If you're under 18 and thinking of getting a job or are already working, there are certain restrictions on what work you can do, where you can do it and for how long each week.
What age you can get a job
Generally, if you’re under 13, you can only get a job in special circumstances. Once you reach the age of 13, you can do light work. This means that you can't do any job that may affect your health and safety or interfere with your education. You can, for example, do a paper round.
When you're 14, you can be employed in a wide range of jobs, but there are still some that you're not allowed to do. For example, you can't work in a factory or on a building site. If you're unsure about whether you can work in certain jobs, check with the local education authority.
These restrictions last until you become 16 and are over compulsory school age, when you then become classed as a young worker meaning that you have more choice in the jobs you can do. If you're 18 or over, you get the same work rights as adults.
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Working hours
There are rules about what times of the day you can work and for how long. These are different depending on your age.
14 year olds
There are a lot of rules that control working hours of children but the basic ones are:
- during term time you can only work for two hours on weekdays and Sundays and for five hours on Saturdays
- during a school holiday you can work for up to five hours on a week day or a Saturday and no more than two hours on a Sunday
- you cannot work before 7.00 am or after 7.00 pm
15 and 16 year olds
If you're 15 or 16 and are working while you're still at school, your rights are almost identical to those of 14 year olds. However, you are allowed to work for up to seven hours on Saturdays or during the school holidays.
16 and 17 year olds
If you are over compulsory school age, and you're 16 or 17, the law refers to you as a young worker. There are fewer restrictions on when you can work and for how long, but there are still some rules.
You'll only be able to work for eight hours every day, or a total of 40 hours over the course of a week. You can't usually work an overnight shift, but there are some exceptional circumstances where you can.
Because you've reached school leaving age, you may find that employers may be more willing to offer you part-time or full-time employment. You're also not limited to 'light work', so you'll be allowed to work in places like a busy shop, restaurant kitchen or as a waiter or waitress.
- Getting a holiday job
- Working hours
- Working hours and young workers
The National Minimum Wage
You become eligible for the National Minimum Wage (NMW) when you're older than school leaving age. The rate of NMW will then depend on your exact age.
There isn't a National Minimum Wage for people under 16 who are younger than the school leaving age.
- The National Minimum Wage
- Apprenticeships
Time off and holidays
If you are over compulsory school age, you have the right to at least 5.6 weeks' paid annual leave, calculated on a pro-rata basis. This works out to be 28 days in a year if you work five days per week. Some employers may offer more as part of your employment contract.
If your company offers little or no training, you may also get time off to work and study if you decide to take any further education courses.
- Working hours
If you get made redundant
If you're 16 or 17 and have recently lost your job, your best option is to do some further learning or training. Gaining additional skills and qualifications can help you find a new job quicker, earn more money and increase your career prospects in the future.
Contact your local Careers Office for help. Careers advisers can help you find a suitable opportunity that meets your needs, such as an apprenticeship or a job with training.
Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to claim benefits if you choose to look for another job.
- Redundancy
- Jobs and Benefits Offices
Health and safety at work
All employers have a responsibility to make sure that their employees’ health and safety are protected at work. This means that you should expect thorough training that shows you any hazards that you may come across during your job and the right ways to do your job safely.
Whether you’re trying to save a bit of money or gain experience and become a lot more independent, finding a job at 15, or even 14, is possible.
Not only do you have the chance to start earning some money at such a young age, but you’ll also be able to learn professional skills that can act as a foundation as you grow older and get more serious jobs.
As a stepping stone, we’ve listed 25 jobs that are okay for teenagers at the age of 15, and even 14, to work at, so keep on reading, as at least a couple of jobs might be a good fit!
Contents show
Jobs that Hire at Age 15 & Even 14
1. Barista
2. Dog Walker
3. Cashier
4. Lifeguard
5. Theater Usher
6. Tutor
7. Host in a Restaurant
8. Dishwasher
9. Grocery Bagger
10. Ice Cream Scooper
11. Camp Counselor
12. Caddy at a Golf Course
13. Busser
14. Babysitting
15. House Sitting
16. Amusement Park Staff
17. Pet Sitting
18. House Painting
19. Landscaping
20. Virtual Office Assistant
21. Customer Service Representative
22. Mobile Car Wash
23. Food Runner
24. Shopping Assistant (Task Runner)
25. Freelancing Services
Conclusion
Jobs that Hire at Age 15 & Even 14
All of these jobs are a great way to get ideas, quickly find something you can do, learn new skills, and make some money, even if it is only a summer job. And it’s up to you to choose a job you like the most and see what companies are hiring around you.
1. Barista
Source: Brooke Cagle from Unsplash
Making coffee and tea isn’t science, and it’s a fairly easy job to do once you learn how a coffee machine works.
As a barista, your main job will be to learn the menu, prepare and serve beverages, and help answer any questions customers might have.
This also includes cleaning the equipment and work areas, using the cash register, and other things besides preparing the beverage.
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2. Dog Walker
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What’s great about dog walking is that you can do it independently, but you can also find a company you can work for.
Dog walkers are required to take dogs at a certain time from a client to take them out for a walk. Sometimes, dog walkers might have to walk more than one dog at a time.
Dog walks will depend on the dog breed and special instructions from clients, and even though it is a simple and even enjoyable job, you will still have responsibility for the dogs you take care of.
3. Cashier
If you love working with people, cash, or are good at math, being a cashier is another great job you can do at 15, and even 14.
Retail stores or restaurants mostly employ cashiers of this young age to work at the point of purchase. This means you will receive cash, create bills, process payments or refunds, count money, and be responsible for the cash drawer and the money balance you had during your shift.
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4. Lifeguard
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Depending on where you live, you might be surrounded by public and private pools that might need someone to survey visitors, ensure everyone is following the rules and is staying safe, and be there in case of an emergency.
In case of emergencies, you will be required to know how to provide immediate care, such as CPR, so a slight learning curve is required, but once you have that covered, you’ll have a pretty chill job that you’ll love going to.
According to Indeed, to become a lifeguard, you will have to go through education and training and get certified if you possess the skills required.
5. Theater Usher
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If you’ve ever watched any teenage TV show if any of the teenagers held a job, it was most likely a theater usher.
A theater usher is a simple job where you have to walk through theaters before, after, and even during the movies to ensure people are following the rules, but also to help provide customer service.
On top of that, you’ll have to clean the theater in between movies.
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6. Tutor
As a tutor, you can use the knowledge and skills you’ve learned in school and help other students of your age, or younger, in a specific subject.
While you can do this through a company, you also get the chance to do it solo, and you get to choose which subject you would like to focus on. You can also decide what to charge per hour (or session) for the one-on-one time you spend with a student who needs your help.
7. Host in a Restaurant
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A host’s job in a restaurant is to greet customers, lead them to tables, present menus and specialties of the day, and do similar things.
While it’s a simple job, you would only need to fit the restaurant’s brand, learn the menu, and get the hang of how it works.
On top of that, you would also need to prevent overloading the servers by wisely choosing tables for new customers who come into the restaurant.
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8. Dishwasher
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Another simple job almost any teenager at the age of 15, or even 14, can do is to wash the dishes in a restaurant.
Depending on the restaurant you decide to work for, you might only be required to wash the dishes and cookware. However, in some restaurants, you might also have to set up tables and help by filling the serving stations so they’re ready for the servers.
However, it’s a fairly simple job that doesn’t come with a learning curve and can be easily done.
9. Grocery Bagger
A grocery bagger is a person at the point of purchase who helps customers quickly organize their purchased items into bags.
Depending on the store, some grocery baggers also help carry the bags to the customer’s cars.
All you need is a set of quick hands and a bit of muscle to make money by helping others out, which is always a good thing to do.
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10. Ice Cream Scooper
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Ice cream scoopers greet the customers, offer suggestions, know the menu, answer questions, and even provide samples.
Depending on the ice cream shop you work for, you also get to receive tips from the customers or manage the ice cream inventory.
The benefit of this job is that you also get to taste the inventory to know exactly what would fit every customer that comes your way.
11. Camp Counselor
This is mostly a summer job, but camp counselors usually work at camps where they help lead games for kids, create activities, take kids for hikes, and do other interesting stuff that will help improve the mood at the camp and keep everyone entertained.
What’s great about this role is that you get to start as a camp counselor but have the chance to progress to a senior counselor as you get older. According to Indeed, you can reach a senior counselor position at the age of 16-18.
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12. Caddy at a Golf Course
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Golf courses often hire a caddy to assist players on the course. This can include carrying the equipment, cleaning the equipment, advising which clubs to use for each hole, holding flags, etc.
If you love golf, this can be a very fun job as you get to be around other players and games and even help be a part of it.
However, even if you are not into golf, you might still like being outdoors and doing simple and smaller tasks that still mean a lot and can help you make money as a 14 or 15-year-old.
13. Busser
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The busser job is also known as a busboy, or bussing tables since the main duty of this job is to clear tables, utensils, and cups and glasses in a restaurant.
Of course, a couple of other tasks are included, such as refilling the nonalcoholic beverages for customers and sometimes even helping carry the food to the tables when it gets busy in the restaurant.
There’s no learning curve. You only need the will to work in a restaurant.
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14. Babysitting
Babysitting is one of the jobs where you don’t need to work for a company. The best way to get started is to speak with family and friends to see if someone needs a babysitter. Keep in mind that you can also search for such work in the local newspaper or online.
At this age, you’re old enough to take care of someone else, so taking care of a baby, a toddler, or children for a couple of hours a week can be a decent job that will make you money.
15. House Sitting
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When people are away, the house can stay empty, but it’s best if it’s still managed so it’s easier to return.
Therefore, when owners go on a trip or a holiday, they might want to find someone to house sit their home.
The duties of house sitting include watering the plants, house cleaning duties, collecting the mail, and staying in touch with the house owner.
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16. Amusement Park Staff
Amusement parks are often a great place to start your working career since they require staff but have no learning curve, and you only need to handle a couple of things at most with each role.
At the age of 15, or even 14, you’ll most likely be issuing tickets and passes and working in concession stands, but you might even get to manage gift shops, etc.
The great thing is that amusement parks also need entertainers, which is just one of many available roles in an amusement park.
17. Pet Sitting
Source: Honest Paws from Unsplash
Pet sitting is a simple job where you only need standard animal care skills, maybe even a couple of references, and of course, the ability to travel and visit a client’s house.
The great thing is that you can learn skills independently and choose which pets you’d like to sit with. The chances are that many teenagers already have a cat or dog, which is more than enough to be qualified to sit for someone else’s pets.
However, volunteering to take care of animals at a local shelter can be a great way to gain experience if you don’t have any.
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18. House Painting
House painting takes a bit more skill, and it’s better to do this job through a company since the responsibility can be a lot to handle.
However, house painting can be a fun and interesting job that won’t be monotonous. It can also help you make a decent amount of money if you work for a reputable company.
According to Indeed, teens in painting jobs can make between $15 to $30 an hour.
19. Landscaping
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Professionals often do landscaping, but it can cost a lot of money. Instead, as a teenager, you can still offer landscaping services in your neighborhood for a decent price if you know how to operate a mower to cut grass, shape bushes, and use other necessary equipment.
Even though this might not be for everyone and there’s a lot of physical labor involved, it is a job that can be done on your own. This also means that there’s a bit more money to be made.
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20. Virtual Office Assistant
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With remote working on the rise, virtual office assistant positions are highly demanded. A virtual office assistant takes care of administrative tasks that require more time than skills to get done.
This includes answering emails, scheduling meetings, making travel arrangements, and various administrative tasks for an individual or a company.
Even though there’s a slight learning curve as each client will have specific needs, you only need basic knowledge of using the computer and software, such as the tools from the Microsoft Office suite.
21. Customer Service Representative
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Almost every company has an online customer department where customers can reach out via live chat or email to ask a question or search for a resolution to their situation regarding the company.
Depending on which company you end up working for, you will need to learn the company’s basics and operations.
So as a customer service representative, you will be providing product or service information to the customers by answering questions, resolving problems, and representing the company in the best light possible.
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22. Mobile Car Wash
With almost every household owning a car nowadays, you can be a mobile car washer and start offering your car washing services.
You can do this through a company or on your own, and all you need is a set of products and a basic knowledge of how to perform a thorough and safe cleaning.
It’s up to you if you’d like to focus only on the exterior, or both the interior and exterior. If you like cars, you might enjoy being around them and taking care of them.
23. Food Runner
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A food runner works as a connection between the front and back of the house staff to deliver food, take orders, and, most importantly, pay attention to priorities such as food allergies.
While it might seem like a simple role, without it, restaurants wouldn’t function efficiently, and it’s one of the jobs that almost any teenager of age 15, or even 14, can do.
With so many local restaurants, it shouldn’t be too hard to find such a job that will fit your available hours when you’re not in school.
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24. Shopping Assistant (Task Runner)
Some people don’t always have the time or ability to do their own shopping
Therefore, there’s a decent demand for shopping assistants. As a shopping assistant, you will be taking orders from clients, shopping for them, and then delivering them right to their door.
You can combine this with running tasks for clients, such as visiting the post office for them.
25. Freelancing Services
If you know you’re good at a skill that others might need, you can easily freelance your skill as a service to start making some money.
You can do anything from designing logos, graphic design, editing photos and videos, shooting videos, capturing photos, managing social media, writing content, and more.
You get to set your rates, it will fit your schedule, and you won’t have to look for a company you can work with. Also, to get started easily, you can talk with your friends and family first.
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Conclusion
It can seem intimidating to start working at such a young age, yet it can be so beneficial to teenagers.
With so many different jobs that can be done, the learning curve shouldn’t be a problem. The most important thing will be fitting a job into your schedule alongside school.
And with so many available choices, you can even choose which job you prefer and can see yourself doing to earn yourself some extra income! Whether it’s just a summer job or a job you’ll hold onto throughout the year, any of these 25 jobs will make a great pick.
Cassie Riley
Cassie Riley has a passion for all things marketing and social media. She is a wife, mother, and entrepreneur. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, language, music, writing, and unicorns. Cassie is a lifetime learner, and loves to spend time attending classes, webinars, and summits.