Jobs that hire at 15 in Massachusetts are mostly in grocery stores, quick-service restaurants, retail shops, summer camps and recreation programs, and on farms. Before a 15-year-old can start any of them, Massachusetts requires a youth employment permit tied to that specific job, and both state and federal law restrict what tasks the teenager can do and how many hours they can work. The stricter rule always wins when state and federal limits differ.
Where 15-Year-Olds Actually Get Hired
Most openings fall in service and retail. Grocery stores hire teens as baggers and for cart retrieval. Quick-service restaurants take on counter and kitchen-prep help, though equipment rules narrow the tasks a 15-year-old can handle. Retail stores add shelf-stocking and inventory work, especially around the holidays.
Summer opens up more. Junior camp counselor and recreation-assistant roles at parks and community programs are common once the school-year hour cap lifts. Agricultural work — harvesting produce and tending plants — has a long history of employing young workers in the state.
One practical catch: individual companies often set their own minimum age higher than the law requires. Many national chains hire only at 16 or 18 because of internal liability or equipment policies. Smaller local employers tend to be more flexible as long as the teenager has a valid permit and the required adult supervision.
Jobs and Tasks That Are Off-Limits
Massachusetts and federal law each publish their own list of prohibited work, and a 15-year-old is barred from anything on either list.
Under state law, no one under 16 may work in or around a factory, workshop, or manufacturing establishment.1General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 149 Section 60 – Children Under Sixteen in General A separate statute bars anyone under 18 from a longer list of hazardous settings: blast furnaces, hoisting equipment, jobs involving explosives, work at heights above 30 feet, operating motor vehicles, any part of an establishment where alcohol is sold for on-site consumption, and jobs requiring a firearm.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 149 Section 62 – Prohibited Employment of Minors Under Eighteen The combined effect rules out construction, industrial work, and bar or nightclub jobs entirely.
Federal regulations add specific task limits for 14- and 15-year-olds. Prohibited tasks include operating any power-driven machinery (including lawn mowers, food slicers, and food processors), all baking and most cooking, work in freezers or meat coolers, loading or unloading trucks and railroad cars, outside window washing from elevated surfaces, door-to-door sales, and street peddling.3eCFR. 29 CFR 570.33 – Occupations That Are Prohibited to Minors 14 and 15 Years of Age Maintenance and repair work on buildings, machines, or equipment is also off-limits. These rules explain why a 15-year-old at a fast-food restaurant can run the register but not the fryer or the slicer.
The Permit You Need Before Day One
Every worker under 18 in Massachusetts needs an employment permit before starting a new job.4Mass.gov. Youth Employment Permit Information You can only apply after you have a concrete job offer from a specific employer. You cannot get a permit first and shop it around.
The application collects four signatures:5Mass.gov. Employment Permit Application for 14- Through 17-Year-Olds
- The employer fills out a “Promise of Employment” section describing the job title, duties, and hours, then signs.
- A physician must certify in writing that the teen is in sound health after a thorough examination. This step is required for 14- and 15-year-olds, and the certificate must be signed within 12 months of the application date.
- A parent or guardian signs to approve the specific job described.
- The teenager signs.
Once the form is complete, bring it along with proof of age — a birth certificate, passport, or immigration record — to the superintendent of schools in the town where you live or attend school. The superintendent or a designated school official issues the actual permit. Hand it to the employer before your first shift or any training.
A permit covers one job only. You cannot transfer it to a different employer, and you need a new permit if you stay with the same company but move to a different work location.4Mass.gov. Youth Employment Permit Information It stays valid until the job ends or you turn 18, whichever comes first. When the job ends, the employer must return the permit to the issuing school office within two days.6General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 149 Section 86 – Employment Permits
Hours You Can Work
Federal rules set the tightest hour limits for 14- and 15-year-olds, and they apply in Massachusetts on top of state limits. During weeks when school is in session, a 15-year-old may work no more than 3 hours on a school day, no more than 8 hours on a non-school day, and no more than 18 hours total for the week.7U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 43 – Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act for Nonagricultural Occupations During weeks when school is not in session, the weekly cap rises to 40 hours with a daily maximum of 8. State law separately caps anyone under 18 at six working days per week.8General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 149 Section 67 – Days and Hours of Work
Time-of-day rules are just as strict. Federal law limits 14- and 15-year-olds to working between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. during the school year, and the evening cutoff extends to 9:00 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day. Massachusetts separately requires that any minor working past 8:00 p.m. be under direct adult supervision in the workplace.9General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 149 Section 66 – Time of Work for Children For a 15-year-old, the federal cutoff is the one that governs in practice.
If a shift is scheduled for more than six hours, Massachusetts requires a 30-minute meal break. That rule applies to minor and adult employees the same way.
What You’ll Be Paid and What Gets Withheld
Massachusetts does not set a lower minimum wage for teenagers. A 15-year-old is entitled to the same hourly rate as any adult doing the job.10Mass.gov. Massachusetts Law About Minimum Wage The narrow exceptions to the state minimum wage apply to agricultural workers, members of religious orders, and certain nonprofit trainees, not to minors as a group.
Paychecks are subject to federal income tax withholding like any other worker’s. In practice, most 15-year-olds working part-time will owe nothing at tax time. For 2026, a single taxpayer’s standard deduction is $16,100, so a dependent who earns less than that for the year will generally owe no federal income tax and can expect a refund of amounts withheld.11Internal Revenue Service. IRS Releases Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2026
Social Security tax (6.2 percent) and Medicare tax (1.45 percent) come out of every paycheck regardless of age or total earnings when the teenager works for a typical employer.12Internal Revenue Service. Family Employees These are not refunded at the end of the year.
If You Get Hurt or Something Feels Unsafe
A 15-year-old employee has the same federal safety protections as an adult. Under OSHA, every young worker is entitled to safety training in a language they understand, the required safety gear, and the ability to file a confidential complaint about hazardous conditions without retaliation.13Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Safe Work for Young Workers A teen can ask questions and refuse dangerous tasks the same way an adult can.
Massachusetts workers’ compensation covers minor employees regardless of age or hours worked per week. A 15-year-old injured on the job or made ill by work is entitled to the same benefits as any other employee. One protection applies specifically to minors: if the injury happened while the employer was violating child labor laws — assigning a prohibited task, for instance, or scheduling hours beyond the legal cap — the worker may be entitled to double the standard compensation.14Mass.gov. Under 18 and Hurt on the Job – Information on Workers’ Compensation A teenager or parent who suspects a violation can report it to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office.