US: First jobs · 5 min read
What jobs can I get at 16 in the US?
What 16 and 17 year olds can do in the US: no federal hours limit, the hazardous jobs still banned, state curfews, minimum wage by state and who hires at 16.
The short answer
At 16 the federal hours limits disappear. You can work any hours in any non-farm job except the 17 occupations the Department of Labor classes as hazardous for anyone under 18, such as roofing, demolition, most driving for work, meat slicers and power saws. Many states still cap hours and set a school-night curfew for 16 and 17 year olds, and most still require a work permit. You're owed at least the minimum wage where you work, which is $7.25 federally and higher in most states. The jobs that hire most at 16 are retail, restaurants, grocery, movie theaters, recreation and summer camps.
Key takeaways
- Federal law sets no hours limit at 16 and 17, only the hazardous occupations ban. State law often adds a curfew and a weekly cap during school.
- Banned under 18: roofing, excavation, demolition, operating power saws and meat slicers, most driving on the job, mining, and work with explosives or radioactive material.
- Pay floor: your state minimum, from $7.25 to over $17. The $4.25 youth wage applies only to the first 90 days.
- A job plus school plus sleep is the real constraint. Fifteen to twenty hours a week is where grades usually hold.
On this pageWhat changes at 16
What changes at 16
| Rule | 14 and 15 | 16 and 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Hours limits | 3 a day in school weeks, 18 a week, 7am to 7pm | None federally; state limits may apply |
| Cooking | Microwaves and open-flame-free grills only | Allowed |
| Power equipment | None | Allowed except the hazardous list |
| Driving on the job | No | No at 16; limited at 17 |
| Hazardous occupations | Banned | Banned |
| Work permit | Most states | Most states |
The jobs that hire at 16
Retail is the biggest hirer of 16 year olds: big-box stores, grocery chains, clothing and sporting goods stores, and pharmacies all take cashiers and stockers at 16. Restaurants and coffee shops open up fully at 16, including line cook roles. Movie theaters, trampoline parks, bowling alleys and amusement parks staff up with teens every summer. Lifeguarding, swim instruction and camp counseling pay above retail. Hospitals and nursing homes hire 16 year olds for dietary and transport roles. And the Bureau of Labor Statistics finds a quarter of all employed 16 to 24 year olds in leisure and hospitality, with retail second.
What you must be paid
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, but 30 states, the District of Columbia and dozens of cities set a higher floor, and you're owed whichever is highest where you work. In 2026 that ranges from $7.25 in states that use the federal rate to $17.50 or more in parts of Washington and California. Tipped jobs can pay a lower cash wage as long as tips bring you to the minimum. Employers may pay $4.25 for your first 90 consecutive calendar days, after which the full minimum applies. Few do, because teens leave for the store next door.
Getting hired with no experience
- Write a one-page resume built from school, sports, clubs, volunteering and informal work, with one line each saying what you did and a result.
- Get your work permit started before you apply, if your state needs one.
- Apply to five large employers online in one sitting and walk into five small ones with a printed resume.
- Tell every adult you know that you're looking. Most first jobs still come from a parent's coworker or a neighbor.
- Say your availability clearly: which afternoons, which weekend days, summers. Managers hire the teen whose schedule they can read.
Illustrative example: the theater job that led somewhere
A 16 year old takes a concession stand job at a movie theater for twelve hours a week during school and thirty in summer. By the second summer he's a shift lead, trains new hires and handles the cash count. On his college applications and his first post-graduation resume, that job is the line interviewers ask about first.
Questions people ask
- How many hours can a 16 year old work?
- Under federal law, unlimited. Under state law it varies widely: some states cap 16 and 17 year olds at 4 hours on a school day and 28 a week, with a 10pm or 11pm curfew; others match the federal position and set no limit. Check your state's rules on the Department of Labor's child labor page before agreeing to a schedule.
- Can a 16 year old work in a kitchen or use a fryer?
- Yes. The cooking and baking restrictions apply to 14 and 15 year olds. At 16 you can use fryers, ovens and grills. You still can't operate power-driven meat slicers, bakery mixers or dough machines, which are on the hazardous list until 18.
- Can I drive for work at 16?
- No. Driving on public roads as part of a job is banned under 17, and at 17 it's allowed only occasionally and incidentally, in daylight, in a vehicle under 6,000 pounds, with a license and no record, for short trips. Delivery driving for an app or a pizza chain is out until you're 18.
- Do I pay taxes on a job at 16?
- Social Security and Medicare come out of every paycheck at 7.65%. Federal income tax is withheld, but if you earn under the standard deduction ($16,100 for a single filer in 2026) you owe none and get the withholding back when you file a return. You can also claim exemption from withholding on your W-4 if you expect to owe nothing, which keeps the money in your paycheck.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- YouthRules! Young workers · US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
- Fact Sheet 43: Child labor provisions for nonagricultural occupations · US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
- State minimum wage laws · US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
- Tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 · Internal Revenue Service
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.