Can 15-Year-Olds Work in the UK? Hours, Jobs, Pay and Permits
Yes: 15-year-olds can work part time in the UK, within strict limits on hours and types of work. Here are the term-time and holiday hours, the jobs that are and aren't allowed, work permits, pay and what changes when you leave school.
By Tony Musso on
Yes, a 15-year-old can work in the UK, but only part time and within strict rules. Child employment law limits how many hours you can work, when you can work and what kind of work you can do, so that a job never gets in the way of school, rest or safety. Your local council also has its own rules, called byelaws, and many councils need your employer to get a work permit for you.
This guide uses the GOV.UK child employment rules for England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have similar rules, but school leaving dates and local byelaws differ, so check with your council wherever you live.
The youngest age you can work
The youngest age a child can work part time is 13. The exception is work in areas such as television, theatre and modelling, where younger children can take part with a performance licence from the council.
At 15 you are still of compulsory school age, so the child employment rules apply to you until you reach school leaving age.
How many hours can a 15-year-old work?
The hours you can work depend on whether it is term time or the school holidays. Here are the limits for 15-year-olds, with 13 and 14-year-olds shown for comparison.
| 15 and 16-year-olds (school age) | 13 and 14-year-olds | |
|---|---|---|
| Term time, per week | Up to 12 hours | Up to 12 hours |
| School days | Up to 2 hours | Up to 2 hours |
| Saturdays | Up to 8 hours | Up to 5 hours |
| Sundays | Up to 2 hours | Up to 2 hours |
| School holidays, per week | Up to 35 hours | Up to 25 hours |
| Weekdays and Saturdays in the holidays | Up to 8 hours | Up to 5 hours |
| Sundays in the holidays | Up to 2 hours | Up to 2 hours |
So in term time a typical pattern for a 15-year-old is a Saturday shift plus a couple of short weekday or Sunday sessions, staying within 12 hours a week in total.
Rules that apply all year round
Whatever the time of year, children of school age can't work:
- during school hours
- before 7am or after 7pm
- for more than one hour before school, unless the council's byelaws allow it
- for more than 4 hours without a break of at least 1 hour
- in any work that could harm their health, wellbeing or education
- without a 2-week break from any work during the school holidays in each calendar year
Jobs a 15-year-old can and can't do
The law allows "light work": jobs that won't harm your health, safety or schoolwork. Children can't work in places such as factories or industrial sites, and building sites are not suitable either. Council byelaws then set out further jobs children can't do in that area, which commonly include things like door-to-door selling, work in commercial kitchens and selling alcohol.
Typical first jobs for 15-year-olds include:
- a paper round
- Saturday work in a shop, café front of house, hairdresser's or garden centre
- helping at a riding stables or kennels
- waiting on tables or washing up at a local restaurant, where the byelaws allow it
- dog walking or car washing for neighbours
Because byelaws vary, a job that is fine in one area may not be allowed in another. Your council's website will have its child employment byelaws, and the employer should check them too.
Work permits
Many councils require a child employment permit for anyone of school age who works. Usually the employer applies to the council's education or child employment team, and the council may ask a parent or carer to sign the form and check the job is suitable. If a permit is needed and the employer doesn't get one, they could be breaking the law, so it is worth asking about it before you start.
Employers must also assess the risks of any job before a young person starts, taking account of their age and experience, and tell parents about the risks and how they are controlled.
Do 15-year-olds get minimum wage?
No. Children of compulsory school age are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage, so pay for a 15-year-old is whatever the employer offers. It is still worth comparing a few jobs and asking what the hourly rate is before you agree.
Once you reach school leaving age, you are entitled to the minimum wage for your age. From 1 April 2026 the rate for 16 and 17-year-olds is £8.00 an hour. Rates usually change each April, so check GOV.UK for the current figure.
You don't pay National Insurance while you are under 16, and you are very unlikely to earn enough from a part-time job to pay income tax. You will usually receive your National Insurance number just before your 16th birthday.
When can you work full time?
You can't work full time until you reach the minimum school leaving age. In England you can leave school on the last Friday in June if you will be 16 by the end of the summer holidays.
In England you must then stay in education or training until you are 18. That means one of:
- full-time education, such as a college course or sixth form
- an apprenticeship
- working or volunteering for 20 hours or more a week while in part-time education or training
Once you are above school leaving age but under 18, you count as a young worker: you can work up to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, with stronger rights to breaks than adults. Our guides to rest breaks at work and working hours in the UK explain them.
How to find your first job
- Decide how many hours you can manage around homework, exams, sport and rest. Twelve hours in term time is the legal maximum, not a target.
- Ask locally. Many first jobs are never advertised online. Ask in shops, cafés, hairdressers, stables and garden centres, and tell family and neighbours you are looking.
- Write a short CV. One page is enough: your contact details, school and subjects, when you can work and examples of reliability, such as clubs, sport, volunteering or helping at home. Our teenager CV example shows what to include, and the teenager CV template gives you a friendly layout to fill in.
- Check the job is legal. Ask whether the employer will apply for a work permit and check the hours fit the rules above.
- Look ahead. When you turn 16, more doors open. Our guide to part-time jobs in the UK covers the roles that fit around college or sixth form.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Councils set their own byelaws, so check your local council's website for the rules where you live.
Make your first CV with the teenager CV template
Frequently asked questions
How many hours can a 15-year-old work in the UK?
In term time, up to 12 hours a week: no more than 2 hours on a school day or Sunday and up to 8 hours on a Saturday. In the school holidays, up to 35 hours a week, with no more than 8 hours a day (2 on Sundays). They can't work before 7am or after 7pm.
Do 15-year-olds get minimum wage?
No. Children of compulsory school age aren't entitled to the National Minimum Wage. Once you reach school leaving age you get the rate for your age, which is £8.00 an hour for 16 and 17-year-olds from 1 April 2026.
Does a 15-year-old need a work permit?
In many areas, yes. Council byelaws often require a child employment permit, which the employer usually applies for. Check your local council's website.
Can a 15-year-old work in a shop or café?
Usually, yes, as long as the hours fit the child employment rules and the work is light. Council byelaws can rule out some tasks, such as work in commercial kitchens or selling alcohol, so the employer should check them.
When can I work full time in the UK?
Only once you reach school leaving age. In England you then have to stay in education or training until 18, which can include an apprenticeship or working 20 hours or more a week alongside part-time study.
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