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Best Jobs for 16-Year-Olds
1. Animal care
If you are an animal lover, you can get paid to work as a kennel assistant or an animal caretaker. Caretakers provide support and care for animals who live in a shelter awaiting adoption. This position also requires you to socialize and support shelter animals scarred from previous experiences.
2. Babysitter
As an at-home child caregiver, you’re responsible for feeding and taking care of infants, young and older children. You will also be leading children in fun activities while attempting to keep their play areas clean and tidy.
3. Call Center representative
Call center representatives work to answer inquiries via phone, messaging and email. The main requirements for this job are being a good listener and communication skills.
4. Camp counselor
Counselors help plan fun activities, sports and games for kids in clubs and camps. You do not require formal education for this role.
5. Car wash attendant
A car wash attendant is responsible for detailing, polishing and cleaning vehicles according to company standards or client specifications. It requires physical work such as buffing and waxing exteriors, vacuuming, steaming and deodorizing interiors.
6. Cashier clerk
Cashiers’ work is in high demand. They are responsible for processing cash, debit and credit transactions in a store. They also have to process returns, scan items and reconcile cash drawers and sales receipts.
7. Daycare assistant
Daycare assistants help with daily tasks ranging from planning games and activities to feeding and supervising children. They are responsible for keeping them safe and engaged in learning environments.
8. Performer
Performers may show up to entertain a kid's birthday party or event, perform in front of an audience and even dress up in character costumes. As a performer, you may need to act, memorize lines or wear costumes as some of your responsibilities.
9. Event coordinator assistant
Event coordinator assistants help execute events. They organize activities ranging from weddings, expos, company events and charity shows. They also respond to calls, emails, set updates, secure locations, and arrange food and entertainment.
10. Gas station attendant
This job includes customer service, making payment transactions and monitoring and activating fuel pumps. Attendants may also work on inventory..
11. Guest service representative
Among the duties of a host are ticket sales and handling transactions. Guest relations assist guest’s concerns as needed while maintaining communication and ensuring their satisfaction as well as administering complaints and solutions.
12. Lawn care worker
You've probably helped your parents do lawn chores before! As a professional, duties are similar: mowing and edging, watering the grass and flowers, maintaining the lawn, raking leaves and trimming hedges as needed. They also apply fertilizer and remove debris to create and sustain carefully manicured outdoor spaces.
13. Market research interviewer
Want to make money for having your voice heard? You can get paid to complete online surveys. Companies want to hear your opinion and get your feedback. You can work from home or anywhere by answering surveys and questionnaires. This helps companies learn more about their consumers and make their services more appealing.
14. Merchandiser
A merchandiser's job is to make displays that inspire people to spend money in a store. Responsibilities include restocking, setting up displays and loss prevention. You may work in more than one venue, including shops, carts and street vending. Basic math and communication skills will be needed.
15. Personal Assistant
For 16-year-olds, personal assistant jobs are mostly about answering calls, emails and other basic administrative tasks. A personal assistant may also coordinate and attend meetings, take notes and follow up on assignments. They also help with daily time management and run errands as needed.
16. Swimming instructor
A swimming instructor teaches both children and adults how to swim. They also teach water safety instructional aquatic programs. Their responsibilities include evaluating student performance and ensuring that all swimming equipment is in good condition. A swimming instructor also makes sure the lessons are age-appropriate and skill-focused.
17. Referee
A youth referee ensures that players follow the rules of the game. They are required to be present in the game to supervise and officiate the match. A teen referee knows the rules and regulations of the sport and can identify penalties, fouls or other infractions.
18. After school tutor
Tutors provide in-person tutoring sessions for school-age students, helping them learn and comprehend their assignments. They engage with students in after-school programs, whether it's interactive or virtual classrooms. Duties include reviewing classroom homework, projects and test materials.
19. Recreation assistant
Whether in a park or fitness center, recreation assistants are responsible for administrative tasks and support. Theme parks require people like this to monitor and oversee the rides and ticket processing. These positions are often open for either part-time or full-time and require no formal education.
20. Parking lot attendant
Parking lot attendants monitor and redistribute traffic flow and parking areas for suspicious activity. They also issue tickets and collect payments for parking fees. This job requires on-site training but no formal education.
Rights, rules and benefits
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is committed to helping young workers find those positive and early employment experiences that can be important to their development, but the job must be safe.
As a result, they created the Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Nonagricultural Occupations. It ensures a positive and safe work experience for young workers by setting the minimum wage and age for employment (14-years old for non-agricultural jobs) and establishes that jobs must not jeopardize a teen’s well-being or education.
As a 16-year-old, there are certain restrictions on what work you can do and for how long each week. The main goal is to keep you from hazards and from working unreasonable hours.
Here are the most important rules to know:
Minors cannot perform hazardous jobs.
There are no restrictions on the number of hours per day or days per week for teenagers ages 16 and 17. However, some states have established that minors still in school, ages 16 and 17, may not work before 6:30 a.m. or after 11:00 p.m.
Some states require teens to get a work permit to show that they are eligible to work and meet the minimum age requirements.
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour as of 2017, although some state minimum wages are higher.
When teens choose to work, they learn valuable experiences and improve skills that help with their finances, work ethics and time management.
Job Listings for Teens
Wondering where to find job listings for teens?
One of the best sources for entry-level jobs are the local online classified ads such as Craigslist.
We’ve also put together the best job search engines. Take a look at JobHero’s The 10 Best Job Search Engines, where you will find a number of resources, links and the pros and cons for each.