Jobs for 16 Year Olds Hiring Now Across the United States
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Mcdonald's
Grill Person-16 years-old and up
Mcdonald's
Grill Person-16 years-old and up
Lagoon Corporation
Ride Operator - Seasonal (16 Year Old Applicants)
Lagoon Corporation
Food Service Employee (16 Year Old Applicants)
McDonald's
Crew Team Member, Students over 16 years old
All Career
Lifeguard - Dollywood's Splash Country - Seasonal (16 Years Old)
Lagoon Corporation
Merchandise Sales Associate - Seasonal (16 Year Old Applicants)
Lagoon Corporation
Grounds Clean-Up - Seasonal (16 Year Old Applicants)
Lagoon Corporation
Light Technician- Entertainment - Seasonal (16 Year Old Applicants)
Mcdonald's
Crew Team Member - Adult (minimum 16 years old)
Mcdonald's
Crew Team Member - Adult (minimum 16 years old)
Mcdonald's
Crew Team Member - Adult (minimum 16 years old)
Lagoon Corporation
Lagoon A Beach Lifeguard - Seasonal (16 Year Old Applicants)
Lagoon Corporation
Landscaping Team Member - Seasonal (16 Year Old Applicants)
Lagoon Corporation
Run Crew- Entertainment - Seasonal (16 Year Old Applicants)
McDonald's
Crew Team Member - Adult (minimum 16 years old)
Streamwood Park District
Youth Volleyball Supervisor - Saturdays - Must be at least 16 years old
McDonald's
16/17 year old
McDonald's
16/17 year old
McDonald's
16/17 year old
McDonald's
16 - 17 Year Old Crew
McDonald's
16 - 17 Year Old Crew
McDonald's
16/17-year-old Team Member
Chick-fil-A
Team Member 16/17 Year Old
McDonald's
16-17 Year Old Crew Team Member
McDonald's
16-17 Year Old Crew Team Member
McDonald's
16-17 Year Old Crew Team Member
McDonald's
16-17 Year Old Crew Team Member
McDonald's
16-17 Year Old Crew Team Member
McDonald's
16-17 Year Old Crew Team Member
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What Changes When You Turn 16
Turning 16 is the single biggest inflection point in teen employment. The federal restrictions that governed your working life at 14 and 15 fall away almost entirely, and the job market treats you fundamentally differently as a result. Here is exactly what shifts.
Federal hour limits disappear
At 14 and 15, federal law caps your week at 18 hours during school and 40 during breaks. At 16, those caps are gone at the federal level. You can theoretically work as many hours as an adult. This single change is the reason most national employers set 16 as their preferred hiring age.
The employer pool expands dramatically
Most fast food chains, grocery stores, and retail brands that are cautious about scheduling 14 and 15 year olds actively recruit at 16. The removed hour restrictions eliminate the scheduling headaches that made younger teens operationally expensive to manage.
Closing shifts become available
The 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM evening cutoffs that applied at 14 and 15 no longer exist at the federal level. Many employers will schedule a 16 year old until 10:00 or 11:00 PM, depending on state rules. This unlocks the busiest and highest-tip shifts in food service and entertainment.
Only hazardous work remains off limits
At 14 and 15, the list of prohibited job types is long and restrictive. At 16, the only remaining ban is on work that the federal government classifies as physically dangerous. Everything else, from kitchen grills to warehouse shelf stocking, opens up.
Where 16 Year Olds Are Getting Hired Right Now
At 16, the range of available work expands in two directions simultaneously: more employers are willing to hire you, and the roles within each employer that you can fill become broader. The cooking station, the closing shift, the Saturday double — all of these open up. Here is how the landscape breaks down.
Retail and Grocery
Typical roles
Register operator, floor associate, fitting room attendant, click-and-collect fulfillment, shelf merchandising, pharmacy counter assistant
Why this matters at 16
Retail teaches you to handle money, manage customer interactions under time pressure, and work within a system of daily targets. It is also the category with the most locations hiring at any given time, which means geographic flexibility.
Fast Food and Quick Service
Typical roles
Crew member, drive-through operator, grill and fryer station (now permitted at 16), shift prep, front counter
Why this matters at 16
At 16, cooking roles that were off limits at 15 become available. This means higher-responsibility positions, faster advancement to shift lead, and access to the busiest (and most tip-friendly) evening and weekend windows.
Outdoor and Seasonal
Typical roles
Lifeguard (with certification), camp counselor, golf course attendant, landscaping crew, amusement park ride operator, farm stand worker
Why this matters at 16
Seasonal roles at 16 can run full-time hours during summer, which means earning potential that was not possible at 14 or 15. Lifeguarding in particular pays well above minimum wage in most markets and carries certification that stays on your record.
Office and Administrative
Typical roles
Filing clerk, reception assistant, data entry, appointment scheduling, mail sorting, basic bookkeeping support
Why this matters at 16
Office exposure at 16 builds skills that most teens never develop before college: professional email etiquette, scheduling tools, phone communication, and working in a quiet, deadline-driven environment. These roles are less common but disproportionately valuable on future applications.
Community and Self-Directed
Typical roles
Babysitting, pet sitting, tutoring, car detailing, event setup and cleanup, social media management for local businesses
Why this matters at 16
Self-directed work at 16 scales better than at 14 or 15 because you can dedicate more hours and take on larger commitments. A 16 year old managing three regular babysitting families or running a weekend car detailing operation is building a client base, not just earning pocket money.
Realistic Earning Scenarios at 16
The earning jump between 15 and 16 is not primarily about pay rate — it is about volume. Without federal hour caps, a 16 year old can work roughly twice as many hours during the school year and has access to full-time summer schedules that were previously off limits. Here is what that looks like in practice.
School Year — One Weekend Shift
Minimal commitment, works alongside heavy course loads
Hours
~8 hrs/week
Rate
$13/hr
Weekly
~$104
Monthly
~$416
School Year — After-School + Weekends
The most common setup for 16 year olds balancing school and work
Hours
~20 hrs/week
Rate
$13/hr
Weekly
~$260
Monthly
~$1,040
Summer — Consistent Part-Time
Leaves time for other activities while earning meaningfully
Hours
~30 hrs/week
Rate
$14/hr
Weekly
~$420
Monthly
~$1,680
Summer — Full-Time Schedule
Now possible at 16 since federal weekly caps no longer apply
Hours
~40 hrs/week
Rate
$14/hr
Weekly
~$560
Monthly
~$2,240
Estimates are illustrative. Actual earnings depend on state minimum wage, job type, and hours worked. The federal wage floor is $7.25/hr; most states enforce a higher minimum.
Work Permits at 16: What You Need to Know
Federal law does not require a work permit at any age. But most states have their own rules, and many extend the permit requirement to anyone under 18. If you already obtained a permit for a job at 14 or 15, check whether your state requires a new one for each employer or allows the existing permit to carry forward. The process is identical either way: school form, parent signature, employer signature, submit for approval.
If You Have Had a Permit Before
- Check if your state ties permits to the employer or to the worker
- If employer-specific, you will need a fresh form for each new job
- If worker-specific, your existing permit may still be valid
- When in doubt, ask your school office — they process these routinely
If This Is Your First Permit
- 1Pick up the form from your school main office or guidance department
- 2Complete your section and have a parent or guardian sign
- 3Bring the form to the prospective employer for their portion
- 4Submit the finished form for processing (typically a few business days)
What Hiring Managers Evaluate in a 16 Year Old
At 16, you are competing for positions with other teens and, increasingly, with adults applying for the same entry-level roles. The differentiators at this stage are not credentials. They are preparation, communication, and evidence that you take the opportunity seriously.
Lead With Your Availability, Not Your Age
Managers care about when you can work, not how old you are. Open with your full schedule: which days, which time blocks, and whether you can close. At 16, your scheduling flexibility is your strongest selling point because the federal hour restrictions that made younger teens difficult to schedule no longer apply to you.
Highlight Any Track Record of Consistency
Two years of showing up to a school club, a volunteer commitment you maintained through a full semester, or a neighbor you mowed lawns for every Saturday since eighth grade. What employers are screening for at this age is not skill. It is proof that you follow through when you say you will.
Research the Employer Before You Walk In
Knowing one specific thing about the business, whether it is a recent store opening, a product they are known for, or something you noticed during a visit, separates you from every other 16 year old who applied cold. It takes five minutes and changes the entire tone of the conversation.
Apply to Multiple Places in the Same Week
Hiring timelines for teen positions are unpredictable. Some managers call back the same day. Others take three weeks. Submitting five or six applications within a short window ensures you are not waiting on a single outcome. Treat the job search the way you would treat anything else you want to succeed at: with volume and follow-through.
Work That Remains Off Limits at 16
The removal of hour restrictions at 16 does not mean all work is permitted. A specific set of roles classified as physically dangerous remain prohibited for anyone under 18 regardless of consent, experience, or employer size. If a job asks you to do any of the following, it is operating outside the law.
If you are unsure whether a task falls within the permitted range, your state labor department can clarify before you accept the assignment.
Guidance for Parents and Guardians
At 16, federal law treats your teen much closer to an adult worker. The hour caps are gone, the range of permitted work is broad, and many employers will schedule aggressively if allowed. Your role shifts from gatekeeper to advisor: ensuring the schedule is sustainable and that the balance between work, school, and personal development holds.
Set a household hour cap even if the law does not
Federal hour limits disappearing does not mean a 30-hour school week is a good idea. Most research on teen work performance suggests that exceeding 20 hours per week during school begins to affect grades and sleep. Agree on a ceiling together before the first schedule is set.
Verify state-level protections
Many states retain school-night curfews and maximum shift lengths for minors even after federal caps expire. These rules vary widely and change periodically. Your state labor department website has the current version.
Discuss money management early
A 16 year old working 20 hours per week can earn over $1,000 per month. Without guidance, that money disappears fast. Setting up a savings split, reviewing pay stubs together, and discussing tax filing basics while the amounts are small builds habits that compound.
Watch for employer overreach
Some managers will schedule a reliable teen for as many hours as they will accept, regardless of whether it serves the teen's interests. If your 16 year old is being asked to cover adult shifts regularly, close multiple nights per week, or work during exam periods, intervene early.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jobs for 16 Year Olds
What actually changes at 16 compared to 14 and 15?
Do I still need a work permit at 16?
What will I realistically earn at 16?
Can I work full-time hours during summer at 16?
What work is still off limits at 16?
Is it worth working during the school year or should I wait for summer?
Disclaimer: This page provides general information about teen employment and does not constitute legal advice. Labor regulations for minors vary by state, and some states enforce rules that are stricter than the federal baseline. Verify the requirements applicable to your situation through your state labor department before beginning work. Parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring compliance with all relevant laws.