Can You Work at 15 in Washington State? Hours, Pay, and Paperwork

Yes, you can work at 15 in Washington state, but the rules are stricter than what adult employees face. A 15-year-old needs written permission from a parent and, during the school year, from a school official. The 2026 minimum wage for workers this age is about $14.56 per hour. Hours are capped at 16 per week when school is in session and 40 per week during school breaks, and several categories of work — including cooking, construction, and anything involving power-driven machinery — are off the table until age 16.

Jobs a 15-Year-Old Can Take

Most first jobs at this age happen in retail, food service, or office settings. Grocery stores, movie theaters, ice cream shops, and clothing retailers are common starting points. Clerical and office work is also permitted. Under federal rules, a 15-year-old who holds a valid Red Cross certification (or equivalent) can work as a lifeguard or swimming instructor at traditional pools and water parks.¹

Restaurant work is allowed with big caveats. A 15-year-old can bus tables, take orders, serve food, and wash dishes, but cannot cook, bake, or operate powered kitchen equipment like slicers or commercial mixers.² So a fast-food counter job might work, but a grill position won’t.

Work That’s Off-Limits

Washington bans all minors from a long list of dangerous occupations, including power-driven woodworking machines, roofing, slaughterhouse or meatpacking work, and freight elevator operation.³

Workers under 16 face additional restrictions on top of that. Prohibited categories include:

Manufacturing, canneries, commercial laundries, and food processing
Construction sites, delivery vehicles, and warehouses (office work tied to these industries is allowed as long as the teen never enters the job site)
All cooking and baking tasks, plus powered food slicers, grinders, choppers, and bakery mixers
Maintenance and repair duties, even inside a retail store
Loading or unloading goods from trucks, rail cars, or conveyors
Working near power-driven machinery, not only operating it

These come from WAC 296-125-033.² A narrow exception exists for minors enrolled in a state-certified cooperative vocational education or apprenticeship program, but those placements are uncommon for 15-year-olds.³

Hours During the School Year

On any day before another school day, a 15-year-old can work a maximum of three hours. On Saturdays, Sundays, and other non-school days during the school year, that rises to eight hours. Weekly hours cannot exceed 16, and no more than six days of work are allowed in a single week.⁴

The earliest a shift can start is 7:00 a.m. On nights before a school day, work must end by 7:00 p.m. On Friday and Saturday evenings, and the night before a school holiday, the cutoff extends to 9:00 p.m. Any employer scheduling a minor past 8:00 p.m. in a service job must have a supervising adult on-site the whole time.⁴ Work during school hours is never allowed.

Hours During School Breaks

When school is out for summer, winter, or spring break, the schedule opens up. A 15-year-old can work up to eight hours per day and 40 hours per week, still capped at six days. Shifts can begin at 7:00 a.m. and must end by 9:00 p.m.⁴ “School vacation” follows the local district’s calendar, not a statewide date, so summer hours start whenever the specific district’s school year ends.

Required Breaks

Washington gives 14- and 15-year-old workers stronger break rights than federal law requires. A 15-year-old must get a paid 10-minute rest break for every two hours worked. Any shift lasting four hours or more requires a separate 30-minute uninterrupted meal period. And a minor cannot be asked to work more than two consecutive hours without receiving either a rest break or a meal period.⁵ Skipped or shortened breaks are a violation worth reporting to the Department of Labor & Industries.

Pay

Washington’s 2026 minimum wage is $17.13 per hour for adults, and state law lets employers pay 14- and 15-year-old workers no less than 85% of that rate.⁶ That comes out to roughly $14.56 per hour. The reduced rate ends on the worker’s 16th birthday, when the employer must switch to the full adult minimum wage.⁷

Paperwork Before the First Shift

Two documents need to be in place before a 15-year-old clocks in.

The first is a parent/school authorization form, which the employer must have on file at the worksite. A parent or legal guardian signs to grant permission. During months when school is in session, a school official must also sign to confirm the job will not interfere with attendance or academic performance.⁸ The form is available on the Department of Labor & Industries website. The employer has to make sure every section is completed before the teen starts and keep the form accessible for state inspection.⁹

The second is on the employer. Every business that hires minors in Washington must hold a minor work permit endorsement on its business license. The employer applies through the Department of Revenue, but L&I reviews each request before approval. Once granted, the endorsement appears on the business license, which must be posted at the workplace and renewed annually.¹⁰ L&I can revoke the permit if working conditions fall below the required standards for the health, safety, or welfare of minor employees.⁵

Safety Rights and How to Report Problems

A 15-year-old worker has the same federal OSHA safety rights as any adult. That includes safety training in a language the worker understands, required protective equipment at no personal cost, and the right to report unsafe conditions to OSHA without retaliation.¹¹ If a supervisor asks a teen to do something that looks like it belongs on the prohibited list, the worker can refuse and file a confidential complaint. Parents or teens can also file a worker rights complaint directly with L&I if an employer breaks any child labor rule, including hour limits, break requirements, or prohibited duties.¹⁰

Taxes on the Paycheck

Washington has no state income tax, so nothing comes out of the paycheck for the state. Federal income tax is withheld based on the W-4 the teen fills out at hiring. Whether any of it is actually owed depends on total annual earnings; for most 15-year-olds working part-time, the standard deduction covers it and the withholding comes back after filing a return.

Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA) apply to minors the same as adults, at a combined 7.65% of gross pay, when they work for someone other than a parent. If a parent hires their own child through an unincorporated business (a sole proprietorship or a partnership where both partners are the child’s parents), those wages are exempt from Social Security and Medicare until the child turns 18. The exemption does not apply if the business is a corporation or if any partner is not the child’s parent.¹²

1
U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Nonagricultural Occupations
2
Washington State Legislature. WAC 296-125-033 Prohibited and Hazardous Employment – Special Restrictions for Minors Under the Age of 16
3
Washington State Legislature. WAC 296-125-030 Prohibited and Hazardous Employment – All Minors
4
Washington State Legislature. WAC 296-125-027 Hours of Work for Minors
5
Washington State Board of Nursing. Teens at Work: Facts for Employers, Parents and Teens
6
Department of Labor & Industries. Minimum Wage
7
Cornell Law School. Washington Administrative Code 296-126-020 Minimum Wages – Minors
8
Washington State Legislature. WAC 296-125-0260 Parent/School Authorization Forms
9
Washington State Legislature. RCW Chapter 49.12 Industrial Welfare – Section 49.12.121
10
Department of Labor & Industries. How to Hire Minors
11
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Safe Work for Young Workers
12
Internal Revenue Service. Family Employees