Working as a teen in Alaska: the permit, the hours, and the wage

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A 15-year-old in Wasilla gets hired to stock shelves at a grocery store for the summer. Before the first shift, Alaska law says two things have to be true: a work permit must be on file with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and the job cannot be on the state's list of work that is off limits for 14- and 15-year-olds. Then two sets of hours rules apply at once, Alaska's and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA, the national law on wages and child labor), and the stricter one wins.

The work permit: who needs one in Alaska

The state's Wage and Hour Administration says every minor aged 14, 15, or 16 must have a work permit on file with the Department before working. A 17-year-old needs one only if the employer holds a liquor license, such as a restaurant that serves alcohol. Minors under 16 cannot work at a licensed alcohol establishment at all.

The permit is a state form, not a school form: the employer and the teen's parent or guardian both take part, and the completed form goes to Wage and Hour. A teen working in a parent's own business under that parent's direct supervision is exempt. Under 14, the state allows only newspaper delivery, babysitting and household work in private homes, and entertainment work with an approved permit.

Hours: Alaska's rule and the federal floor

For 14- and 15-year-olds, Alaska's own limit when school is in session is 9 hours of school plus work combined in a day, no more than 23 hours of work in a week, and work only between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. During school vacations the state allows up to 40 hours a week, still between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. No minor under 18 may work more than 6 days in a week.

The federal FLSA is tighter for this age group, and the Alaska Department of Labor says so on its comparison sheet: 3 hours on a school day, 18 hours in a school week, 8 hours on a non-school day, and a 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. window (9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day). Most stores and restaurants are covered by federal law, so the tighter numbers control. The 15-year-old in Wasilla can work until 9 p.m. in July, but in October the federal 7 p.m. cutoff and 3-hour school-day limit apply.

For 16- and 17-year-olds, Alaska sets no daily or weekly hours cap, only the 6-day week, and federal law sets none either. Any minor under 18 in Alaska who works 5 hours straight is entitled to a 30-minute break.

Pay: the Alaska minimum wage

Alaska's minimum wage is $14.00 an hour, a figure the Department of Labor raised from $13.00 on July 1, 2026, and it applies to teenagers the same as adults. That is well above the federal $7.25 floor, and the higher number controls. We could not find a separate youth or training wage on the state's Wage and Hour pages; if an employer claims one exists, ask Wage and Hour before accepting it.

The power to set these rules at the national level was settled long ago. In United States v. Darby (1941), the Supreme Court upheld the Fair Labor Standards Act, including its child-labor limits, and overruled its own 1918 decision in Hammer v. Dagenhart that had struck down an earlier federal child-labor law. Since Darby, Congress sets the floor and Alaska may build higher.

Where to check and who to call

重要

Alaska's Wage and Hour Administration enforces child-labor law in the state: (907) 269-4900, statewide.wagehour@alaska.gov, with offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. Call to ask whether a job is allowed at your age, whether your permit was received, or to report an employer who schedules you past the legal hours or pays under $14.00.

Before starting, do two things. Read the Summary of Alaska Child Labor Law page (linked below) and check that your job is not on the prohibited list for your age; for 14- and 15-year-olds that list includes construction, warehouses, freezers, power-driven food slicers, ladders, and canneries other than office work. Then confirm with your employer that the work permit has been sent in. It is the employer's job to file it, but your hours are what it protects.

请记住

In Alaska, 14-, 15-, and 16-year-olds need a work permit on file with the state Department of Labor; 17-year-olds need one only where alcohol is sold.
Alaska lets 14- and 15-year-olds work 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. and up to 23 hours in a school week, but the tighter federal FLSA limits usually control.
The Alaska minimum wage is $14.00 an hour and applies to teens; no minor under 18 may work more than 6 days a week or 5 straight hours without a 30-minute break.
Questions and complaints go to Alaska Wage and Hour at (907) 269-4900 or statewide.wagehour@alaska.gov.

资料来源

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