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If you are under 18 years old, there are rules set up about employment to keep you safe and healthy! The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was written in 1938 and is still enforced today. It sets standards for working including minimum wage as well as the rules for youth to work. Check out some of the facts by your age to see what jobs you can take, when you can work, and what you must be paid! Remember that each state can have its own child labor and minimum wage laws in addition to the FLSA. Be sure to check out your state's homepage for more information!

16 years old and older
The minimum age for covered non-farm employment is 16 years old. If you are 16 or older, you can work at any time of the day for unlimited hours. For a list of jobs that 16 - 18 year olds are restricted from, check out the Department of Labor's website.

14 and 15 years old
14 and 15 year olds can be employed if the jobs fall within outside school hours and up to:

3 hours on a school day
18 hours in a school week
8 hours on a non school day
40 hours on a non school week

The hours of work have to be between 7am and 7pm, except from June 1 through Labor Day, when evening hours are extended to 9 pm. The jobs have to be non-manufacturing, non-mining and non-hazardous. Different rules apply if you have an agricultural job.

Under 14 years old
If you are under 14 years old you can work for yourself (not an employer). That means you can do jobs like babysitting or yardwork part-time.

Minimum Wage
The FLSA also sets the rules for how much you are paid. It establishes minimum wage - the minimum amount that an employer must pay you. This doesn't count if you are working for yourself (doing babysitting or yardwork). If you are under 20 years old, your minimum wage is $4.25 an hour during the first 90 days of working. If you work over 40 hours in a workweek, you must be paid at least 1½ times your regular pay rate for each hour worked over 40.

Some jobs like working at amusement parks or swimming pools do not require minimum wage. These jobs are seasonal - they are only available during the summer or winter. Newspaper delivery also doesn't require minimum wage. States can also require their own laws in addition to the rules from the FLSA. Be sure to check information about your state and minimum wage.

Tipping Jobs
The rules are a little different if you receive tips while you are employed. If you work at a place where there is tipping (such as a restaurant), you must be paid at least $2.13 an hour if you claim a tip credit against your minimum wage obligation. But if your tips don't meet minimum wage, your employer should make up the difference. Check this out for more information.

Paying Taxes
You may think that you're too young to worry about taxes, but you do have to pay them! Your parents may be able to put them on their tax return, or you may have to file your own separately. You have to file a tax return if you make over a certain amount of money in the year and your parents claim you on their taxes.

Be sure to write down how much money you make during the year, or keep your W-2 if you get one if you work for an employer. It will help your parents decide what to do when tax time comes around!

Check out the IRS's website on taxes for information on filing.