Blog / Jobs for teens
Jobs for teens in NZ: how to get your first job at 15 or 16
Want your own money, something real to put on your CV, or just a reason to get out of the house? Here's how to get a job as a teenager in New Zealand – what's allowed at 15 and 16, what you'll be paid, who tends to hire teens, where to find real vacancies and how to apply when you've never had a job before.
The short answer
- There's no minimum age to work in NZ, but if you're under 16 you can only work outside school hours, and not between 10pm and 6am.
- The minimum wage starts at 16. At 16 or 17 it's at least $19.16 an hour for your first six months with an employer, then $23.95.
- Most first jobs are in supermarkets, cafés and fast food, shops, seasonal work, sport and recreation – or small jobs you set up yourself.
- To find one, check employers' websites and job sites, ask people you know, and walk in with a printed CV.
What age can you work? The rules
There's no general minimum working age in New Zealand. But the law limits when, where and what young people can work, to keep you safe and in school. Here's what applies at each age (Employment New Zealand, YouthLaw, checked 3 October 2026):
| If you're… | What the law says |
|---|---|
| Under 15 | Everything in the next row, plus: your employer must make sure you don't do construction work, logging or tree felling, making or preparing goods for sale, work with hazardous substances or any other work likely to harm you. You can't work at or with machinery, drive a tractor or similar machine (there are some exceptions on farms), or lift weights that could hurt you (regulations 43–47). Shop and office work in those businesses is allowed. |
| Under 16 | You can only work outside school hours – an employer can't employ you during school hours or in a way that stops you going to school (Education and Training Act, section 54), unless you've been officially exempted from school. You can't work between 10pm and 6am (regulation 48). There's no minimum wage. |
| Under 18 | There are places you can't work – for example a restricted area of a bar, club or licensed restaurant, or anywhere with direct access to gaming machines. |
| Under 20 | You can't work in the parts of a casino where gambling happens, or do gambling-related duties. |
So if you're 15, after-school, weekend and holiday shifts are your options – and the job has to finish by 10pm. Turning 15 lifts the extra limits for under-15s, but your employer still has to manage the risks of the work for young people (WorkSafe).
What you'll get paid
| Your age | Legal minimum from 1 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Under 16 | No legal minimum wage – but you must be paid the rate you agreed for every hour |
| 16 or 17, first 6 months with this employer | $19.16 an hour (starting-out wage) |
| 16 or 17, after 6 months with this employer | $23.95 an hour (adult minimum wage) |
| 18 and over | $23.95 an hour (some exceptions apply) |
Before tax. Source: Employment New Zealand, checked 3 October 2026. The six months count from your first day, however few hours you work – and start again with each new employer. Plenty of employers pay more than the minimum. All the details: minimum wage in NZ 2026.
Two more things worth knowing:
- A trial shift is work. A short skills test in an interview – like making two or three coffees – doesn't have to be paid. But working a whole shift, or even a few hours, would likely count as employment (Employment New Zealand), so you should be paid for it.
- KiwiSaver. From 1 April 2026, if you're 16 or 17, in KiwiSaver and contributing from your pay, your employer has to contribute too – usually 3.5% of your pay (Inland Revenue).
Job ideas for teens
These are the kinds of places that often take on school students for after-school, weekend and holiday work. Big employers often set their own minimum age, so check their careers page before you apply.
- Supermarkets – checkout, packing, trolleys, stacking shelves, picking online orders. You learn to be reliable, quick and friendly with customers.
- Cafés, restaurants and fast food – counter, kitchen hand, dishes, cleaning, and barista once you're trained. Good if you like being busy.
- Shops – weekend shifts, and extra casual staff for the Christmas and holiday rush.
- Seasonal work – fruit picking and packing in summer, depending on where you live.
- Sport and recreation – helping at a swim school, coaching or refereeing junior sport, helping at holiday programmes, or lifeguarding once you've done the training the pool asks for.
- Delivery – leaflets, catalogues and local papers.
- Working for yourself – mowing lawns, babysitting, pet-sitting, dog walking, washing cars, helping older neighbours, tutoring younger students. You set the price. Tell someone where you're going, and keep a simple record of what you earn.
- Volunteering – not paid, but it adds skills and experience to your CV (Tahatū). Op shops, sports clubs, events and environmental groups all need help; Volunteering New Zealand shows how to find roles.
Not sure what would suit you? Try the AI coach if you're 16 or older. It asks what you enjoy, and you don't need to sign up.
If you're 13 to 15, there's no demo. If you sign up on your own, a parent or caregiver has to say it's OK first. Then they pay for a plan.
Where to find real jobs
Week by Week isn't a job board, and there are no job listings on this page. These are the places to look (Tahatū has more tips):
- Employers' own websites. Supermarkets, fast-food chains and big retailers list vacancies on their own careers pages. Check there for any minimum age.
- Job sites. SEEK and Trade Me Jobs let you search your area for part-time, casual and student jobs. Read a site's terms before you make an account – some have minimum ages – and ask a parent or caregiver if you're unsure.
- Student Job Search is for tertiary students and recent graduates (SJS), so it's one to remember for when you're studying after school.
- Local noticeboards and papers. Supermarket, library and community-centre noticeboards, local newspapers and community pages online.
- Your council. Many councils run pools, libraries and holiday programmes – check your council's jobs page for casual roles.
- People you know. Tell family, neighbours, coaches and family friends you're looking. Lots of first jobs come through someone who knows someone.
- Your school. Your careers adviser may know local employers. In Years 11 to 13, Gateway lets you try work in a real workplace while you study for NCEA, if your school offers it (Tahatū).
Spot a fake job. Be careful with offers that come quickly without an interview, ask you to pay upfront for training or materials, want your bank, passport or driver licence details before you've met anyone, or will only talk through apps like WhatsApp or Telegram (National Cyber Security Centre). A real employer doesn't charge you to work for them.
If your school uses Week by Week, the app can also look for current job ads near where you live. It gives each one an AI estimate of how well your skills match and what's missing.
Sometimes it finds none, and some ads may have closed, so check before you apply. You still apply to the employer yourself.
How to apply with no experience
It's a tough market for young people right now. The number of unemployed 15 to 24-year-olds rose by 12,200 – up 19.5% – in the year to June 2026 (Stats NZ). So the small things that make you stand out matter:
- Make a one-page CV. No work experience is fine – put in school, sport, volunteering, looking after siblings and anything you've organised. Our guide shows you how: how to write a CV with no experience.
- Add a short cover letter when you apply online – a few lines on why this job and when you can work. Examples: cover letter for a first job.
- Walk in. Print your CV with your availability on it, dress tidy and go at a quiet time – mid-afternoon, not the lunch rush. Ask for the manager or whoever does the hiring. Keep it short and friendly. If they say “apply online”, do it that same day.
- Be flexible. Weekend mornings, school holidays and late afternoons are when employers need people.
- Keep a list of where you've applied and when, so you know who to follow up.
- Follow up. A short, polite message or visit a week later puts you ahead of most applicants.
What to say when you walk in
A made-up example you can adapt:
“Hi, I'm Sam. I'm 15 and looking for after-school and weekend work. Are you taking anyone on at the moment? Here's my CV – my availability's on the front. Thanks for your time.”
That's it. Smile, make eye contact and thank them, even if the answer is no. Some places keep CVs for when a shift opens up.
Interview tips
- Have an answer ready for “Tell me about yourself” – what you're into, what you're good at and why you want this job.
- Use real examples: “I train three mornings a week, so I'm used to early starts.”
- Say clearly when you can work.
- Ask one question at the end, like “What does a normal shift look like?”
Before your first shift
- Get an IRD number if you don't have one yet – you keep it for life, and applying is free (Inland Revenue). Ask your parents first; you might already have one.
- Fill in a tax code declaration (IR330). For your only or main job it's usually M (or M SL if you have a student loan). Without it, your employer has to take tax at the non-declaration rate of 45% (Inland Revenue).
- Get your employment agreement in writing. Every employee must have one. If you're 17 or under, your employer should make sure you understand it, and it's a good idea to go through it with a parent or caregiver (Employment New Zealand). Check your pay, hours and breaks.
- Know your rights. YouthLaw has free, clear information for young workers.
If something doesn't feel right
Maybe you're under 16 and being asked to work during school hours or after 10pm. Maybe a “trial” turned into a full unpaid shift, your pay is less than the minimum, or you're asked to do something that feels unsafe. You don't have to sort it out alone:
- Talk to a parent, caregiver or another adult you trust.
- Raise it with your manager – sometimes it's an honest mistake.
- If you think you're paid less than the minimum wage, call Employment New Zealand on 0800 20 90 20.
- YouthLaw gives free legal help to young people.
Your first job is a step, not the destination
A café job teaches you customer service, working under pressure and showing up on time – things every employer wants. Notice what you enjoy and what you're good at; that's real evidence for working out your direction. It's normal not to know yet. If you'd like to talk it through with someone, here's where to get free career advice in NZ.
Week by Week is an AI coach that turns those wins into skills and shows you where they could lead, one small step a week. If your school uses it, join with your school code. No code? Ask your school about it.
Questions
What age can you get a job in NZ?
There's no general minimum age to work in New Zealand. If you're under 16, you can only work outside school hours and not between 10pm and 6am. If you're under 15, there are extra limits: no construction work, logging, work with machinery or other work likely to harm you.
What jobs can a 15 year old get in NZ?
Common first jobs are in supermarkets, cafés and fast food, shops, seasonal fruit work, swim schools and junior sport, and leaflet delivery – or jobs you organise yourself, like lawns, babysitting or dog walking. Big employers often set their own minimum age, so check their careers page.
What's the minimum wage for 16 year olds in NZ?
From 1 April 2026, 16 and 17-year-olds can be paid the starting-out wage of $19.16 an hour until they've worked six months in a row for the same employer. After that, the adult minimum wage of $23.95 an hour applies.
Do 15 year olds get minimum wage in NZ?
No – there's no minimum wage for employees under 16. Your employer still has to pay you the rate you agreed, and work that's really a shift should be paid, even if it's called a trial.
Where can teenagers find jobs in NZ?
Try employers' own websites, job sites like SEEK and Trade Me Jobs, local noticeboards and newspapers, your council's jobs page, people you know and your school's careers adviser. For shops and cafés, walking in with a printed CV works too.
What tax code do I use for my first job?
If it's your only or main job, you'll usually use tax code M – or M SL if you have a student loan. You give it to your employer on a tax code declaration (IR330). Without one, tax is taken at the non-declaration rate of 45%.
Want a plan that's actually about you? Week by Week is an AI coach that helps you turn what you've done into career paths that fit, any current job ads near you and one small step each week. Join with a nickname – no real name needed. Your school can try it free with 5 students for a month.
Sources
- Employment New Zealand, Hiring young people (age rules; last modified 5 May 2026, checked 3 October 2026)
- Education and Training Act 2020, section 54 – restrictions on employing school-age children (checked 3 October 2026)
- Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016, Part 4 – young persons, regulations 43–48 (checked 3 October 2026)
- WorkSafe, Young people in the workplace (checked 3 October 2026)
- YouthLaw Aotearoa, Before you start work (checked 3 October 2026)
- Employment New Zealand, Minimum wage rates and types (rates from 1 April 2026, checked 3 October 2026)
- Employment New Zealand, Pre-employment trials (checked 3 October 2026)
- Inland Revenue, KiwiSaver changes (checked 3 October 2026)
- Inland Revenue, About tax codes (checked 3 October 2026)
- Inland Revenue, IRD numbers for individuals (checked 3 October 2026)
- Tahatū, How to look for a job (checked 3 October 2026)
- Tahatū, Combine school with work or training – Gateway and trades academies (checked 3 October 2026)
- Student Job Search, About us – who it's for (checked 3 October 2026)
- National Cyber Security Centre, Employment scams and fake jobs (checked 3 October 2026)
- Stats NZ, Labour market statistics: June 2026 quarter (released 5 August 2026, checked 3 October 2026)