The minimum wage in MN for 14-year-olds is $9.31 per hour for the first 90 consecutive days on a new job, then $11.41 per hour after that. Both rates took effect January 1, 2026, after Minnesota adjusted its wage floors for inflation.1Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. New Minimum-Wage Rates, Changes to Meal and Rest Break Laws Take Effect Jan. 1, 2026
Why There Are Two Rates
Minnesota lets any employer pay a lower training wage to workers under 20 during their first 90 consecutive days of employment. That rate is currently $9.31 per hour.2Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Minimum Wage in Minnesota Once day 91 arrives, the employer owes the full state minimum of $11.41 per hour, no matter how old the worker is or how small the business.1Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. New Minimum-Wage Rates, Changes to Meal and Rest Break Laws Take Effect Jan. 1, 2026
The 90 days are counted per job, not per lifetime. If you leave one job and start another, a new 90-day training period can begin with the new employer.
Minnesota used to have separate, lower minimum wages for small employers, workers under 18, and J-1 visa holders. The 2024 Legislature eliminated all of those reduced categories, effective January 1, 2025.3Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Minimum-Wage Rate Adjusted for Inflation as of Jan. 1, 2025 A 14-year-old now earns the same hourly floor as any adult once the training period ends.
Both rates are adjusted annually for inflation, so they will go up again on January 1, 2027. Federal law allows a $4.25 training wage and a $7.25 regular minimum for teens,4U.S. Department of Labor. Youth Minimum Wage – FLSA Advisor but Minnesota’s higher numbers are the ones your employer has to follow.
Tips Don’t Count Against the Minimum
Some states let employers pay a lower base wage and treat tips as making up the difference. Minnesota prohibits that. Tips cannot be used as a credit against any part of the minimum wage.5Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Tips, Tip Credit A 14-year-old bussing tables or bagging groceries keeps every tip on top of $9.31 or $11.41, whichever applies. If a paycheck shows tips deducted from the hourly rate or an employer says tips “count toward” the minimum, that is a violation.
Hour Limits That Affect Your Paycheck
How much a 14-year-old can actually earn in a week is capped by state and federal hour limits. When state and federal rules differ, the stricter rule wins.
School Weeks
During weeks when school is in session, federal law allows no more than 3 hours of work on a school day and no more than 18 hours in the week. Work must happen outside school hours and only between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.6U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43 – Child Labor Provisions of the FLSA for Nonagricultural Occupations Minnesota also prohibits work during school hours unless the superintendent has issued an employment certificate.7Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 181A.04 – Minimum Age and Maximum Hours
Summer and Non-School Weeks
When school is out, a 14-year-old can work up to 8 hours in a day and 40 hours in a week.8Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Age, Hours Restrictions The evening curfew depends on the date. Minnesota allows work until 9:00 p.m. year-round, but federal law only extends to 9:00 p.m. between June 1 and Labor Day. Outside that window, the federal 7:00 p.m. cutoff still applies, even on non-school days.6U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43 – Child Labor Provisions of the FLSA for Nonagricultural Occupations So in late May, before June 1, work still has to end at 7:00 p.m. even though school may already be out.
Taxes Come Out of the Paycheck
A 14-year-old’s wages have federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) withheld like any other worker’s. Most teens working part-time won’t earn enough to owe federal income tax, but filing a return at year-end is still worth it to recover anything withheld.
One narrow exception: if the teen works for a parent’s sole proprietorship or a partnership in which both partners are parents, wages paid to a child under 18 are exempt from Social Security and Medicare. The exemption does not apply if the parent’s business is a corporation or an LLC taxed as one.9Internal Revenue Service. Tax Treatment for Family Members Working in the Family Business
If You’re Being Underpaid
If an employer pays less than $9.31 during the training period, less than $11.41 after 90 days, or counts tips against the hourly rate, file a wage claim with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry’s Labor Standards Division. The number is 651-284-5075, and the email is dli.laborstandards@state.mn.us. An investigator responds within two business days. Have the employer’s name and contact information, your pay rate, the hours you worked, and the pay dates ready for the intake call.10Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Wage Claim
A federal complaint can also go to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243. Federal complaints are confidential, and employers cannot legally retaliate against anyone who files or cooperates with an investigation.11U.S. Department of Labor. How to File a Complaint A parent or guardian can file on behalf of a minor. Save pay stubs, written schedules, and screenshots of any texts about hours; investigations move faster with documentation.