# How old do you have to be to work at Chick-fil-A?

You can work at Chick-fil-A from age 14 at some locations, but most restaurants hire at 16. Most Chick-fil-A locations are independently owned franchises, and each owner sets their own minimum age. State law can raise the age.

Each Chick-fil-A restaurant is run by an independent franchisee (an 'Operator') who sets the hiring age. Some Operators post jobs for 14- and 15-year-olds, while many others require team members to be at least 16, and some kitchen or daytime roles ask for 18.

- Minimum age: 14
- Most locations: 16
- Franchised: mostly
- Pay: $9–$18.5/hour (Team member postings seen Oct 2026: $9-$10.50 (West Monroe, LA) to $14-$18.50 (San Antonio, TX); some 14-15 roles start lower (e.g. $10.25 in Lexington, KY))
- Confidence: From job postings
- Checked: 2026-10-10

## By job

- Team member (front of house): 14+ (Some Operators, e.g. Kentucky, Missouri, Georgia and South Carolina postings)
- Team member: 16+ (Common minimum, e.g. Louisiana and Texas postings)

## By state (youngest possible age)

| State | Age | Work permit |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 14 | needed |
| Alaska | 14 | needed |
| Arizona | 14 | no |
| Arkansas | 14 | no |
| California | 14 | needed |
| Colorado | 14 | no |
| Connecticut | 16 | needed |
| Delaware | 14 | needed |
| District of Columbia | 14 | needed |
| Florida | 14 | no |
| Georgia | 14 | needed |
| Hawaii | 14 | needed |
| Idaho | 14 | no |
| Illinois | 14 | needed |
| Indiana | 14 | no |
| Iowa | 14 | no |
| Kansas | 14 | no |
| Kentucky | 14 | no |
| Louisiana | 14 | needed |
| Maine | 14 | needed |
| Maryland | 14 | needed |
| Massachusetts | 14 | needed |
| Michigan | 14 | needed |
| Minnesota | 14 | no |
| Mississippi | 14 | no |
| Missouri | 14 | needed |
| Montana | 14 | no |
| Nebraska | 14 | needed |
| Nevada | 14 | no |
| New Hampshire | 14 | needed |
| New Jersey | 14 | needed |
| New Mexico | 14 | needed |
| New York | 14 | needed |
| North Carolina | 14 | needed |
| North Dakota | 14 | needed |
| Ohio | 14 | needed |
| Oklahoma | 14 | needed |
| Oregon | 14 | no |
| Pennsylvania | 14 | needed |
| Rhode Island | 14 | needed |
| South Carolina | 14 | no |
| South Dakota | 14 | no |
| Tennessee | 14 | no |
| Texas | 14 | no |
| Utah | 14 | no |
| Vermont | 14 | no |
| Virginia | 14 | needed |
| Washington | 14 | needed |
| West Virginia | 14 | needed |
| Wisconsin | 14 | needed |
| Wyoming | 14 | no |

## Questions

**How old do you have to be to work at Chick-fil-A?**
You can work at Chick-fil-A from age 14 at some locations, but most restaurants hire at 16. Most Chick-fil-A locations are independently owned franchises, and each owner sets their own minimum age. State law can raise the age.

**Does Chick-fil-A hire at 14?**
Some restaurants do. We found Chick-fil-A postings for 14- and 15-year-olds in Kentucky, Missouri, Georgia and South Carolina. Many other locations require you to be 16, because each restaurant's Operator sets its own rules.

**Do 14- and 15-year-olds get paid less at Chick-fil-A?**
Sometimes. One Kentucky restaurant posted its 14-15 job at $10.25 an hour, and a Missouri one posted $15-$15.10. Pay is set by each Operator and must meet your state's minimum wage.

**Can a 14-year-old work late at Chick-fil-A?**
No. Federal law says 14- and 15-year-olds can't work past 7 p.m. during the school year (9 p.m. in summer) or more than 3 hours on a school day. Your state may have stricter rules.

## Sources

- Team Member 14/15 Year Old - Chick-fil-A Nicholasville Rd (Lexington, KY): https://www.workstream.us/j/b5995ba3/chick-fil-a/lexington-63793/team-member-14-15-year-old-51a3783f?locale=en
- Under 16 (14 & 15 yrs old) - Chick-fil-A Summit Fair (Lee's Summit, MO): https://www.workstream.us/j/378bc39c/chick-fil-a/lee-s-summit-63594/under-16-14-15-yrs-old-e615e4cc?locale=en
- Front of House Team Member - Chick-fil-A West Midtown (Atlanta, GA): https://www.workstream.us/j/a6a8f9c9/chick-fil-a/atlanta-102643/front-of-house-team-member-3a933b0e?locale=en
- Team Member - Chick-fil-A (Manning, SC): https://www.workstream.us/j/9da099ee/chick-fil-a/manning-93082/team-member-5018ef5e?locale=en
- Team Member, part-time (High School or College) - Chick-fil-A (West Monroe, LA): https://www.workstream.us/j/977c1b2d/chick-fil-a/west-monroe-67945/team-member-part-time-high-school-or-college-ace40571?locale=en
- Team Member - Chick-fil-A (San Antonio, TX): https://www.workstream.us/j/a1d857f7/chick-fil-a/san-antonio-172437/team-member-c918a645?locale=en
- Careers - Chick-fil-A: https://www.chick-fil-a.com/careers

Page: https://hiringage.com/chick-fil-a/ — please cite with a link.