Employment opportunities for 13-year-olds are severely limited by federal and state labor laws. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets the foundation for youth employment, prioritizing a minor’s safety and education. This legal framework means most traditional businesses cannot formally hire a 13-year-old. Successfully navigating this process requires understanding the strict age minimums, the few legal exemptions that exist, and the distinction between formal employment and independent contracting work.
The Legal Landscape for 13-Year-Old Workers
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes 14 years old as the minimum age for most non-agricultural employment. This law restricts the vast majority of jobs to minors 14 and older, aiming to prevent interference with schooling and protect against hazardous occupations. The FLSA strictly prohibits the employment of anyone under 18 in certain roles, such as manufacturing, mining, and specific jobs deemed too dangerous.
For minors who are 14 or 15 and can be formally employed, the FLSA imposes strict limits on working hours. During the school year, they are generally limited to working no more than three hours on a school day and a maximum of 18 hours per week. These rules, along with time-of-day restrictions, illustrate the regulation applied to all minors in the formal workforce.
State labor laws often impose stricter standards than the federal FLSA, and the more protective law always applies. Both the minor and the prospective employer must consult local Department of Labor regulations before employment is finalized. The limited exceptions for 13-year-olds are narrowly defined and include specific jobs like delivering newspapers and working as an actor or performer.
Specific Jobs Permitted Under Child Labor Laws
Formal employment for a 13-year-old depends almost entirely on a few legally exempt occupations or a specific family relationship with the business owner. Without these exemptions, the minor is generally too young for a traditional employer-employee relationship under the FLSA. Permissible roles focus on light, non-hazardous tasks that are unlikely to interfere with school attendance.
Office and Clerical Tasks
A 13-year-old may perform light office and clerical tasks only if the business is solely owned by their parent or guardian. Under this exemption, the minor can engage in duties like filing, data entry, running errands, and computer work. The exemption allows for flexible and unrestricted hours, but the work must not be in mining, manufacturing, or any of the 17 occupations deemed hazardous.
Work in Retail and Food Service (Non-Cooking)
A 13-year-old can only be formally employed in a retail store or food service establishment if it is a family-owned business. Permitted tasks are restricted to light work such as shelving, bagging groceries, cleaning tables, and general cleanup duties. The minor is prohibited from working in freezers or meat coolers, operating power-driven machinery other than typical office equipment, or engaging in any cooking or baking operations.
Agricultural and Farm Work
Federal law provides a specific exemption for farm work, permitting 12- and 13-year-olds to work outside of school hours with parental consent or if a parent is employed on the same farm. This work must be non-hazardous; the minor cannot operate heavy machinery, such as a tractor over 20 horsepower, or work with dangerous chemicals or in confined spaces like silos. Children of any age may work on a farm owned or operated by their parents, with no restrictions on hours or type of work, provided it is outside of school hours and not on a commercial farm.
Entertainment and Modeling
Working as an actor or performer in motion pictures, radio, television, or theatrical productions is a specific exemption from the general minimum age requirement. This employment is regulated, often requiring a formal work permit from the state, regardless of age. Regulations mandate on-set education, strict limits on working hours, and require a parent or guardian to be present.
Where Businesses Are Most Likely to Hire 13-Year-Olds
The administrative complexity and legal risk of hiring a minor under 14 deter most large companies and national chains. These employers prefer to hire at the federal minimum age of 14 or higher to minimize compliance issues across multiple states. Consequently, the most likely employers are those that fall under the specific FLSA exemptions.
Local, family-owned businesses are the most practical source of formal employment, utilizing the parent-owned business exemption. The most common non-parent-owned employers are local newspapers, which hire 13-year-olds for delivery routes (a job specifically exempt from the federal FLSA). Local or community theaters and production companies also hire minors for performing roles that are legally exempt.
Informal and Entrepreneurial Opportunities
Many 13-year-olds earn money through informal work, which is not subject to federal child labor laws because it does not constitute a formal employer-employee relationship. These activities are considered independent contractor or “gig” work, where the minor is self-employed and paid directly by the client. This distinction bypasses the stringent legal requirements of formal employment.
Common examples include providing domestic services for private homeowners, such as babysitting, pet-sitting, or house-sitting. Other entrepreneurial ventures involve neighborhood services like lawn mowing, snow shoveling, or raking leaves. Minors can also offer tutoring services or create small, local businesses selling crafts or baked goods, all without the need for a work permit or formal employer.
Navigating the Work Permit Process
Once a formal job offer is secured, the minor must navigate the work permit process, which is mandatory in most states and requires coordination. The purpose of the work permit, often called an Employment Certificate or Working Papers, is to verify the minor’s age and ensure the job will not interfere with their education. The process typically begins with the minor obtaining an application from their school’s guidance office or the state’s Department of Labor website.
The application requires information from three sources: the minor, the parent or guardian, and the prospective employer. The employer must detail the job duties and proposed working hours. The school then reviews this information to confirm compliance with child labor laws and school attendance requirements. The minor needs to provide proof of age, such as a birth certificate, and often a physician’s certificate of physical fitness before the final permit is issued.