What Jobs Hire at 14 in Idaho: Hours, Pay, and How to Apply

Fourteen-year-olds in Idaho can get hired at fast-food counters, grocery stores, offices, farms, and plenty of local seasonal spots. The jobs that hire at 14 in Idaho are the ones federal law allows for the 14–15 age group, and Idaho adds no state work-permit system on top. The real limits are on hours and task types, not on whether someone will hire you.

Employers Known to Hire at 14

National chains are mostly franchise-run, so the hiring age shifts from one location to the next even under the same brand name. A few are more consistent than others.

Culver’s actively posts crew member openings for 14- and 15-year-olds at many of its locations, which makes it one of the more dependable places to start. Chick-fil-A hires a limited number of applicants this age at participating franchises, though availability is uneven. McDonald’s leaves the age floor to each franchise owner, so some stores take applications at 14 and others set the minimum at 15 or 16. Dairy Queen works the same way, and many locations consider 14-year-olds for front-counter work.

Grocery stores are the other common entry point. Chains like Albertsons sometimes hire minors as courtesy clerks, bagging groceries and bringing in carts. Call or walk into the specific store to confirm; policies vary location to location. One Idaho-based grocer to cross off the list is WinCo Foods, which requires applicants to be at least 16.¹

Beyond the chains, the jobs federal rules specifically open to 14- and 15-year-olds include retail cashiering, stocking, and price-marking; food service work like taking orders, serving, bussing, and limited cooking on equipment that meets the safety rules; office tasks like filing, data entry, and answering phones; and intellectual or creative work such as tutoring, performing, and basic computer work.²

Farm, Seasonal, and Local Work

Idaho’s farm economy opens up seasonal jobs that don’t show up on corporate careers pages. Federal rules let 14-year-olds work on farms outside of school hours in any job the Secretary of Labor hasn’t declared hazardous. That covers hand-harvesting, transplanting seedlings, hand irrigation, and work in nurseries and greenhouses. Tractors, auger conveyors, power post-hole diggers, and similar machinery are off-limits until you turn 16.³

Concession stands at local sporting events, family-owned plant nurseries, water parks, and small farms often take on younger teens during busy months. These openings rarely post online. You find them by asking in person, watching community bulletin boards, and getting a parent to put the word out.

Work That Isn’t Covered by Federal Rules

A few kinds of paid work sit outside the Fair Labor Standards Act entirely, which means age limits don’t apply the same way. Delivering newspapers to consumers, casual babysitting, and minor chores around private homes are all exempt.² They won’t build a traditional work history, but they put real money in your pocket while you’re still working up to a formal job.

Hours You’re Allowed to Work

Employers will ask about your availability, and knowing the exact limits makes you easier to hire. Under federal rules for 14- and 15-year-olds:

School days (including Fridays): maximum three hours.
School weeks: maximum 18 hours.
Non-school days: maximum eight hours.
Non-school weeks: maximum 40 hours.
All work must happen between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the school year.
From June 1 through Labor Day, the evening cutoff moves to 9 p.m.²

Idaho’s own child labor statutes in Title 44, Chapter 13 line up with these limits and tie them to school-district schedules.⁴ When state and federal rules differ, the stricter one wins.

Tasks a 14-Year-Old Cannot Legally Do

Some jobs look appealing on a sign in the window but include duties that are off-limits for your age group. If an employer asks you to do any of these, they’re putting both of you at risk. Prohibited equipment and tasks for 14- and 15-year-olds include:

Power-driven meat slicers, saws, and choppers, including cleaning the disassembled parts.
Commercial bakery equipment like dough mixers, rollers, dividers, and cookie-forming machines.
Woodworking machines, chain saws, power sanders, and nailing machines.
Forklifts, backhoes, scissor lifts, boom trucks, and cranes.
Industrial compactors and balers of any kind.⁵

Manufacturing, mining, and any work involving exposure to toxic chemicals are also closed to this age group entirely. In food service, you can use electric or gas grills that don’t involve an open flame and deep fryers that lower and raise baskets automatically. Cleaning cooking surfaces and handling grease is only allowed when the temperature is below 100°F.²

What You’ll Get Paid

Idaho’s minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, the same as the federal floor, and there’s no separate lower state minimum for minors.⁶ Federal law does allow a youth subminimum wage of $4.25 per hour during the first 90 consecutive calendar days with a new employer if you’re under 20. Those are calendar days, so weekends and days off count toward the 90.⁷ Most Idaho employers hiring 14-year-olds pay the full $7.25 from day one; businesses that use the youth rate tend to lose applicants to the ones that don’t.

What to Bring When You Apply

Idaho does not issue employment certificates or age certificates for minors.⁸ Enforcement runs through local school boards and truant officers instead of a state work permit.⁹ Individual employers can still ask for parental consent, so having a parent available to sign is worth planning for.

For any application, pull together:

Proof of age, usually a birth certificate or valid passport.
Your Social Security number. You don’t need the physical card for every application, but you’ll need the card for the I-9 form once you’re hired.
A written list of the hours you can legally work: three hours on school days, eight on non-school days, nothing before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. during the school year.

How to Apply

For chain restaurants and grocery stores, start on the company’s careers page. The online application usually runs 15 to 30 minutes and covers your personal information, availability, and sometimes a short personality screener. Be upfront about your age; the employer has to know in order to schedule you legally, and there’s nothing to gain by hiding it.

Smaller businesses often skip the online process entirely. Walking in, asking for the manager, and handing over a one-page resume or paper application is still the normal approach at local restaurants, nurseries, and farm stands. The in-person first impression counts for more at 14 than any resume does.

After you apply, give it a week or two. If you haven’t heard back, a short follow-up call or visit shows initiative without crowding anyone. In an interview, the manager will almost certainly check that you understand the hour restrictions. Knowing the specific daily and weekly caps cold, not just in general terms, tells them you’ll be easy to schedule, which is what most managers want from a first hire.

1
WinCo Foods. WinCo Careers FAQs
2
U.S. Department of Labor. Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations
3
U.S. Department of Labor. Overview of Youth Employment Provisions of the FLSA for Agricultural Occupations
4
Justia Law. Idaho Code Title 44 Chapter 13 – Child Labor Law
5
U.S. Department of Labor. Fair Labor Standards Act Advisor – Prohibited Occupations for Non-Agricultural Employees
6
U.S. Department of Labor. State Minimum Wage Laws
7
U.S. Department of Labor. Youth Minimum Wage – Fair Labor Standards Act
8
U.S. Department of Labor. Employment/Age Certificate
9
Business.Idaho.gov. Teenage Employees