Yes, you can work at 14 in NJ, but only in approved jobs, only with an employment certificate (working papers) on file before your first shift, and only within strict hour limits. The state’s minimum wage applies to you the same as it does to an adult: $15.92 per hour in 2026 for most employers.1Department of Labor & Workforce Development. New Jersey’s Minimum Wage to Increase in 2026 Everything else, from what you’re allowed to do to when you’re allowed to be on the clock, flows from your age and whether school is in session.
Jobs a 14-Year-Old Can Take
The New Jersey Department of Labor keeps a list of occupations open to 14-year-olds, and it’s broader than most families expect. Common starting points include clerical and office work, retail sales, restaurant jobs like hosting or bussing, hotel work, and non-motor-vehicle delivery jobs. Camp counselor, library attendant, caddie, lifeguard, and entertainment work (singing, modeling, theatrical performances) are all on the list, along with domestic jobs like babysitting or cleaning.2Department of Labor & Workforce Development. Young Workers in NJ: Rights and Protections for Workers under 18
One wrinkle at the supermarket or retail store: running a cash register or bagging at a conveyor belt requires you to be at least 15. A 14-year-old can still work in those stores stocking shelves or doing other tasks, just not at the register.3Justia. New Jersey Code 34-2-21.17 – Prohibited Employment
Jobs and Tasks That Are Off-Limits
Under New Jersey law, no one under 16 may work in, around, or in connection with any power-driven machinery.3Justia. New Jersey Code 34-2-21.17 – Prohibited Employment So a 14-year-old at a landscaping company can rake and weed but can’t touch a mower or leaf blower. A 14-year-old at a deli can’t go near a power-driven meat slicer.
Federal law adds more. Fourteen- and 15-year-olds can’t work in manufacturing, processing, or mining occupations, and can’t be in workrooms where those activities take place.4U.S. Department of Labor. Prohibited Occupations for Non-Agricultural Employees They also can’t work from ladders or scaffolds, and can’t be exposed to radioactive substances or ionizing radiation.5U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the FLSA for Nonagricultural Occupations When state and federal rules overlap, the stricter one wins.
How Many Hours You Can Work
During the school year, the limits are tight. A 14-year-old can work no more than 3 hours on any school day and no more than 18 hours in a school week.6Justia. New Jersey Code 34-2-21.3 – Limitations on Hours of Employment for Minors All work has to fall between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. while school is in session.7U.S. Department of Labor. Non-Agricultural Jobs – 14-15
Summer loosens things up. Starting on the last day of your school year and running through Labor Day, you can work up to 40 hours per week, and the evening cutoff moves to 9 p.m.6Justia. New Jersey Code 34-2-21.3 – Limitations on Hours of Employment for Minors Federal rules cap daily hours at 8 during non-school periods.7U.S. Department of Labor. Non-Agricultural Jobs – 14-15
Any time of year, no minor under 18 may work more than six continuous hours without at least a 30-minute meal break.8Justia. New Jersey Code 34-2-21.4 – Lunch Period for Minors under 18
What You’ll Get Paid
New Jersey doesn’t set a lower minimum wage for minors. As of January 1, 2026, the state minimum is $15.92 per hour for most employees. Seasonal and small employers pay at least $15.23 per hour, and agricultural workers on hourly or piece-rate wages earn at least $14.20 per hour. For tipped work, the employer’s cash wage must be at least $6.05 per hour, with the tip credit making up the rest to the full minimum.1Department of Labor & Workforce Development. New Jersey’s Minimum Wage to Increase in 2026 The state’s minimum wage adjusts each year with the Consumer Price Index.
How to Get Working Papers
No minor under 18 may start a job in New Jersey until an employment certificate is approved and the employer has it on file.9Justia. New Jersey Code 34-2-21.7 – Employment Certificates for Minors The whole process runs through the state’s MyWorkingPapers portal at myworkingpapers.nj.gov. Before you start, you’ll need three things: your employer’s 8-digit code (if they haven’t registered in the system, the portal lets you provide their email so the state can prompt them), your Social Security Number, and your parent or guardian’s name and email address.10NJ.gov. Working Papers Process, Step-by-Step
Your parent or guardian also has to upload a proof-of-age document during their part of the process. New Jersey accepts a birth certificate or certified transcript, driver’s license or learner’s permit, passport, baptismal certificate, USCIS certificate of arrival showing your age, or a life insurance policy at least one year old.11NJ.gov. Acceptable Documents for Providing Proof of Age
The approval moves through a chain. You create an account and verify your email, then fill out the application with the employer’s 8-digit code and your caregiver’s contact information. Your employer gets an email, reviews your information, confirms the worksite address and proposed hours, and approves from their own account. Since May 2025, the worksite address and hours-of-work fields are required on every application.10NJ.gov. Working Papers Process, Step-by-Step Your caregiver then gets their own email, registers, reviews the job, uploads your proof of age, and authorizes the employment. A caregiver who has concerns about the hours or duties can reject the application at this stage, which blocks you from starting.
Once all three parties sign off, the Department of Labor reviews everything and issues a decision. Everyone involved gets an email once the application is approved, and you can begin working only after that approval comes through.10NJ.gov. Working Papers Process, Step-by-Step
Casual Work That Doesn’t Need Papers
Not every odd job runs through this system. Federal law treats casual babysitting as outside its child labor and wage rules, defining “casual” as work that’s irregular or intermittent and not done by someone whose primary occupation is babysitting. Under that standard, babysitting generally qualifies as casual if your total hours across all babysitting jobs stay under 20 per week.12eCFR. Part 552 – Application of the Fair Labor Standards Act to Domestic Service The same logic applies to occasional yard work or errands for a neighbor. Once the job becomes regular, scheduled, and directed by someone running a business, you’re back in working-papers territory.
What Happens if an Employer Skips the Rules
If an employer pressures you to start before your certificate is approved, or schedules you past the hour limits, the legal risk falls on them. A first criminal offense for violating New Jersey’s child labor law carries a fine between $100 and $2,000, and each subsequent violation runs from $200 to $4,000. Every day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, and employing each minor in violation counts separately too.13Justia. New Jersey Code 34-2-21.19 – Violations; Penalties
On top of those fines, the Commissioner of Labor can impose administrative penalties: up to $500 for a first violation, up to $1,000 for a second, and up to $2,500 for each one after that.13Justia. New Jersey Code 34-2-21.19 – Violations; Penalties None of that lands on you or your family. If a manager tells you the paperwork is “no big deal” or asks you to work an unapproved shift, that’s a signal to pause and get the certificate finished first.