How old do kids need to be before they can get their first job, and what kind of work can they do? A state-by-state breakdown.

New South Wales 

There is no minimum age to start casual or part-time work in NSW. However, if you are under 15, you are limited to certain types of work, and:  

• One shift per day. On a school day, for less than four hours, and no later than 9pm 

• There must be 12 hours between shifts (even with a different employer) 

• School and work combined must not be more than 50 hours in a week 

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Victoria 

There is no minimum age for the employment of children in a family business or in the entertainment industry. 

If you are older than 11, you can work delivering newspapers and advertising material or making deliveries for a registered pharmacist. Otherwise, there is a minimum age of 13 for employment, and at least 15 to work without a special permit.  

If you are under 15 it is against the law for an employer to break these conditions: 

• Unless you are employed in a family business, your employer must have a Child Employment Permit 

• You can only do light work, such as running errands, office work, gardening, delivering newspapers and being a shop assistant 

• You cannot work in door-to-door sales, on a construction site unless it is at lock-up stage or on a fishing boat unless it is in inland waters 

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Queensland 

Generally, the minimum age for employment is 13. This is lowered to 11 where the child carries out supervised delivery work that involves delivering newspapers, advertising material or similar items between the hours of 6am and 6pm. Age and hour/shift restrictions generally don’t apply to children working in a family business or in the entertainment industry.  

School-aged kids are limited to 4 hours of work on a school day and 12 hours per school week (increasing to 8 hours per day or 38 hours in a non-school week).  

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South Australia  

There is no minimum working age. This means that a child of any age may undertake paid employment. For example, a newsagent may choose to employ a child of 12 to deliver newspapers before school.  

Hours of employment shouldn’t interfere with school or learning programs, or work in a time that makes them unable to properly benefit from school attendance. 

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Western Australia 

Children generally need to be 15 years old to access most types of jobs.  

There is no minimum age for children who work in a family business, participate in the performing arts, or work for charities or non-profit organisations.  

Children aged 10-12 years old can deliver newspapers, pamphlets or advertising material, but cannot work during school hours and cannot start before 6am or finish after 7pm.  

Children aged 13-14 years old are also allowed to work in a shop, fast food outlet, café, restaurant, or collecting shopping trolleys. 

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Tasmania 

There is no minimum working age to start casual or part-time work in Tasmania, but a child cannot be rostered during school hours unless they obtain an exemption. 

There are few exceptions. For example: 

• If you are under 11, it is against the law for someone to allow or require you to sell things in a public place (such as street markets) 

• If you are under 14, it is against the law for someone to allow or require you to sell things in a public place (such as street markets) between 9pm and before 5am the next day 

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 ACT 

There is no minimum age to start casual or part-time work in ACT.  However, if you are under the age of 15, you can only do light work (e.g. running errands, casual work in/around a private home, gardening, babysitting, modelling, performing arts like film, TV and theatre) 

1. Children aged 0 – 3 can work for 3 hours a day
2. Children aged 4 – 11 can work 4 hours a day 
3. Children aged 12 – 14 can work 6 hours a day 

 If you are under 15 years old, you cannot work more than 10 hours in a week. 

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Northern Territory 

You can start work at any age, however until you turn 15, children cannot work before 6am in the morning and after 10pm at night and the work must not be harmful to the child’s physical, mental or emotional wellbeing.  

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In addition to state and territory rules, individual companies may have their own minimum age requirements, e.g.  

• Woolworths – from 15 years old for supermarkets 

• Coles – 15 years old for supermarkets 

• McDonalds – 14 years, except where state-specific legislation applies 

• Dominos – 13 years, except where state-specific legislation applies 

Where can I find out more information?  

1. Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) 
2. Youth Law Australia 
   
   

    

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