Most Kumon locations hire starting at age 14 or 15, though the exact minimum depends on the individual center and your state’s child labor laws. Kumon learning centers are independently owned franchises, which means each center’s owner sets their own hiring policies, including age requirements. There is no single company-wide minimum age.
Why the Age Varies by Location
Every Kumon center is run by an independent franchisee, not by Kumon’s corporate office. As Kumon states on its employment page, all hiring decisions, including job descriptions, pay, and eligibility requirements, are at the sole discretion of each franchise owner. One center might hire 14-year-olds as graders, while another down the road might require applicants to be 16.
State labor laws also play a role. Most states allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work in certain non-hazardous jobs with restrictions on hours, but a few set the general employment floor at 16. Your state’s rules create the baseline, and the franchise owner decides whether to match that baseline or set a higher one.
Positions Available to Younger Workers
The most common entry-level role at Kumon is the Center Assistant, sometimes broken into more specific titles like Grader or Classroom Assistant. These positions don’t require teaching credentials or prior experience, which makes them a natural fit for high school students.
Center Assistants typically handle a mix of responsibilities:
- Grading worksheets. Assistants grade both homework and classwork, then record results so the center’s instructor can track each student’s progress and adjust lesson plans.
- Guiding students through work. This isn’t traditional tutoring. You give hints and encouragement to help students figure out answers on their own rather than providing solutions directly.
- Helping early learners. Younger Kumon students sometimes need hands-on help with basics like holding a pencil, writing letters and numbers, and learning the center’s routine for working through worksheets independently.
- Front desk and communication tasks. Checking students in and out, answering parent questions, responding to inquiries, and keeping the center organized.
The work is light, indoors, and educational in nature, which is why many franchise owners are comfortable hiring teens for these roles.
Work Permits and Hour Restrictions
If you’re under 18, most states require you to get a work permit before you can start any job, including one at Kumon. You typically get the permit through your school. The process generally works like this: you, your parent or guardian, and the employer each fill out sections of a permit application form, then submit it to your school district for approval. The issued permit will specify your job duties, work location, and the maximum hours you’re allowed to work.
Federal law limits 14- and 15-year-olds to 3 hours of work on school days and 18 hours during a school week. On non-school days, the cap rises to 8 hours, and during non-school weeks (like summer break), you can work up to 40 hours. Workers aged 16 and 17 face fewer federal restrictions on hours, though some states impose their own additional limits. Kumon centers typically schedule shifts around class days, usually afternoons and weekends, so these limits align well with the work.
How to Find Out a Specific Center’s Policy
The fastest way to confirm the minimum age at a center near you is to call or visit and ask the owner directly. Kumon’s website also has a center locator with contact information for each franchise. When you reach out, ask about the minimum age they hire, whether any positions are available, and what hours they typically need covered. Many centers ramp up hiring at the start of the school year and again in early summer when enrollment tends to increase.
If you’re 14 or 15, mention your age upfront so the owner can tell you immediately whether they hire at your age and whether your state’s labor laws allow it. Having a work permit already in process (or knowing how to get one quickly) signals that you’re serious and makes it easier for the owner to say yes.
What Kumon Pays
Pay at Kumon centers is set by each franchise owner, so there’s no standard wage across locations. Most Center Assistant roles pay at or slightly above the local minimum wage. Because shifts tend to be short, often two to four hours on class days, weekly earnings are modest. For many teens, though, the flexible schedule and the experience of working in an educational setting are as valuable as the paycheck itself.