--- title: "Plan your teen's first real job" published: "2026-10-15" updated: "2026-10-15" author: "Dad Field Manual editors (drafted with AI help)" time: "45 min" cost: "$0" ages: "14 to 18" where: "Any table with a laptop or phone for checking your state's rules." topics: ["money","teens"] print: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/print?p=first-real-job-plan" url: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/plans/first-real-job-plan/" --- # Plan your teen's first real job > Your teen wants a paycheck, and you want it to be a good first job. In forty-five minutes you'll check the hours rules, pick what to apply for, work out take-home pay, and agree how much goes to savings. ## What you need - A laptop or phone for your state's youth work rules (have) - Paper and pen for notes and a pay estimate (have) - A calculator (have) ## Before you start - **Your state may be stricter.** Many states limit hours for 16- and 17-year-olds and require work permits. Where the rules differ, the stricter one applies. Check yours. - **School comes first.** For 14- and 15-year-olds, federal rules keep work outside school hours. Plan around homework and sleep too. - **Never pay to get hired.** A real employer doesn't ask for fees. If a job sounds too good to be true, stop and look at it together. ## Steps 1. **Check the work rules** (Together) Look up the federal rules for your teen's age. For 14- and 15-year-olds, the limits are outside school hours, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day), 3 hours on a school day and 18 in a school week. Then look up your state's rules and write down both. 2. **Compare real jobs** (Together) List three jobs they could do, like a pool, a grocery store or a yard business. Ask relatives and friends what they do and what it took to get started. Write what each would need: age, hours, how to get there. 3. **Estimate the paycheck** (Both of you) Write an hourly wage and the hours a week. Multiply for gross pay. Say: "Your paycheck will be smaller than this because taxes come out first." Explain gross versus net and the W-4 form that sets withholding. Plan to read the first pay stub together. 4. **Set a savings share** (Together) Pick the share of each paycheck that goes straight to savings. The CFPB mentions around 10 percent as a common routine. Pick what fits their goal. Ask: "What will you do with the rest?" 5. **Plan the first month** (Together) Write the first application date and who to ask for a reference. Talk through what to do if the job conflicts with school or you hit a bad shift. Set a check-in a month after the first paycheck. ## If it stalls - If they want the most hours, remind them the rules and school come first, then pick a schedule that leaves study time. - If net pay looks low, show them the pay stub line by line and ask what each deduction is. - If they'd rather spend it all, ask for one goal worth saving for. A named goal beats a lecture. ## Variations - **Ages 14–15:** Focus on the federal limits above, and on babysitting, yard work or a pool job. Keep the first goal small. - **Ages 16–17:** Federal law sets no hour limit, but your state may. Add a bank account and a monthly check on the 10 percent routine. - **Age 18:** Federal youth work rules no longer apply. Move the talk to taxes, a W-4 and a longer savings goal. ## Sources - **Federal hour limits for young workers.** The Department of Labor says 14- and 15-year-olds may work outside school hours, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day), no more than 3 hours on a school day and 18 in a school week. It sets no federal hour limits for 16- and 17-year-olds, and says the stricter of federal and state law applies. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Paychecks, gross and net, W-4.** The CFPB's earning page for teens says paychecks may be smaller than expected because taxes come out first, explains gross versus net pay and the W-4 form, and suggests reviewing a paycheck line by line and comparing the jobs of family members. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Saving from a paycheck.** The CFPB's saving page for teens suggests, once there's a steady job, setting up a routine that sends a set share of each paycheck, around 10 percent, to savings, and keeping it in a federally insured bank or credit union. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Teen money habits.** The CFPB's milestones page for teens lists managing money to reach a goal, planning ahead, and resisting offers that seem too good to be true as signs a teen is on track. (checked 2026-10-15)