For teens looking to have their own money and ready to take on job responsibilities, here’s a list of companies that hire teens as young as 14. Thanks to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the minimum age to work most jobs across the U.S. is 14 years old. However, hiring practices vary by company and location, including minimum age to work, so you must contact individual local businesses about their employment and hiring requirements and practices.
Check out these companies hiring 14 year olds and 15 year olds to get your teen started on making some of their own cash.
Download the KCL app for more ideas on jobs for teens or ways to spend their time.
Grocery Stores That Hire at 14
Baggers, stockers, and cart attendants are a few roles that 14-year-olds may qualify for in their area.
Fareway Meat & Grocery
The Fareway Meat & Grocery chain has 130+ locations across Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota. They may hire a teen at 14 to do a few jobs, such as bagging and stocking in their grocery department.
Giant Eagle
Giant Eagle has more than 200+ locations throughout Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Shopping cart attendants and bakery clerks are among the jobs that they may hire 14-year-olds for.
Giant Food
Your 14-year-old may find employment with one of the 160+ Giant Food locations across Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
Kroger
As one of the nation’s largest grocery chains in 35 states, Kroger may hire a young teen to perform duties like stocking and bagging, provided the applicant has a proper work permit.
Publix
Young teens, including 14-year-olds can look for positions such cashier, bagger, and cart attendant at some of the 1,305 Publix locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Safeway
With over 910 locations in 18 states around the U.S., Safeway Grocery stores may hire 14-year-olds with a work permit for positions such as baggers.
Winn-Dixie
Winn-Dixie may hire 14-year-olds for a few roles— such as baggers — at some of their stores across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Restaurant Jobs That Hire at 14
If you're a teenager wondering where can you work at 14, check out nearby restaurants. Local restaurant jobs that a 14-year-old may qualify for include busser, barista, host or hostess, server, dishwasher, and food prep. Since many national chain restaurants are independently owned, state and individual location guidelines may vary.
Baskin-Robbins
Baskin-Robbins has more than 2,400 locations across the U.S. Your local BR may hire 14-year-olds as team members.
Bruster’s
With 200 locations in 22 states, Bruster’s may have available positions for 14-year-olds.
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A has more than 3,000 locations throughout 48 states (none in Alaska or Hawaii) and may hire teens as young as 14.
Culver’s
Based in Wisconsin, with locations in 26 states, 14-year-olds may find employment in some of Culver’s 800+ restaurants.
Dairy Queen
Some of the 4,200+ Dairy Queen locations may hire team members at 14.
McDonald’s
As the world’s largest restaurant chain, with over 14,000 locations nationwide, McDonald’s in your area may hire teens as young as 14.
Rita’s Italian Ice
With 565 locations across 30 states, Rita’s Italian Ice near you may hire team members at 14.
Runza
The smallest chain on our list, Runza has 85 locations in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska that may hire 14-year-olds.
Starbucks
With over 10,000 U.S. locations, your 14-year-old may find a position at your local Starbucks.
Taco Bell
Taco Bell has more than 7,200 restaurants nationwide and may hire teenagers as young as 14 as team members.
Wendy’s
Wendy’s may have positions open for 14-year-olds within their almost 6,500+ locations across the U.S.
Entertainment Venue Jobs That Hire at 14
National entertainment venues may hire 14-year-olds locally for positions such as concession stand worker, park services, cashier (food and beverage), admissions, and parking attendant.
AMC Theatres
Some of the 660 AMC Theatres in the U.S. may hire teens as young as 14 to perform various duties at the concession stand or as ushers.
Marcus Theatres
Your 14-year-old might find employment at one of the Marcus Theatres across the U.S.
Six Flags
With 24 parks across the U.S., your local Six Flags theme park may hire team members as young as 14.
Consider local jobs for 14-year-olds
Although the companies on our list are large by comparison, if you don’t have any of them in your area, contact your local mom-and-pop shops, grocery stores, and entertainment venues (think bowling alleys, water parks, and arcades) and ask if they have any jobs open for 14-year-olds.
For example, local companies around Boise, Idaho that make the list for hiring workers as young as 14 include:
Bogus Basin
Easterseals Goodwill
Grove Hotel (Block 22 Mgmt Group)
Roaring Springs/Wahooz
Here’s a list of summer jobs for teens, too.
Other Jobs for 14-year-olds
Of course, there are plenty of other jobs for 14-year-olds, including camp counselor, dog walker, and golf caddy. Some jobs don’t have an age minimum, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. These jobs have no age limit:
Newspaper delivery
Performing in radio, television, theatrical productions, and movies
Work in a business owned by their parents (providing it isn’t a hazardous job or involves manufacturing or mining).
Babysitting and minor chores around private home.
What are the benefits of working at 14?
Working at such a young age as 14 offers teens several benefits, such as:
Time-management and organizational skills
How to earn, save, and spend money
Helps build character and confidence
Helps build resume
What are the laws about working at 14?
Although the federal government allows teens as young as 14 to work in nonagricultural jobs, child labor laws specify when you can work and how much you can work and get paid.
At the age of 14, you can only work:
Three hours per day on school days
Eight hours on non-school days
18 hours total during a school week
40 hours maximum during a non-school week
Federal law allows 14-year-olds to work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except from June 1 through Labor Day, when they can work up to 9 p.m.
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. The FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act ) stipulates that those under 20 may receive $4.25 per hour for the first 90 calendar days, after which they must be paid the national minimum wage. Some states have higher minimum wage laws, while Georgia and Wyoming have a lower $5.15 per hour minimum wage. Employers in those two states that fall under the FLSA rules must pay at least $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage.
Another thing to consider for your teen’s future: several companies pay college tuition for their employees.
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