How we check hiring ages

HiringAge answers one question well: how old do you have to be to work at a given employer, where you live.

Where the ages come from

• Company-confirmed — the employer publishes the age on its careers site or FAQ.
• From job postings — no official number, but real postings consistently state it. We note the state of each posting.
• Mixed reports — locations differ a lot; treat the age as a starting point and ask the store.

How state law is applied

Federal law (the Fair Labor Standards Act) lets 14- and 15-year-olds work limited hours in most non-farm jobs; states can be stricter. On every employer page we show the higher of the company's minimum and the state's, plus whether a work permit is needed.

Limits

Most restaurant chains are franchises, and each owner chooses their own minimum age. A posting we saw last month may be gone. Nothing here guarantees a job or replaces your state's labor department — it is general information, not legal advice.

Spot a mistake or a different age at your store? hello@hiringage.com — we read everything.