How Old Do You Have to Be to Work at McDonald's? (2026)

McDonald's hiring age policy

Most US McDonald's job listings are from independent franchisees, and McDonald's job site says each franchisee alone is responsible for hiring at its restaurants. Many franchisees post jobs just for 14- and 15-year-olds on McDonald's own job board, but others start at 16. State law can raise the age or limit hours.

Job postings accepting 14-year-olds have been seen in Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Wyoming.

Minimum age by job

18+

14Crew member

15Crew member

Job	Age	Note
Crew member (14-15 track)	14+	Dedicated 14-15 postings in MN, MO, WY, PA, IL and SC on jobs.mchire.com
Crew member	15+	Some franchisees start at 15 (e.g. a Seneca, SC posting for 15-year-olds)
Shift or restaurant manager	?	Not stated in the postings we checked

How much does McDonald's pay teens?

$10–$18 an hour — From McDonald's job-board titles we saw, Oct 2026: $10/hr for a 14-15 job in Conway, SC up to $16-$18/hr crew in Webster, NY; varies by state minimum wage

How to apply at McDonald's

Search and apply on McDonald's job site (McHire), where some listings are labeled for 14- and 15-year-olds, or ask at your local restaurant. Under-18s may need a work permit, depending on the state.

See McDonald's jobs →

McDonald's hiring age by state

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

From 14From 16✓ Seen in a posting

Show the table for all states

State	Youngest age	Work permit	Hours at 14–15 (school week)
Alabama	14+	Needed	18 h
Alaska	14+	Needed	18 h
Arizona	14+	No	18 h
Arkansas	14+	No	18 h
California	14+	Needed	18 h
Colorado	14+	No	18 h
Connecticut	16+ state law	Needed	—
Delaware	14+	Needed	18 h
District of Columbia	14+	Needed	18 h
Florida	14+	No	15 h
Georgia	14+	Needed	18 h
Hawaii	14+	Needed	18 h
Idaho	14+	No	18 h
Illinois	14+ ✓ seen	Needed	18 h
Indiana	14+	No	18 h
Iowa	14+	No	18 h
Kansas	14+	No	18 h
Kentucky	14+	No	18 h
Louisiana	14+	Needed	18 h
Maine	14+	Needed	18 h
Maryland	14+	Needed	18 h
Massachusetts	14+	Needed	18 h
Michigan	14+	Needed	18 h
Minnesota	14+ ✓ seen	No	18 h
Mississippi	14+	No	18 h
Missouri	14+ ✓ seen	Needed	18 h
Montana	14+	No	18 h
Nebraska	14+	Needed	18 h
Nevada	14+	No	18 h
New Hampshire	14+	Needed	18 h
New Jersey	14+	Needed	18 h
New Mexico	14+	Needed	18 h
New York	14+	Needed	18 h
North Carolina	14+	Needed	18 h
North Dakota	14+	Needed	18 h
Ohio	14+	Needed	18 h
Oklahoma	14+	Needed	18 h
Oregon	14+	No	18 h
Pennsylvania	14+ ✓ seen	Needed	18 h
Rhode Island	14+	Needed	18 h
South Carolina	14+ ✓ seen	No	18 h
South Dakota	14+	No	18 h
Tennessee	14+	No	18 h
Texas	14+	No	18 h
Utah	14+	No	18 h
Vermont	14+	No	18 h
Virginia	14+	Needed	18 h
Washington	14+	Needed	16 h
West Virginia	14+	Needed	18 h
Wisconsin	14+	Needed	18 h
Wyoming	14+ ✓ seen	No	18 h

Questions

How old do you have to be to work at McDonald's?

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

Does McDonald's hire at 14?

Some McDonald's do. On McDonald's own job site we found franchise-owned restaurants in Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wyoming and South Carolina posting jobs just for 14- and 15-year-olds. Many other locations start at 16, because each franchise owner sets its own rule.

Can a 14- or 15-year-old work any shift at McDonald's?

No. Federal law limits under-16s to 3 hours on a school day, 18 hours in a school week, and no work after 7 p.m. during the school year (9 p.m. in summer). Many states add their own limits, which is why some postings say 'limited availability'.

Do I need a work permit to work at McDonald's?

Many states require a work permit or working papers for teens under 16, and some for anyone under 18. Your school counselor or state labor department can tell you what you need before your first shift.

Is McDonald's or the franchise owner my employer?

At most US restaurants the franchise owner is your employer, not McDonald's itself. McDonald's job site says franchisees are alone responsible for hiring, pay and scheduling at their restaurants.

Other places that hire at 14

Sources

McDonald's Careers job search (jobs.mchire.com), listings sorted by title (2026-10) — Franchise listings titled '14 - 15 Year Old Crew' (MN), '14 /15 Minor Crew Team Member' (MO), '14 and 15 year olds - Part-Time' (WY), '14-15 Year Old - Crew Team Member' (PA), '14/15 yr old Hospitality Ambassador' (IL), '$10 an Hour FIRST JOB 14-15 year old' (Conway, SC), '15-year-old's - Part-time' (Seneca, SC); franchisee-responsibility statement
14 - 15 Year Old Crew - McDonald's franchise (Minnesota: Windom, Excelsior, Chaska, Chanhassen, Marshall listings) (2026-10) — Age 14-15 crew posting, Minnesota (listing title seen on jobs.mchire.com; detail page geo-restricted)
14 /15 Minor Crew Team Member - McDonald's franchise (Blue Springs/Independence/Kansas City, MO) (2026-10) — Age 14-15 crew posting, Missouri (listing title seen)
14 and 15 year olds - Part-Time Limited Availability - McDonald's franchise (Cheyenne, WY) (2026-10) — Age 14-15 crew posting, Wyoming (listing title seen)
14-15 Year Old - Crew Team Member - McDonald's franchise (Pittsburgh area, PA) (2026-10) — Age 14-15 crew posting, Pennsylvania (listing title seen)
14/15 yr old Hospitality Ambassador - McDonald's franchise (Decatur, IL) (2026-10) — Age 14-15 posting, Illinois (listing title seen)
$10 an Hour FIRST JOB 14-15 year old - McDonald's franchise (Conway, SC) (2026-10) — Age 14-15 posting at $10/hr, South Carolina (listing title seen)
15-year-old's - Part-time (After School & Weekends) - McDonald's #4242 (Seneca, SC) (2026-10) — Age 15 posting, South Carolina (listing title seen)

Last checked October 10, 2026. See a different age at your McDonald's? Tell us.