A 16-year-old in Maine can work up to 24 hours in a school week and up to 50 hours in a week when school is not in session. Daily limits run from 6 hours on a typical school day to 10 hours on days with no school, and no 16-year-old may work more than six days in a row.
Hours Allowed During the School Year
Any week with three or more scheduled school days counts as a school week. In those weeks, a 16-year-old can work:
- No more than 6 hours on most school days.
- Up to 8 hours on the last school day of the week (often a Friday).
- No more than 24 hours total for the week.
Work is also off-limits during regular public school hours unless the minor has written permission or is enrolled in an approved work-study or vocational program.1Maine Legislature. Maine Revised Statutes Title 26 Section 774 – Hours of Employment
If you work two jobs, the hours from both employers add together against these caps. Working one job within the limit and a second job on top is still a violation if the combined total goes over.
Hours Allowed During School Breaks and Summer
When a week has fewer than three scheduled school days, or during the first and last weeks of the school year, the higher caps kick in:
- Up to 10 hours per day.
- Up to 50 hours per week.
Summer vacation, winter break, and spring break all count as non-school periods, so these are the numbers that apply from the last day of school in June through the first day back in the fall.1Maine Legislature. Maine Revised Statutes Title 26 Section 774 – Hours of Employment
The six-consecutive-day rule still applies. Even in July, a 16-year-old must have at least one day off every seven days.
One pay note tied to the 50-hour cap: federal overtime rules apply to 16-year-olds the same as to any other non-exempt worker, so any hours past 40 in a single week must be paid at one-and-a-half times the regular rate.2eCFR. Title 29 Part 778 – Overtime Compensation A 50-hour summer week legally earns 10 hours of overtime pay.
Earliest and Latest a 16-Year-Old Can Work
Maine controls the clock as well as the total hours:
- Earliest start: 7:00 a.m. on a school day, 5:00 a.m. when school is not in session.
- Latest stop: 10:15 p.m. the night before a school day, midnight if the next day is not a school day.
These windows apply even if the daily hour cap would allow more.1Maine Legislature. Maine Revised Statutes Title 26 Section 774 – Hours of Employment
Required Breaks
Maine requires every employee, including 16-year-olds, to get a continuous 30-minute unpaid break after six consecutive hours of work. Some employers schedule a minor right up to the six-hour line to skip the break, so track your own time if your shifts tend to run long.
When the Hour Limits Don’t Apply
A few jobs are exempt from the daily and weekly caps:
- Agricultural work such as planting, cultivating, and harvesting field crops, as long as the minor is not operating hazardous machinery or handling dangerous substances.3Maine State Legislature. Maine Revised Statutes Title 26 Section 663 – Definitions
- Counselors and counselors-in-training at licensed organized summer camps, and employees under 18 at nonprofit-run seasonal recreation programs.3Maine State Legislature. Maine Revised Statutes Title 26 Section 663 – Definitions
- Minors working as theatrical or film performers, who fall under separate rules.
These carve-outs only lift the hour-and-schedule caps. The ban on hazardous work still applies.
Jobs a 16-Year-Old Can’t Take at All
Federal law prohibits anyone under 18 from working in 17 categories of hazardous occupations. The ones most likely to come up for a 16-year-old looking for a job include roofing, excavation and demolition, operating power-driven meat-processing or bakery equipment, running industrial saws or woodworking machines, and any work involving explosives or radioactive materials.4eCFR. Title 29 Part 570 – Child Labor Regulations, Orders and Statements of Interpretation
Driving is the one that catches families off guard. No one under 17 may drive a motor vehicle on public roads as part of a covered job. At 16, on-the-job driving is completely off the table, even with a valid Maine license.5U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 34 – Hazardous Occupations Order No. 2, Driving Automobiles and Trucks
Reporting an Employer That Breaks the Rules
If an employer is scheduling you past the legal hours, skipping the required break, or assigning prohibited work, you or a parent can file a complaint with the Maine Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. Complaints can be submitted through the online portal or by phone at (207) 623-7900, and they can be filed anonymously. Employers are prohibited from retaliating against a minor or parent who reports a violation.6Maine Department of Labor. Wage and Hour Complaint Portal