A 15 year old in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver can face three different sets of rules for the same cashier job. The minimum age, the hours allowed on a school night and even the hourly wage change at each provincial border. This guide puts the actual numbers in one place so teens can apply with confidence and employers can schedule without guesswork.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
- Ontario: most retail and office work from age 14; factories, including warehouses and restaurant kitchens, from 15; construction from 16.
- Ontario student minimum wage: $16.90 an hour from October 1, 2026, for students under 18.
- British Columbia: 16 is the general working age; 14 and 15 year olds can do listed light work with written parental consent.
- Alberta: 13 and 14 year olds can work up to 2 hours on a school day and 8 hours on a non-school day, never between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- Quebec: 14 is the general minimum age; under 16, no more than 17 hours a week during the school year.
- SIN: you can apply for your own Social Insurance Number from age 12.
Minimum Working Age by Province
Each province and territory sets its own minimum ages. Federally regulated workplaces such as banks, airlines and telecom companies fall under the Canada Labour Code, which generally sets 17 as the minimum. For the jobs most teens apply for, provincial law is what counts.
Ontario
Ontario sets ages by type of workplace under its occupational health and safety rules:
- 14: most workplaces that are not a factory, construction project, mine or logging operation. This covers retail stores, grocery front ends, offices and restaurant dining rooms.
- 15: factories other than logging. Ontario treats warehouses, restaurant kitchens, repair shops and automotive service garages as factory settings, so a 14 year old can work a fast food counter but not the kitchen line.
- 16: construction projects, surface mines away from the working face, and logging.
- 18: underground mines and window cleaning.
That is why jobs for 16 year olds in Ontario cover far more ground than jobs for 14 year olds. At 16, a teen can work in a warehouse, a kitchen or on a construction site, subject to training requirements.
British Columbia
BC changed its rules in September 2021. The general working age is now 16. Teens aged 14 and 15 can do a set list of light work, such as cashier, stocking shelves, food service that does not involve cooking, and recreation or sports program roles, with written consent from a parent or guardian. Anyone under 14 needs a permit from the Employment Standards Branch. Hazardous work, including most construction and heavy industrial work, has higher age requirements.
Alberta
Alberta splits young workers into two groups. Teens aged 13 and 14 can do light work such as retail clerk, office clerk, delivering flyers or food service without a permit, but other jobs need one. Young persons aged 15 to 17 can do most jobs, with supervision rules in certain settings covered below.
Quebec
Since September 2023, Quebec's general minimum working age is 14. Children under 14 can only work in a short list of exceptions, such as babysitting, tutoring, working in a family business with fewer than 10 employees, or as a day camp counsellor, and only with written consent from a parent or guardian. Teens aged 14 and 15 do not need parental consent but are subject to the hour limits below.
Hours Teens Can Work During the School Year
This is where provinces differ the most. Every province bars students of compulsory school age from working during school hours. Beyond that, the caps vary.
Alberta's school-day limits
For 13 and 14 year olds in Alberta:
- No work during normal school hours.
- A maximum of 2 hours on a school day.
- A maximum of 8 hours on a non-school day.
- No work between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
For 15 to 17 year olds in retail, hospitality, food and beverage service and similar businesses, an adult aged 18 or older must be on site between 9 p.m. and midnight, and they cannot work at all between midnight and 6 a.m.
British Columbia and Quebec caps
In BC, 14 and 15 year olds can be scheduled for up to 4 hours on a school day and 20 hours in a school week, and up to 8 hours on a non-school day and 35 hours in a non-school week. They cannot work between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
In Quebec, workers under 16 can work at most 17 hours a week during the school year, with no more than 10 of those hours Monday to Friday. They also cannot work between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., except for newspaper delivery.
Ontario
Ontario has no teen-specific weekly hour cap. Students under 16 cannot work during school hours unless they are excused from attendance, and the general Employment Standards Act rules on rest periods and eating breaks apply. For Ontario teens, the practical limit is usually the student wage threshold: the student rate only applies up to 28 hours a week while school is in session.
Why weekend jobs work for teens
Weekend jobs for teens in Canada are popular because they sidestep the tightest limits. A Saturday shift falls under the non-school-day cap, which is 8 hours in Alberta and BC. Quebec's 10-hour weekday ceiling leaves 7 hours for the weekend. Most grocery stores, movie theatres and amusement parks schedule heavily on weekends, which lines up with what younger teens can legally work.
What Teens Get Paid
Minimum wage applies to teens, but two provinces have a lower student rate.
Ontario's student minimum wage
From October 1, 2026, Ontario's student minimum wage is $16.90 an hour, up from $16.60. The general minimum wage is $17.95. The student rate applies to students under 18 who work 28 hours a week or less while school is in session, or who work during a school break or summer holidays. Ontario adjusts both rates every October 1, with the new amounts announced by April 1.
Alberta's student rate
Alberta allows employers to pay students under 18 $13 an hour for the first 28 hours in a school week and for work during school breaks. Hours over 28 in a school week earn the general minimum wage of $15.
Everywhere else
BC, Quebec and most other provinces have no separate student rate, so teens earn the general minimum wage. Rates change each year, so check your province's employment standards page in the month you start work.
Getting Your Social Insurance Number
Your employer needs your SIN to put you on payroll, so get it before your first shift.
Who can apply
You can apply for your own SIN once you are 12. A parent or guardian can apply for a younger child.
How to apply
Service Canada accepts SIN applications online, by mail or in person at a Service Canada Centre. Most Canadian-born teens use a Canadian birth certificate as the primary document. If your name is different across your documents, bring a supporting document such as a passport. Online applications are usually the fastest route.
Protect it
Give your SIN to an employer only after you have been hired, during onboarding. A posting or interviewer asking for it on an application form is a red flag.
Canadian Employers That Hire Teens
These employers hire high school students across Canada. Hiring ages are set by each company or franchise owner within provincial law, so confirm the minimum age on the specific posting.
Grocery stores
Loblaw banners such as No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore and Zehrs, Sobeys and its FreshCo and Safeway stores, Metro, Save-On-Foods and Co-op stores in western Canada all hire students as cashiers, baggers, cart attendants and night stockers. Grocery is one of the most reliable sources of after-school and weekend shifts.
Quick-service restaurants
McDonald's, Tim Hortons, A&W, Subway and Dairy Queen locations are mostly franchise-owned, so hiring ages vary by store. In Ontario, remember the kitchen rule: under-15s can work the counter or drive-through, but cooking stations count as a factory setting.
Movie theatres and amusement parks
Cineplex and Landmark Cinemas hire for concessions, box office and usher roles, with heavy evening and weekend scheduling. Seasonal parks such as Canada's Wonderland, La Ronde, Calaway Park and Playland at the PNE hire large summer crews for food service, games, retail and rides, with higher minimum ages for some ride operator roles.
Camps, pools and recreation
YMCA camps, private summer camps and municipal parks and recreation departments hire counsellors-in-training and junior counsellors. For aquatics, the Lifesaving Society's Bronze Cross is open from age 13, and its National Lifeguard certification requires candidates to be at least 16 by the end of the course. Starting Bronze Cross at 13 or 14 sets a teen up for a paid lifeguard job at 16.
Youth Hiring Programs and Where to Search
Canada Summer Jobs
Canada Summer Jobs is a federal program that funds employers, including non-profits, public sector employers and small businesses, to hire young people aged 15 to 30 for summer positions. Funded jobs are posted on the Government of Canada's Job Bank, usually from spring onward, so teens should start looking in April.
Job Bank and school resources
Job Bank lets you filter for student and summer positions in your area. School guidance offices, co-op programs and local youth employment centres also share openings that never reach large job boards.
Youth-focused job boards
YouthAtWork.ca is a Canada-focused job board for youth and young adults looking for first jobs, part-time work and summer roles. Teens can browse entry-level openings and build a profile through YouthAtWork.ca for job seekers. When searching anywhere, use specific terms such as jobs for 15 year olds Canada plus your city, so results skip postings that require a licence or years of experience.
Hiring Teens: A Checklist for Employers
Teen staff fill evening, weekend and summer shifts that are hard to cover, but compliance mistakes are easy to make.
Verify age and consent at hire
Record date of birth for every under-18 hire. In BC, keep the signed parental consent for 14 and 15 year olds on file. In Quebec, keep written consent for any under-14 worker in an allowed exception.
Build schedules around the caps
Set scheduling rules that match your province: 2 hours on a school day for Alberta 13 and 14 year olds, 20 hours a school week for BC 14 and 15 year olds, 17 hours a week for Quebec under-16s. In Alberta retail and food service, plan adult coverage for any 15 to 17 year old working after 9 p.m.
Restrict tasks by age
In Ontario, keep under-15s out of kitchens, warehouses and stockrooms that count as factory settings. Everywhere, give first-time workers a safety orientation that covers how to report a hazard and their right to refuse unsafe work.
Source where teens look
General job boards bury entry-level roles under experienced postings. Employers can reach students directly by posting on YouthAtWork.ca for employers, and eligible employers can apply for Canada Summer Jobs funding to offset summer wages.
FAQ
Can a 14 year old work in Ontario?
Yes, in most retail, office and restaurant front-of-house roles. They cannot work in factories, which include warehouses and restaurant kitchens, until 15, and cannot work during school hours.
Can a 15 year old work in BC without parental consent?
No. In BC, 14 and 15 year olds need written consent from a parent or guardian and can only do work on the province's light-work list.
How many hours can a 13 or 14 year old work in Alberta on a school day?
Up to 2 hours outside school hours, and up to 8 hours on a non-school day. They cannot work between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
What is the student minimum wage in Ontario?
From October 1, 2026, it is $16.90 an hour for students under 18 working 28 hours a week or less during the school year, or working during school breaks.
Do I need a SIN before applying for jobs?
No, but you need it before your first paycheque. You can apply for your own SIN from age 12, online or at a Service Canada Centre.
Start Your Search or Your Hiring
Once you know your province's age, hour and wage rules, a first job is a matter of applying in the right places. Whether you are hiring or job hunting, YouthAtWork.ca serves both sides of the market. Employers can review pricing and post a role at YouthAtWork.ca for employers. Job seekers can browse openings and create a profile at YouthAtWork.ca for job seekers.