Jobs for 14-Year-Olds That Are Actually Legal (and Pay)
Yes, you can get a real job at 14. Here's what's allowed, how many hours you can work, and the jobs that pay without a single application.
In this guide
Fourteen is the age when federal law first lets you get a regular job in the U.S. The rules are stricter than they are for 16-year-olds, but there’s still a lot you can do. And some of the best-paying options don’t need an employer at all.
Below: the rules in plain English, real job ideas, and how to actually land one.
The rules for working at 14
The federal rules come from the Fair Labor Standards Act. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, if you’re 14 or 15, you can only work outside school hours, and:
- No more than 3 hours on a school day, Fridays included
- No more than 18 hours a week when school is in session
- No more than 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week when school is out
- Only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., except from June 1 through Labor Day, when you can work until 9 p.m.
Your state can have its own rules on top of these, and when both apply, the stricter one wins. Many states also want you to get a work permit (sometimes called working papers) before you start. Your school counselor or your state labor department’s website will tell you what yours needs.
Jobs a business can hire you for at 14
The Department of Labor’s list for 14- and 15-year-olds includes most retail work, some food service and a lot of jobs around people and animals. Whether a specific place hires at 14 depends on the company and your state, so call and ask.
1. Cashier or bagger
Grocery stores and small shops can hire you to ring people up, bag groceries, stock shelves and price items. Ask at smaller local stores first. Big chains often set their own minimum age at 16.
2. Food service helper
Ice cream shops, cafes and snack bars can hire you to take orders, serve, clean up and wash dishes. You can do some limited cooking, but no baking and no power slicers or fryers.
3. Movie theater or rec center staff
Tickets, concessions, cleaning between shows. Local rec centers and community pools also hire young teens for front desk and summer camp help.
4. Camp counselor in training
Day camps hire young teens as junior counselors or CITs. Some pay, some are volunteer at first, and they look great on a resume.
5. Tutor
If you’re good at a subject, younger kids’ parents will pay for help. Tutoring is on the Labor Department’s list of allowed jobs, and you can charge more than minimum wage once you have a few happy families.
6. Lifeguard (at 15)
You have to wait one more year, but certified 15-year-olds can lifeguard at regular pools and water parks. Some pools run certification classes in spring, so 14 is a good time to start training.
Jobs you can do for yourself
Some work doesn’t fall under the federal child labor rules at all. The Labor Department lists casual babysitting, chores around private homes and delivering newspapers as allowed even under 14, and you can generally work for a business your parents fully own. These are also the jobs where you set your own price.
7. Babysitting
The classic for a reason. Parents always need sitters, and it often pays better than a store job.
Not sure what to charge? Our babysitting rate calculator gives you a number for your state, your experience and how many kids.
8. Pet sitting and dog walking
Neighbors going on vacation need someone to feed the cat and walk the dog. The same calculator does dog walking rates too.
9. Yard work
Raking leaves, weeding, shoveling snow, watering plants. Note that the federal rules say no power-driven mowers or trimmers for 14 and 15 in a job, so stick to hand tools or leave the mowing to an adult.
10. Helping neighbors
Carrying groceries, cleaning out a garage, setting up tech for older neighbors, helping at a yard sale. Put up a flyer or ask your parents to mention you in the neighborhood group chat.
11. Selling what you make
Bracelets, baked goods, art, slime. Sell to friends, at school fairs (with permission) or at local markets with a parent. Check your school’s rules first.
12. Your family’s business
If your parents own a business, you can usually help out there, except in mining or manufacturing. It’s real work experience to put on an application later.
Jobs you can’t do yet
The federal rules say no to these at 14 and 15: driving or most delivery by car, construction, factory work, operating power-driven machines (except office machines), baking, working in freezers or meat coolers, and door-to-door sales. If a job offer includes any of these, it’s not legal for you.
Turning 15 soon? Lifeguarding and more places open up. See our guide to jobs for 15-year-olds.
How to get hired at 14
- Get your paperwork ready. Find out if your state needs a work permit, and get a copy of your Social Security number ready. Employers will ask.
- Make a simple resume. One page: school, grades if they’re good, clubs, sports, volunteering and any babysitting or pet sitting. Yes, those count.
- Ask in person. Walk into small local businesses, ask for the manager and say you’re looking for work. Dress neat and go at a quiet time, not lunch rush.
- Tell everyone. Most first jobs come from someone who knows you: a neighbor, a coach, a friend’s parent.
