Summer jobs for Twin Cities teens
What age your teen can work in Minnesota, the two city programs that place teens in paid jobs, who hires 14- and 15-year-olds, and the deadlines that close in January.
Last checked September 2026 · Summer 2026 hiring is finished — this is the guide for summer 2027.
The short answer
In Minnesota, teens can start working when they're 14, and they don't need a work permit. The employer just keeps proof of age on file. The two biggest doors into a first job in the Twin Cities are the city youth-employment programs: STEP-UP in Minneapolis and Right Track in St. Paul.
Both take applications in winter (roughly January–February) for jobs that start in June, both pay somewhere around $13.50–$16.50 an hour, and both place teens with real employers. Outside those programs, the businesses that regularly hire 14- and 15-year-olds are grocery stores, fast food, movie theaters, city parks and pools, and summer camps. At 16 and 17, almost everything opens up.
What age can your teen legally work in Minnesota?
Minnesota sets the floor at 14 for most work. There is no work permit to apply for, which is a common misconception. The rules that do apply are related to hours and the time of day, and they loosen as your teen gets older.
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Under 14
Generally can't be employed. The narrow exceptions: delivering newspapers (11+), farm work (12+ with your consent), acting or modeling, and refereeing youth sports (11+ with your consent).
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14–15
Can work. In summer (June 1 to Labor Day): up to 8 hours a day and 40 a week, not before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
During the school year it's much tighter. Federal rules cap it at 3 hours on a school day, 18 hours in a school week, and nothing after 7 p.m.
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16–17
Can work almost any job, with no weekly hour cap. The main limit is they can't work past 11 p.m. the night before a school day (11:30 p.m. with a guardian's written consent is allowed), and not before 5 a.m. on a school day.
Serving alcohol, most power-driven machinery, work on or around construction sites, and anything involving explosives or hazardous materials, are all off-limits under 18, regardless of the hours.
Source: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, "A guide to Minnesota's Child Labor Standards Act." Confirm current details before your teen starts a job.
The two programs that place teens in paid jobs
You apply once and the program matches your teen to a paid job or internship with a local employer, and coaches them through it. Both are competitive, and both close their applications months before summer.
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STEP-UP
Minneapolis
The city's youth-jobs program. It places teens in paid internships with Twin Cities employers — banks, hospitals, nonprofits, law firms, the City itself. Around 1,700 spots a year, and the number has been under pressure lately, so early and polished applications matter.
STEP-UP details → -
Right Track
St. Paul
St. Paul's version, run through Parks & Recreation. Two tracks: YJ1 for a true first job, and YJ2 for teens who have already worked and want something closer to a career field.
Right Track details →
Paid programs that aren't exactly "jobs"
Structured, pays a wage or a stipend, and looks great on a first résumé or a college application — but you apply to the program, not to a boss.
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Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center (KAYSC)
Science Museum of Minnesota · St. Paul
High schoolers (grades 9–12) work as paid museum employees on real projects in STEM, media, environmental science, and engineering. Year-round, with a summer component.
KAYSC details → -
WACTAC — Walker Art Center Teen Arts Council
Walker Art Center · Minneapolis
A year-long paid program for 11th and 12th graders who plan and run the Walker's teen events. Small stipend per meeting. Applications open in spring.
Walker youth programs →
Where teens actually get hired without a program
The ordinary route. Apply in spring, in person where you can, and expect the better shifts and pay to start at 16.
Ages 14–15
Grocery stores (bagging, carts, stocking), fast food, ice-cream and coffee shops, movie theaters, mini-golf and batting cages, city park programs and pools, day camps as junior counselors, and detasseling corn — a Minnesota rite of passage: hard work, good pay, about two weeks in July.
Ages 16–17
Retail, restaurant front-of-house, lifeguarding (get certified in spring — the class fills), Valleyfair and the State Fair, grocery and warehouse stocking, tutoring, landscaping and lawn care, and most of the camp-counselor jobs.
Put these on a calendar now
The hard part of a teen summer job is that the good options close months before summer.
- 📅 Early January — STEP-UP application opens
- 📅 February 1 — Right Track application opens
- 📅 March 1 — STEP-UP application closes
- 📅 March–April — lifeguard certification classes (take one now to work in June)
- 📅 April–May — private camps hire counselors and counselors-in-training
Future You will be glad you did.
Common questions
About teen jobs in Minnesota
Does my teen need a work permit in Minnesota?
No. Minnesota doesn't issue work permits. The employer just has to keep proof of age on file — a copy of a birth certificate, a driver's license or permit, an I-9, or an age certificate from the school. That's it.
How old do you have to be to work in Minnesota?
Fourteen for most jobs. Younger kids can only do a short list of things: deliver newspapers (11+), farm work (12+ with a parent's consent), acting or modeling, or refereeing youth sports (11+).
How many hours can a 14- or 15-year-old work in the summer?
Between June 1 and Labor Day: up to 8 hours a day and 40 a week, and not past 9 p.m. During the school year it's much less — 3 hours on a school day, 18 in a school week.
Can a 15-year-old work at Valleyfair or a movie theater?
Often yes, but the better spots and pay usually start at 16. Fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds tend to get the entry roles. Ask before you count on it.
When should we start looking for a summer job?
January. STEP-UP and Right Track both take applications in winter, and lifeguard and camp-counselor spots are filled by April. Waiting until May means taking what's left.
What if we don't live in Minneapolis or St. Paul?
The city programs are residents-only, but suburbs run their own park-and-rec summer staffing, and every private camp, pool, and business hires regardless of address. A few suburban Ramsey County teens get into Right Track when there's room.
Where does this newsletter come in?
Teen Twin Cities sends the specific openings — this camp is hiring counselors, that application closes Friday — every Friday, so you're not the one keeping the calendar.
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