You can work at 16. 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 16
- No federal limit on hours. You can work any number of hours, any time of day.
- Your state may still set limits while school is in session — check the link below.
- The restriction that remains is on hazardous work, not on time.
What you can do at 16
- any non-hazardous job, unlimited hours
- registered apprenticeship — you are a paid employee from day one, not a student with a bill
- Job Corps — free training, housing, meals and a stipend, residential
- warehouse, hospitality, healthcare support, IT support
- certified trades training through a community college while still in high school
What is off limits until you are older
- the federally designated hazardous occupations — most power-driven machinery, roofing, excavation, demolition, driving as a primary duty
- an apprenticeship or student-learner exemption can open some of these before 18
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.
- Registered apprenticeships — a wage from day one: apprenticeship.gov.
- Job Corps — free training, housing and meals, 16–24: jobcorps.gov.
- 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 16 años no hay límite federal de horas. Los aprendizajes registrados te pagan desde el primer día, y Job Corps ofrece entrenamiento, vivienda y comida gratis.
Las reglas exactas de tu estado están en el Departamento de Trabajo.