Hiring ages › Fast food & restaurants

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 — pick your state below.

From job postings · checked October 2026

Chick-fil-A's hiring age policy

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.

Job postings accepting 14-year-olds have been seen in Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina.

Minimum age by job

14
15
16
17
18+
14Team member
16Team member
JobAgeNote
Team member (front of house)14+Some Operators, e.g. Kentucky, Missouri, Georgia and South Carolina postings
Team member16+Common minimum, e.g. Louisiana and Texas postings

How much does Chick-fil-A pay teens?

$9–$18.5 an 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)

How to apply at Chick-fil-A

Search restaurant jobs on Chick-fil-A's job site or the Operator's posting, or ask at the restaurant. Under-18s may need a work permit, depending on the state.

See Chick-fil-A jobs →

Chick-fil-A hiring age by state

The youngest age Chick-fil-A could hire you at in each state: the company's minimum or the state's, whichever is higher. “✓ seen” means we found a real Chick-fil-A posting there accepting that age.

From 14From 16✓ Seen in a posting
Show the table for all states
StateYoungest ageWork permitHours at 14–15 (school week)
Alabama14+Needed18 h
Alaska14+Needed18 h
Arizona14+No18 h
Arkansas14+No18 h
California14+Needed18 h
Colorado14+No18 h
Connecticut16+ state lawNeeded—
Delaware14+Needed18 h
District of Columbia14+Needed18 h
Florida14+No15 h
Georgia14+ ✓ seenNeeded18 h
Hawaii14+Needed18 h
Idaho14+No18 h
Illinois14+Needed18 h
Indiana14+No18 h
Iowa14+No18 h
Kansas14+No18 h
Kentucky14+ ✓ seenNo18 h
Louisiana14+Needed18 h
Maine14+Needed18 h
Maryland14+Needed18 h
Massachusetts14+Needed18 h
Michigan14+Needed18 h
Minnesota14+No18 h
Mississippi14+No18 h
Missouri14+ ✓ seenNeeded18 h
Montana14+No18 h
Nebraska14+Needed18 h
Nevada14+No18 h
New Hampshire14+Needed18 h
New Jersey14+Needed18 h
New Mexico14+Needed18 h
New York14+Needed18 h
North Carolina14+Needed18 h
North Dakota14+Needed18 h
Ohio14+Needed18 h
Oklahoma14+Needed18 h
Oregon14+No18 h
Pennsylvania14+Needed18 h
Rhode Island14+Needed18 h
South Carolina14+ ✓ seenNo18 h
South Dakota14+No18 h
Tennessee14+No18 h
Texas14+No18 h
Utah14+No18 h
Vermont14+No18 h
Virginia14+Needed18 h
Washington14+Needed16 h
West Virginia14+Needed18 h
Wisconsin14+Needed18 h
Wyoming14+No18 h

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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.

Other places that hire at 14

Sources

  1. Team Member 14/15 Year Old - Chick-fil-A Nicholasville Rd (Lexington, KY) (2026-10) — Part-time 14/15-year-old team member, starting $10.25/hr (Kentucky)
  2. Under 16 (14 & 15 yrs old) - Chick-fil-A Summit Fair (Lee's Summit, MO) (2026-10) — Ages 14-15 accepted, $15.00-$15.10/hr (Missouri)
  3. Front of House Team Member - Chick-fil-A West Midtown (Atlanta, GA) (2026-10) — Hires 'teens as young as 14 years old', up to $15/hr (Georgia)
  4. Team Member - Chick-fil-A (Manning, SC) (2026-10) — 'Must be 14 years of age or older' (South Carolina)
  5. Team Member, part-time (High School or College) - Chick-fil-A (West Monroe, LA) (2026-10) — 'Minimum age of 16 years is required', $9.00-$10.50/hr (Louisiana)
  6. Team Member - Chick-fil-A (San Antonio, TX) (2026-10) — 'At least 16 years of age', $14.00-$18.50/hr (Texas)
  7. Careers - Chick-fil-A (2026-10) — Restaurants are run by franchisee Operators; restaurant jobs listed at jobs.chick-fil-a.com

Last checked October 10, 2026. See a different age at your Chick-fil-A? Tell us.