How this list was built
We opened each employer's careers page or application FAQ on October 19, 2026 and kept only those that state a minimum age in their own words. Where the statement comes from a job posting rather than a company-wide FAQ, the table says so.
Employers whose own pages state a minimum age
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Employer | Minimum age stated | Where it says so (viewed October 19, 2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Publix | 14 for select store positions | Careers FAQ: "We hire for select positions in our stores starting at 14 years old" (jobs.publix.com, article dated September 10, 2025) | The page does not name the positions; ask the store |
| Wegmans | 15 | Careers FAQ: "The earliest age requirement for positions at Wegmans is 15 years old" (wegmans.com) | Some departments set a higher age; "you may need a work permit" |
| Culver's | Varies by location and state; "in many cases" 14 to 16 | Careers FAQ (culvers.com/careers) | Restaurants are independently owned |
| Six Flags, including Kings Island | 16 at all properties; 14 and 15 at some | "All of our properties hire individuals who are 16+! Some of our properties also hire 14- and 15-year-olds" (jobs.sixflags.com/about-us) | Age is in each posting; Kings Island: "A work permit may be required for associates under the age of 18" |
| AMC Theatres | 14 to 17 | Careers FAQ: "We often provide offers for employment to persons between the ages of 14-17, based on the times that they can work as indicated by their school work permits" (amctheatres.com) | Check the posting for roles that serve alcohol |
| Chipotle | 16 | Crew member posting, Dallas: "Be at least 16 years old" (jobs.chipotle.com) | Posting, not a company-wide FAQ |
| Taco Bell | 16 | Team member posting, Orlando: "Must be at least 16 years of age" (jobs.tacobell.com, posted October 19, 2026) | Posted by a franchisee, "not Taco Bell Corp." |
| Dunkin' | 16 | Posting titled "Restaurant Crew Member (Age 16+)", Missouri City, Texas (careers.dunkindonuts.com, posted October 17, 2026) | "Each Dunkin' franchisee is an independent employer" |
| McDonald's | Varies by restaurant | US FAQ (March 3, 2021): "the hiring policies and procedures regarding age may vary" between company-owned and franchised restaurants (mcdonalds.com) | Contact the restaurant |
| Chick-fil-A | Varies by restaurant | Careers FAQ: "Hiring decisions are made by individual Chick-fil-A franchised Operators" (chick-fil-a.com) | The FAQ tells you to contact the restaurant's hiring team |
| Target | 18 for bakery roles; no general age stated | Food and Beverage Expert job description: "Must be at least 18 years of age or older (Bakery Only)" (corporate.target.com) | Careers FAQ states no age |
| Lowe's | 18 for most hourly store jobs | Careers FAQ: "For most hourly store jobs, you must be at least 18 years old, but it can vary by location" (talent.lowes.com) | Varies by location |
| Walmart | 18 in the cashier postings we opened | Cashier postings: "Must be at least 18 years old" (careers.walmart.com) | Careers FAQ states no age |
A posting with no age line is not a yes; ask before you apply. Where you need a permit first: work permits for minors by state.
Employers whose pages do not state an age
On October 19, 2026 these careers pages or FAQs did not state a minimum age, or the only postings that did had expired: Kroger, Starbucks, Wendy's, Burger King, Cinemark, Home Depot, CVS, Walgreens, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Michaels, Baskin-Robbins, Sonic, Zaxby's, Raising Cane's, In-N-Out, Jersey Mike's, Subway and Panera. Dairy Queen's careers site could not be opened. Several of these hire at 16 in some stores; the age appears only in the posting for the store near you.
What these jobs pay
Pay for two common first jobs, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025. The median is the middle wage for all workers in the job, including experienced ones, so a first job may pay less.
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Metro area | Cashiers, median hourly | Retail salespersons, median hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $15.81 (10th percentile $11.79) | $17.03 (10th percentile $13.08) |
| Atlanta | $14.43 | $15.79 |
| Austin | $16.32 | $16.28 |
| Boston | $17.33 | $17.72 |
| Chicago | $16.83 | $17.22 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $14.38 | $16.06 |
| Denver | $18.09 | $18.50 |
| Houston | $14.11 | $15.07 |
| Los Angeles | $17.78 | $18.13 |
| Miami | $14.54 | $16.50 |
| New York | $17.28 | $18.40 |
| Orlando | $15.06 | $15.52 |
| Phoenix | $16.79 | $17.29 |
| Seattle | $21.26 | $20.23 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, occupations 41-2011 and 41-2031, national and metro tables. There were 3,089,410 cashier jobs and 3,897,860 retail salesperson jobs nationwide (same source).
Federal law lets an employer pay workers under 20 as little as $4.25 an hour for their first 90 consecutive calendar days, unless a higher state or local minimum wage applies with no youth exception (DOL Fact Sheet 32, revised July 2008). The first check is smaller than hours times rate; see your first paycheck explained. Compare jobs in pay benchmarks for hourly jobs and jobs with weekly pay.
Hours and jobs allowed at 16 and 17 under federal law
Federal law sets no limit on hours for 16 and 17 year olds: "Sixteen- and 17-year-olds may be employed for unlimited hours in any occupation other than those declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor" (DOL Fact Sheet 43, revised December 2016). School-day and night limits come from state law; see teen work hours by state.
The hazardous jobs are listed in 29 CFR Part 570, Subpart E, "Occupations Particularly Hazardous for the Employment of Minors Between 16 and 18 Years of Age" (eCFR, current as of October 15, 2026), and Fact Sheet 43 lists all 17 orders. The ones that come up in teen jobs: driving a motor vehicle on the job or helping on one (Order 2, with a narrow daylight exception for 17 year olds noted in Fact Sheet 43); power-driven meat slicers and meat-processing machines (Order 10); power-driven bakery machines (Order 11); balers and compactors (Order 12); power-driven saws and wood chippers (Order 14); hoisting equipment such as forklifts (Order 7); and roofing, trenching, and demolition (Orders 15 to 17).
So a 16 year old can run a register, stock shelves, cook on a grill, wash dishes, or work a ride at an amusement park, but cannot run the deli slicer, drive the delivery car, or operate the cardboard baler. Federal rules do not require a work permit, but many states do (Fact Sheet 43). At 14 and 15 the rules are tighter; see jobs for 14 and 15 year olds.
How to apply at 16
- Read the posting for an age line. Postings on jobs.sixflags.com, jobs.tacobell.com and careers.dunkindonuts.com put the age in the text or the title. If there is none, ask before you apply.
- Start your permit the week you apply. Many states will not let you start work until the school or labor department signs off.
- Apply online, then follow up in person with a photo ID and your availability written down.
- Give honest hours. State law may cap school-night hours, and the manager needs to schedule around it.
- Watch for scams. No employer charges to apply or asks for your Social Security number before an offer; see job scams warning signs.
Summer timing is in summer jobs for teens; holiday hiring is in seasonal jobs.
Current openings
See retail jobs and retail jobs with no experience required, or by city: Dallas, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando. Counter roles are under customer service jobs.
More retail openings
Current source-linked listings could not be confirmed in this sample. Check the category search and each original posting for availability.
How to verify a listing
Every opening on JobPin links to its source posting. Open it, check the date, and confirm the minimum age and pay on the employer's own site before you give personal information. Age rules change by store, state and franchise owner. How we check listings: how JobPin verifies listings.
How JobPin dates and sources listings: How JobPin verifies listings and events. Report a listing.