Only a few big employers publish a minimum age you can check: H-E-B’s careers FAQ sets 16 for baggers, checkers, Curbies, and Shoppers, Publix’s cashier and front service clerk postings say at least 14, and Culver’s says many of its restaurants hire at 14 to 16. Starbucks, Walmart, Target, Panda Express, and Dutch Bros print no minimum age in the careers FAQs and store postings we checked in October 2026, and franchise chains such as McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and Wendy’s leave the age to each restaurant. Aldi is the clear no, with an 18-and-up rule in its careers FAQ, while Costco and Home Depot print no minimum age on the store postings we checked. Federal law sets 16 as the basic working age and puts no cap on a 16-year-old’s hours, so the only things standing between you and a first paycheck are a chain’s own age policy, your state’s rules, and the manager who has 30 adult applications in the same pile.
The chains below are grouped into restaurants and stores, and each entry says what the company itself publishes about age. A few, like H-E-B and Aldi, publish one rule for every location. Some leave it to the franchise owner, so two Chick-fil-A restaurants across town from each other can set different minimums. Knowing which is which saves you from applying to five stores that were never going to call.
Each chain that has its own interview page on this site is linked so you can see what the manager will ask before you walk in.
What Jobs Can 16 Year Olds Legally Do?
A 16-year-old can legally work any non-farm job except the 17 occupations the U.S. Department of Labor lists as hazardous, and can work unlimited hours under federal law. That is the whole federal rule for 16- and 17-year-olds, spelled out in DOL Fact Sheet #43. Everything else that limits a teen job comes from the state or from the employer.
The hazardous list is what keeps certain tasks 18-and-up under federal law, whatever the job title. Hazardous Occupations Order 10 bans minors from running or cleaning power-driven meat slicers, including in restaurants and delis, so a 16-year-old at a grocery deli counter cannot touch the slicer, while bagging involves no such machine. Order 11 covers power-driven bakery machines such as vertical dough mixers, so the bakery’s big mixers are off-limits too. Order 12 covers balers and compactors, the reason a 16-year-old stocker at a big-box store cannot crush the cardboard, and Order 7 covers forklifts. Driving on public roads for work is Order 2, so no delivery driving.
The federal rules do not require a work permit. Many states do. The same fact sheet says so plainly, and your school office is usually the place that issues one. States also add their own hour limits for 16- and 17-year-olds even though Washington does not. The Department of Labor’s state-by-state child labor table shows New York holding 16- and 17-year-olds to 4 hours before a school day and 28 hours in a school week, and California capping them at 48 hours a week with no work past 10 p.m. before a school day. Texas lists no hour cap for that age group at all. Whichever standard is stricter, federal or state, is the one your employer has to follow.
| Federal rule (FLSA) | Ages 14 and 15 | Ages 16 and 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Hours on a school day | 3 | No federal limit |
| Hours in a school week | 18 | No federal limit |
| Hours on a non-school day / week | 8 / 40 | No federal limit |
| Time of day | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (9 p.m. June 1 through Labor Day) | No federal limit |
| Kitchen work | No baking, no freezers or meat coolers, limited cooking | Allowed except hazardous machinery |
| Hazardous occupations (slicers, mixers, balers, forklifts, driving) | Banned | Banned |
Pay has one federal wrinkle to know before your first check. DOL Fact Sheet #32 allows employers to pay anyone under 20 a youth minimum wage of $4.25 an hour for the first 90 calendar days. The chains covered below post their own hourly rates on each listing, and those rates are set by the local market, not by that floor. If a posting near you shows a number, believe the posting over any national average.
Restaurant and Fast Food Jobs That Hire at 16
Fast food and coffee chains are a common first stop for 16-year-olds because the front counter, drive-thru window, and dining room are legal for minors. Kitchen positions vary; federal rules let a 16-year-old work a fryer or grill but not a slicer or a heavy mixer.
Starbucks
Starbucks prints no minimum age in its careers FAQ or the barista postings we checked in October 2026, so check the posting for your store or ask the store manager. There is one entry role, barista, and it covers the register, the bar, and the cleaning rotation. Availability during opening shifts and weekends is what gets a teen hired here. The interview is a friendly conversation about customer service and how you handle a rush; see the Starbucks interview questions and answers for the ones that come up.
Chick-fil-A
Every Chick-fil-A is run by an independent operator, and each operator sets the hiring age within state law. Chick-fil-A’s careers FAQ, checked October 2026, publishes no single minimum and tells applicants to ask the restaurant’s hiring team. Call or check the individual restaurant’s listing before you apply, because two locations a few miles apart can differ. Chick-fil-A interviews lean on hospitality scenarios and often include a second interview with the operator; the Chick-fil-A interview page covers both rounds. Pay varies by operator too; see how much Chick-fil-A pays by role and age.
McDonald’s
McDonald’s US employment FAQ gives no minimum age and tells applicants to contact the restaurant they want, since company-owned and franchised restaurants can handle hiring differently. Crew members rotate through the front counter, drive-thru, and kitchen; federal rules allow grill work at 16, and the restaurant decides which station you start on. It is the easiest interview on this list, often ten minutes and mostly about your schedule; the McDonald’s interview questions page shows what those ten minutes look like.
Culver’s
Culver’s restaurants are independently owned, and its careers page says the minimum age varies by location and state, with team members between 14 and 16 eligible in many cases. Sixteen-year-olds can work the counter, drive-thru, and the fry and grill lines. Managers here care about pace and cleanliness more than experience, and the questions they ask are collected in Culver’s interview questions.
In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out does not print a general minimum age on its store locator or the pages we could open, so confirm the age with the store; the locator lists restaurants in 10 states, from California and Texas to Colorado, Tennessee, and Washington, with starting pay of $17.50 to $24.00 an hour depending on the state (checked October 2026). Every new hire starts on the same “Level 1” tasks: dining room, potatoes, boards, and register, moving up as they prove out. The interview is short and in person, and the In-N-Out interview questions page explains why they ask about your favorite menu item.
Panda Express
The Panda Express service and kitchen team postings we checked in October 2026 print no minimum age, so read the posting for your location or ask the store. The store decides which station a new team member starts on, so ask whether the serving line, register, or wok is open to you. Panda’s interview asks about teamwork and growth, and the Panda Express interview questions page shows the answers that land.
Dutch Bros
The Dutch Bros “broista” postings we checked in October 2026 print no minimum age, so confirm it with the shop before you apply. The job is drink-making, window service, and a lot of talking. Their interview is one of the most personality-driven in fast food, sometimes a group format; the Dutch Bros interview questions page prepares you for that.
Retail and Grocery Jobs That Hire at 16
Retail jobs that hire at 16 fall into two clear groups. A few grocers publish the ages for their front-end jobs, most big-box chains print none on their store postings, and Aldi publishes an 18-and-up rule no matter what the state allows.
Walmart
Walmart’s careers FAQ and the store postings we checked in October 2026 print no minimum age, while its supply chain postings say “Must be at least 18 years old”; at Sam’s Club, its warehouse sibling, some postings such as carwash attendant say 18. Store roles include cashiers, cart attendants, stockers, and online-order pickers, and anyone under 18 is kept off the baler and the forklift by the hazardous-occupation rules above. Walmart’s interview is a structured set of behavioral questions with a scoring sheet, and the Walmart interview page walks through the format.
Target
Target’s careers FAQ and the store and distribution center postings we checked in October 2026 print no minimum age, so check the posting or ask the store. Store roles include guest advocate at checkout, style, general merchandise, and order pickup. Target’s interview is friendly but behavioral, and the Target interview questions page covers its favorites.
Kroger
Kroger and its banners (Fred Meyer, Ralphs, King Soopers, Fry’s, and others) post courtesy clerk and cashier jobs, and the age line varies: the courtesy clerk postings we checked in October 2026 print no age, while some front end/cashier postings say 18. Under 18, you cannot run or clean the deli slicer or the bakery’s big mixers because of the hazardous-occupation rules above. Kroger’s interview is short and often on the spot; the Kroger interview questions page shows what to expect.
Publix
Publix is one of the few large grocers that publishes 14 as a minimum: its Cashier and Front Service Clerk postings both say “At least 14 years of age,” while grocery clerk/stocker postings say 16 and deli clerk postings say 18 (checked October 2026). Publix stores are known for hiring a lot of high schoolers and promoting from within. Expect customer service and reliability scenarios in the interview; Publix interview questions lists the recurring ones.
H-E-B
H-E-B’s careers FAQ states its rule outright: 16 for Curbies, Shoppers, Baggers, and Checkers, 18 for every other position, and 21 for driver roles. That makes H-E-B the clearest answer to “jobs that hire at 16 in Texas,” since it covers most of the state. Their interview mixes customer service scenarios with questions about the company; the H-E-B interview questions page runs through them.
Aldi’s 18 rule, and two chains that publish no age
Aldi sets 18 as its company-wide minimum, while Costco and Home Depot print no minimum age on the store postings we checked in October 2026 (Home Depot’s store manager postings do say 18). Aldi’s own careers FAQ says the company knows state laws vary and chose a single 18-and-up rule anyway. Their interview pages are here for when you meet the age: Costco, Home Depot, and Aldi. Do not spend an application on Aldi at 16, and read the age line on any Costco or Home Depot posting before you apply.
More Places That Hire at 16 Near You
The chains without an interview page on this site still fill a lot of teen shifts. Ages here are mostly set location by location, so read the age line on each posting; where a company prints one, it is noted below (checked October 2026).
- Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Burger King, Sonic, Whataburger: franchise owners set their own ages; the Sonic postings we checked ranged from 15 to 16 and the Wendy’s postings from 14 to 16, Burger King says each franchisee makes its own hiring decisions, and Whataburger’s company-run postings say at least 16.
- Subway, Jimmy John’s, Jersey Mike’s: owners set the age; the Jimmy John’s postings we checked ranged from 14 to 16, and Jersey Mike’s says each franchise owner handles staffing. Meat slicers are the one task you will be kept away from.
- Dairy Queen, Baskin-Robbins, Cold Stone, local ice cream and frozen yogurt shops: owners set the age (Cold Stone says so on its jobs page, and the Baskin-Robbins postings we checked say 16), so ask the shop.
- Grocery chains beyond the ones above: the age line varies. Wegmans’ careers FAQ puts its earliest age at 15, Giant Eagle cashier postings say 16, Albertsons and Safeway cashier postings say 16 or 18 depending on local rules, and Meijer cashier postings say 18; check Winn-Dixie postings directly.
- Movie theaters: Cinemark’s team member postings say at least 16, most AMC crew postings we checked say 14 (some say 16), and Regal’s age is best confirmed on the posting.
- Amusement and water parks: many Six Flags ride and food postings say 16, Cedar Point’s age page says many seasonal roles start at 16 and some departments may hire 14- and 15-year-olds with a work permit, and Six Flags Over Texas food postings say 15.
- Lifeguarding: the American Red Cross requires students to be at least 15 by the last day of the lifeguarding course, so a certified 16-year-old is fully hireable at city pools, YMCAs, and country clubs.
- Seasonal retail: Spirit Halloween hires in bulk each fall; its June 2026 hiring announcement gives no minimum age, and a PIX11 report from August 2025 said sales associates should be at least 16. For the big employers’ holiday hiring side by side, see our seasonal jobs guide.
- Restaurants with table service: Denny’s, IHOP, Cracker Barrel, and similar chains hire hosts, bussers, and dishwashers, but the postings we checked print no minimum age; serving alcohol keeps server roles at 18 or older in most states.
One Reddit reply in a thread from a Los Angeles teen who could not get callbacks lists the same kind of places, and its advice on how to follow up is the part first-time applicants skip.
“I would do both. Apply online, then in two weeks if you haven’t heard anything, go in at a less-busy time of day like between 5-6pm and just drop off a printed job application to the manager on duty. Also Weinerschnitzel hires 16 year olds, and Taco Bell. And if there’s a Dennys nearby, they hire 16 year old hosts and hostesses and dishwashers and bussers. Adidas store in Westfield Culver City Mall has an ad up for part time and says age 16 ok as long as you’re in school working towards your di…”
– r/AskLosAngeles, April 2026 (16 upvotes)
How a 16-Year-Old With No Experience Gets Hired
A 16-year-old with no experience gets hired by proving reliability and availability, since the manager is choosing between teens who all have the same blank resume. Managers choosing between teens with the same blank resume usually go with the one who can say clearly when they can work.
The teen who started that Los Angeles thread described the problem most first-time applicants hit:
“My senior year is coming up, unfortunately my family is very poor and my mom already has a lot to deal with. I’ve skipped every hoco to just attend prom. Yet we still don’t have enough money even though I’m doing most things myself. :c However no one is hiring I’ve applied to countless of fast food/retail jobs yet they either ghost or hire adults. Does anyone have any tips or resources I can check out?”
– r/AskLosAngeles, April 2026 (42 upvotes)
“They hire adults” is the part to take seriously. An adult applicant can close at 11 p.m. on a Tuesday and does not vanish for finals week, so a manager weighing two identical applications takes the adult. You beat that by making your schedule the strongest thing on the page.
Get the work permit question settled before you apply, not after an offer. If your state requires papers, the manager will ask, and a teen who says “my school office issued it last week” moves ahead of one who has to go find out.
Write a one-page resume even when the online form does not ask for one. Put your name, phone, school, and grade at the top, then a line that reads “Available: Mon-Thu after 3:30 p.m., Fri after 3, all day Sat-Sun.” Under that, list what you have done: babysitting, mowing, a church or school volunteer role, a sport with a practice schedule, a club where you handled money or people. A manager reads that as evidence you show up somewhere on time every week, which is the entire job at 16.
Apply online first, because most chains route every hire through their system, then hand a printed copy to the manager on duty in person. Mid-afternoon on a weekday, between the lunch and dinner rushes, is the window when a restaurant manager will talk to you; the Reddit reply above suggests 5 to 6 p.m., which also works for retail. Say your name, that you applied online, and when you can start. That is the whole conversation.
The interview itself will be shorter and easier than you fear. Nearly every hiring-age teen interview draws from the same pool: tell me about yourself, why do you want to work here, how would you handle an upset customer, when can you work. Prepare three answers out loud from the most common interview questions and answers, then read the page for the specific chain linked above. Arrive ten minutes early, leave the phone in your pocket, and bring the printed availability. Managers hire the teen who made the schedule easy.
Jobs That Hire at 15 and 14
Federal law lets 14- and 15-year-olds work outside school hours in non-hazardous jobs, capped at 3 hours on a school day and 18 in a school week, and only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the school year (U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #43). Which employers hire at those ages varies by location, so we keep the rules, the paperwork and the employers that state an age in our guide to jobs for 15 year olds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best place for a 16 year old to work?
The best place for a 16-year-old to work is an employer that publishes an age you meet and staffs the front counter with teens: H-E-B (16 for baggers, checkers, Curbies, and Shoppers), Publix (14 for cashier and front service clerk), and Culver’s (14 to 16 at many restaurants) say so in writing, and Starbucks, Target, and Walmart are worth checking posting by posting. Those employers train from zero, schedule around school as routine, and run interviews that a first-timer can prepare for in an evening. Grocery front-end and coffee jobs tend to have the most predictable hours; amusement parks and theaters pay similarly but shrink after summer.
How many hours can a 16 year old work?
Under federal law a 16-year-old can work unlimited hours at any time of day, according to DOL Fact Sheet #43, but many states cap it. New York limits 16- and 17-year-olds to 28 hours a school week and 4 hours before a school day; California allows 48 hours a week with no shift past 10 p.m. before school. Check your state on the Department of Labor’s state table, then expect the employer to schedule inside it.
Do jobs that hire at 16 require a work permit?
Federal law does not require a work permit at 16, but many states do, and the employer will ask for it before your first shift. Your high school office or the state labor department issues it, usually within a few days. States that do not require one still expect proof of age, so bring an ID or birth certificate to the interview.
What jobs hire at 16 in Texas?
H-E-B is the clearest answer in Texas, with 16 set as its published minimum for baggers, checkers, curbside, and shoppers. Whataburger’s company-run postings also say at least 16, while Buc-ee’s careers page lists 18 for Texas and Walmart, Target, and Kroger print no minimum on the store postings we checked, so read each posting. Texas sets no hour cap for 16- and 17-year-olds, so summer full-time schedules are legal there.
Can a 16 year old work in a restaurant kitchen?
Yes, a 16-year-old can cook, run a fryer, and prep in a restaurant kitchen; the only federal bans at that age are power-driven meat slicers, heavy dough mixers, and similar hazardous equipment. Each employer decides which station a new hire starts on, so ask in the interview which stations are open to you.