerk^[7]
• Average pay: $9 per hour^[7]
• Search for openings

6. Stop & Shop

• Minimum age requirement: 15 in Rhode Island and Massachusetts; 16 in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey^[8]
• Jobs available: Grocery clerk, floral clerk, bakery clerk, courtesy clerk, cashier^[8]
• Average pay: $9 per hour^[8]
• Search for openings

7. Harveys

• Minimum age requirement: 15 years old^[9]
• Jobs available: Varies by location^[9]
• Average pay: $8 to $9 per hour^[9]
• Search for openings

8. Kroger

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old in some states at some locations^[10]
• Jobs available: Varies by location^[10]
• Average pay: $8 per hour^[10]
• Search for openings

9. Giant Eagle

• Minimum age requirement: 15 years old (at some locations)^[11]
• Jobs available: Varies by location^[11]
• Average pay: $8 per hour^[11]
• Search for openings

10. King Soopers

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old with district manager’s approval^[12]
• Jobs available: Courtesy clerk^[12]
• Average pay: $8 per hour^[12]
• Search for openings

11. Winn-Dixie

• Minimum age requirement: 15 years old. However, the age requirement for your desired position may be higher.^[13]
• Jobs available: Bagger^[14]
• Average pay: $8 per hour^[14]
• Search for openings

Restaurants

Fast-food chains are known for hiring teenagers to do simple tasks like food prep or scooping ice cream. The starting wage for these positions is typically minimum wage.

At franchised locations, minimum age requirements will be subject to each franchise owner’s discretion. You may want to contact your nearest location to confirm its minimum hiring age.

If you don’t see your favorite restaurant on our list, you can contact the manager to determine if it’ll hire 14- and 15-year-old employees.

12. Baskin-Robbins/Dunkin’ Donuts

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[15]
• Jobs available: Varies by location and franchise^[15]
• Average pay: About $9 to $10 per hour^[15]
• Search for openings

13. McDonald’s

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[16]
• Jobs available: Crew team member (which includes taking orders, running the drive-thru, cooking the food, cleaning, etc.)^[16]
• Average pay: About $10 per hour^[16]
• Search for openings

14. Chick-fil-A

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[17]
• Jobs available: Varies by location^[17]
• Average pay: About $9 per hour^[17]
• Search for openings

15. Ben & Jerry’s

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[18]
• Jobs available: Varies by location^[18]
• Average pay: About $8 per hour^[18]
• Search for openings

16. Bruster’s

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[19]
• Jobs available: Ice cream maker/scooper^[19]
• Average pay: About $8 per hour^[19]
• Search for openings

17. Culver’s

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[20]
• Jobs available: Varies by location^[20]
• Average pay: About $8 per hour^[20]
• Search for openings

18. Dairy Queen

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[21]
• Jobs available: Varies by location^[21]
• Average pay: About $8 per hour^[21]
• Search for openings

19. Boston Market

• Minimum age requirement: 15 years old^[22]
• Jobs available: Dishwasher, server^[22]
• Average pay: About $8 to $9 per hour^[22]
• Search for openings

20. Rita’s Italian Ice

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[23]
• Jobs available: Treat team member^[23]
• Average pay: About $8 per hour^[23]
• Search for openings

21. Runza

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[24]
• Jobs available: Varies by season^[24]
• Average pay: About $10 per hour^[24]
• Search for openings

22. Starbucks

• Minimum age requirement: Generally the age is 16, but in Montana, you can become a barista at 14^[25]
• Jobs available: Barista^[25]
• Average pay: About $9 per hour^[25]
• Search for openings

Theaters and Amusement Parks

23. AMC Theatres

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[26]
• Jobs available: Usher, concessionist^[26]
• Average pay: $8 per hour^[26]
• Search for openings

24. Six Flags

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[27]
• Jobs available: Varies by location and season^[27]
• Average pay: About $8 to $9 for food preparation worker^[27]
• Search for openings

25. Incline Village Recreation Center (Nevada)

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[28]
• Jobs available: Varies by season^[28]
• Average pay: Varies^[28]
• Search for openings

26. Canobie Lake Park (New Hampshire)

• Minimum age requirement: 15 years old; a parental consent form is required
• Jobs available: Food service positions^[29]
• Average pay: $10 to $11 per hour^[29]
• Search for openings

27. Lagoon (Utah)

• Minimum age requirement: 14 years old^[30]
• Jobs available: Varies by season^[30]
• Average pay: $8 to $9 per hour^[30]
• Search for openings

Places That Don’t Hire at 14 and/or 15

In the course of our research, we found that the following places don’t hire at 14 or 15 — most set their hiring ages at 16 or 18:

• Abercrombie & Fitch
• Aeropostale
• Albertsons
• American Eagle Outfitters
• Banana Republic
• Barnes & Noble
• BJ’s Wholesale Club
• Charlotte Russe
• CVS
• Food Lion
• Forever 21
• Gap
• GUESS
• H&M
• Harris Teeter
• Hollister
• HomeGoods
• Hot Topic
• JCPenney
• Justice
• Kmart
• Kohl’s
• Levi’s
• Marshalls
• Meijer
• Old Navy
• PacSun
• Ralph Lauren
• Target
• T.J.Maxx
• Trader Joe’s
• Walmart
• Walgreens

Other Ways to Earn Money at 14

Just because you may be too young to be hired at your favorite business doesn’t mean you can’t earn money. What skills do you have that others would be willing to pay you for?

Here are some ideas if you’re ready to embrace freelancing or entrepreneurship:

• Babysitting: If you like kids, babysitting is a great way to earn money. Ask family friends if they need a babysitter, or put up posters at school or around town. You may want to get some additional CPR certifications to boost your credibility.
• House cleaning: House cleaning is a great job for those who are naturally inclined to keep their things tidy. You can do this service for your friends and neighbors, or post ads on sites like Facebook or Craigslist.
• Pool services: If you live in a neighborhood where people have pools, offer to clean pools. People will usually already have skimming, vacuums, and chlorine, so you’ll just need to supply the labor.
• Lawn services: If you can push a lawnmower and use a rake and you enjoy being outdoors, this could be the perfect job for you. In the winter, consider shoveling snow.
• Tutoring: Turn your English or math skills into cash by becoming an after-school tutor for students who are struggling with subjects where you excel.
• Car washing: Go door-to-door in your neighborhood and ask if there are any cars that need washing. Many people may prefer to have their cars hand-washed, but not have the time to do it themselves.
• Dog walking: You most likely know which of your neighbors have dogs. Find out if that dog’s owner needs their dog walked or cared for. Adults are busy with jobs, kids, and after-school activities. They don’t always have time to walk the dog as much as they should. Take advantage of that fact and charge money for it.
• Garage or yard sale: Garage sales are great if you have a lot of old stuff that you can part with. Take your inventory and set your prices, and advertise around your neighborhood.

You can check out our related research for the list of retailers that hire at 15.

If you want to search again in a year or two, we also have the lists of retail stores that hire at 16 and retail stores that hire at 17.