The minimum age for most non-agricultural jobs in the U.S. is 14, with strict limits on hours and tasks. Agriculture, entertainment, and certain state jobs allow younger children to work under specific conditions and parental consent.
By Brad Nakase, Attorney
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Massachusetts’s earliest child labor law in 1836 mandated that children under 15 who worked in factories must go to school for a minimum of three months in a year. Federal laws limiting the age & hours of child labor were not implemented until 1939, when the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed.
Labor laws are still not entirely followed nowadays. The Department of Labor filed a lawsuit against Packer Sanitation Services in November 2022, alleging that the company had employed scores of teenagers to work midnight hours in dangerous conditions. In December, a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania was also charged with violating child labor laws involving 101 teenagers.
A common question that a lot of parents and minors ask is, “What is the youngest age to get a job?” The Department of Labor states that the minimum age requirement for non-agricultural work in the USA is 14. The kinds of employment and hours that employed minors are allowed to work are restricted.
What is the youngest age to get a job in agriculture? The minimum age for employment in the agricultural industry is significantly lower. The federal criteria provide that a person must be 16 to be employed during the day at school, 14 to work after school hours, and 12 to work on an agricultural property where a parent works or with signed parental approval. Children under the age of twelve who have documented parental agreement are excluded from the federal minimum wage requirements, pursuant to the DOL.
The answer to the question “What is the youngest age to get a job?” also depends on your state of residence. Certain jobs have lower minimum age restrictions at the state level. Coffee harvesting in Hawaii is open to anyone ten years of age and older. With parental consent, nine-year-olds in Oregon are permitted to work picking beans or berries.
This does not apply to jobs that are exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act, such as babysitting, household tasks, newspaper delivery, or employment in their parents’ safe companies. Youngsters of all ages can also act in plays, movies, television shows, or radio. Many states require work licenses and restrict the employment of children in the theater.
Underage performers are prohibited from working for longer than five days in a row, missing more than 5 days of school, and maybe having to put some of their profits into a trust in California, a popular state for performers of all ages.
Certain states have child labor regulations that require employment & age certifications. According to the DOL, certifications are not necessary; however, several states do utilize them in practice or offer them upon request.
Numerous restrictions are applied to child labor, and they may vary depending on the state’s legislation. For example, the employment of 14 and 15-year-olds is limited to after-school (7 a.m.-7 p.m.) and cannot exceed three hours within a school day.
The DOL claims that if state laws have more stringent age or hourly requirements than federal laws, states will abide by them.
Pursuant to the DOL, youth workers between the ages of 16 and 17 are permitted to work an unlimited number of hours in non-hazardous jobs at the federal level. Heavy power-driven equipment, mining, food processing equipment, saws, explosives, and radioactive material are all examples of hazardous vocations that are off-limits to minors.
For those wondering, “What is the youngest age to get a job?” keep in mind that these rules are in place to protect both physical health and educational attainment.
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