What you need to know about teens working in agricultural jobs

The minimum age for teens working in agricultural jobs is 14. The one exception is: 12- and 13-year-olds may work during non-school months (June 1 to Labor Day) hand-harvesting berries, bulbs, cucumbers and spinach.

Examples of agricultural jobs include work on farms and in some packing operations.

Note: The hours of work and the prohibited duties for teens (under 18 years) working in agriculture differ from those working in non-agricultural jobs.

Hiring Teens
Find out what requirements businesses, parents and schools must fulfill for teens to work in agricultural jobs.

Hours of Work
Find out what hours and days of the week teens are normally allowed to work during school and non-school weeks for agricultural jobs. Also find out how to apply for a Seasonal Variance from those requirements, if necessary.

Prohibited Duties
Learn about the work activity restrictions for all teens in agricultural jobs; those under 16 have additional restrictions.

Wages, Breaks & Meal Periods
Find out the special allowable wage for teens under age 16. Learn the break and meal period requirements for teen workers in agricultural jobs.

For more information see the L&I publication:
Young Workers in Agriculture. (565 KB PDF / 1.5 min)

For more detail, see L&I Administrative Policy:
School Week and Work Week for Minors (ES.C.4.1). (134 KB PDF)

For more detail, see Washington Administrative Code:
Agriculture Employment Rules (WAC 296-131).