Did You Know 9-Year-Olds Can Legally Work in Colorado?

When I was 9 years old, the last thing on my mind was building a resume. When I was 9, the top thing on my priority list was avoiding the urge to shove a Lego piece up my nose. Most 9-year-olds today are far more mature than I was.

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Generally, minors 9 or younger don’t have jobs. So don’t expect a 9-year-old to do your taxes for you. However, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment does have a few jobs that kids 9 or older can have.

Jobs 9-Year-Olds Can Have

• Gardening and lawn care
• Handing out and delivering handbills and advertising
• Shoe shining
• Be your caddy on a golf course

It is crucial to highlight that workers under 16 need to get a child employment certificate.

Here Is The Law In Colorado:

The Colorado Youth Employment Opportunity Act applies to all employment of minors in Colorado, where employment means any occupation engaged in compensation in money or other valuable consideration, whether paid to the minor or some other person, including, but not limited to, occupation as a servant, agent, or independent contractor.

 

Wait… Will My 9-Year-Old Need to Pay Taxes?

It is a possibility. Any adult under 18, who is a dependent has to report their income if they make more than $12,950 in a year. If you’re a parent of a dependent, you will have to file on your child’s behalf. So, if you’re worried about your child asking for their Roblox AND their TurboTax password… Don’t worry. You would need to handle that.

14-Year-Olds Can Work Too!

After investigating more, I found out that 14-year-olds can work as well. 14 and 15-year-olds can work in retail, restaurants, and at gas stations.

Minors between 14 and 15 are not allowed to work on hazardous job sites. These are jobs that could harm your health whether it's a risk of injury, or being exposed to harmful chemicals and materials.

Remember that episode of "The Simpsons" when Bart works at a steel mill? That won’t happen in Colorado.

Instead, if you see a 14-year-old working, it will most likely be at a Chik-Fil-A, an Arby’s, or a Loaf ‘N Jug.

Colorado Is Not Alone

Generally speaking, 14 is the minimum age for working across the country. 14-year-olds can work in nearly every US state. To me, I always thought you had to wait until you were 16, but that is not the case. The U.S. Department of Labor says

As a general rule, the FLSA sets 14 years old as the minimum age for employment, and limits the number of hours worked by minors under the age of 16.

In Colorado, minors can work a maximum of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week.