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Field card 87

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.

Dad Field Manual editors · Drafted with AI help · Published Oct 15, 2026

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Time
45 min
Cost
$0
Ages
14 to 18
Where
Kitchen table

01What you need

  • A laptop or phone for your state's youth work rulesHave
  • Paper and pen for notes and a pay estimateHave
  • A calculatorHave

Where: Any table with a laptop or phone for checking your state's rules.

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.

02Steps

  1. Check the work rules

    TogetherLook 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

    TogetherList 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 youWrite 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

    TogetherPick 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

    TogetherWrite 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.

03If 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.

04Variations

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.

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05Sources

  • 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. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division Checked Oct 15, 2026
  • 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. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Checked Oct 15, 2026
  • 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. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Checked Oct 15, 2026
  • 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. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Checked Oct 15, 2026

Filed under: Money · Teens

Dad Field Manual · Field card 87 · Money

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.

Time
45 min
Cost
$0
Ages
14 to 18
Where
Kitchen table

What you need

  • A laptop or phone for your state's youth work rules
  • Paper and pen for notes and a pay estimate
  • A calculator

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. Look up the federal and state work rules for their age and write down the hours allowed.
  2. Compare real jobs. List three jobs they could do, ask family what their jobs took, and note the hours and travel.
  3. Estimate the paycheck. Multiply wage by hours for gross pay, then explain that taxes come out before take-home pay.
  4. Set a savings share. Pick a share of each paycheck to save, name the goal, and decide what the rest is for.
  5. Plan the first month. Set an application date and 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.
Weekly hours · net pay · saved
Signed off: can do this.Signed by Date

dadfieldmanual.com/plans/first-real-job-plan · Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau