You can work at 15. There are limits on hours and on which jobs, and they are federal so they are the same in every state — your state can be stricter, never looser. Here is the whole picture, and then the part that matters more than the job listings.
What federal law allows at 15
- Same federal limits as 14: outside school hours only.
- Up to 3 hours on a school day, 18 hours in a school week.
- Up to 8 hours on a non-school day, 40 hours in a non-school week.
- Between 7am and 7pm, extended to 9pm June 1 through Labor Day.
What you can do at 15
- everything open at 14
- lifeguarding — 15 is the federal minimum, and it pays above minimum wage in most places
- swim instruction and camp counselling with certification
What is off limits until you are older
- manufacturing, mining, processing
- power-driven machinery
- construction and roofing
- driving as part of the job
Agriculture runs on a separate and looser set of federal rules, including on a family farm. If farm work is what is near you, the DOL link below covers it.
The part almost nobody is told
Federal law funds paid work experience, tutoring and job training for young people starting at age 14 and running to 24. It is called the WIOA youth program, every county in the country is covered by a board that runs it, and the money is already appropriated whether or not anyone claims it.
Find the office covering your ZIP at CareerOneStop and say your age and "the WIOA youth program". That sentence is the whole password.
Where the openings actually are
- Your local workforce board — paid work experience through WIOA, ages 14–24: find your office.
- Your state's exact rules — the U.S. Department of Labor keeps the table: state child labor laws.
- Federal rules in full — YouthRules! from the Wage and Hour Division.
Your state's rules
Hour limits while school is in session, and whether you need a work permit, are set by your state on top of the federal floor. Pick yours:
En español
Hay dinero federal para jóvenes de 14 a 24 años. El programa juvenil de WIOA paga experiencia laboral, tutoría y entrenamiento. Busca la oficina de tu código postal en CareerOneStop y di tu edad y "el programa juvenil de WIOA".
A los 15 años puedes trabajar legalmente fuera del horario escolar, hasta 3 horas en días de clase y 18 horas por semana escolar.
Las reglas exactas de tu estado están en el Departamento de Trabajo.