S/O Young people and work - what is your minimum wage?

[EmilyGF]

Title says it all. Trying to get perspective.

Emily

[Laura Corin]

I didn't know how to respond as it varies based on age. £9.50 is USD10.68.

[historically accurate]

Illinois - Currently $12.

On January 1st, it will rise to $13. It will rise in $1 increments every January 1st until it reaches $15. 

Edit: I do payroll for places that pay a lot of people minimum wage, so I'm very familiar with the plan.

Edited November 3, 2022 by historically accurate

[kristin0713]

I don’t know what it is, but my 14yo was hired this fall at a local grocery store (small, family owned) for his first job at $9.50/hour. 

[*Jessica*]

NY state is currently $13.20, rising to $14.20 December 31.  It is already $15 in NYC.

[Faith-manor]

$9.87 in actuality. Federal is of course $7.25. The medical care facilities have refused to raise CNA pay above 10.50 an hour. Taco Bell is paying $12.50. So no CNA's. 

[Scarlett]

Ours is 7.25 which is the US Federal min wage, so I can’t answer accurately either.  Maybe change the first tier to 7.25 or less?  I know we aren’t all in the IS but I think it would give you a better picture. 
 

Edited to add—- never mind.  I did not read close enough and I answered incorrectly.  I answered $8….s/b 7. 

Edited November 3, 2022 by Scarlett

[freesia]

7 minutes ago, *Jessica* said:

NY state is currently $13.20, rising to $14.20 December 31.  It is already $15 in NYC.

$15 in Westchester amd Long Island, too. 

[HomeAgain]

It is currently $14.25 here. 

The grocery store pays minimum wage and hurts for workers.

Burger King offers $19, and hurts for workers.

McD's, at least the one we go to, pays $15 and has no issues getting anyone to work there (and keeping their staff).

[ScoutTN]

TN just has the federal rate. But my Dd17 works in a fast food salad restaurant in a nice area and makes $11 plus tips. She averages about $15/hr. 

[Beth S]

KY is the federal rate too.  But our COL is also low compared to larger cities. 
 

[Emba]

$7.25 in Texas. I know some local places start at about $10 an hour for low-level part time jobs, though, and if you cross the nearby state line into New Mexico, minimum wage is $11.50, and many young people with cars do that, which may be why a lot of the local jobs start out a bit above minimum wage.

[Katy]

The federal $7.25 is what google tells me is the minimum here. But even Goodwill has signs advertising $15 an hour, and many places have sign on bonuses from $1500-3000 for jobs under $20/hour, even part time. 

[Arcadia]

For my city
Current rate is $16.40 per hour

Next increase on January 1, 2023 is $17.20 per hour

For my county 

” in California, the state minimum wage will be $14.00/hour for employers with up to 25 employees and $15/hour for employers with 26 or more employees.”

[kirstenhill]

General minimum is a bit over $10 here, but there's an exception for small employers and anyone under 18, for whom the minimum is around 8.50.  DS15 worked at a very small business last summer and made the lower minimum.  For him it was an ok situation because he got a lot of work hours and he wasn't very interested in working at most of the places that were willing to hire 15 year olds.  He definitely is hoping for something paying more next summer when he is 16. 

Edited November 3, 2022 by kirstenhill

[Bambam]

Texas - legally minimum wage is $7.25/hr here. But - you see fast food places advertising for help - wages start at $12/hr. Target said (I don't see their signs any more) you started at $15/hr there. 
 

[itsheresomewhere]

13 here but most places start at 14.50.  Plus sign on bonuses.  

[maize]

7.25 here. 

[elegantlion]

$11.15/hr here, set to go up to $12 in 2023. According to a quick google search, that's still about $5 under the living wage for our state. 

[Faith-manor]

I can totally see Burger King offering $19 and getting no one. They have a reputation for nasty policies and incompetent management. McD's pays less here, but as a reputation for treating employees a bit better, and management with more training.

[Idalou]

NY Min wages to be $14.20 on Dec 31 this year. Fast food workers already make $15. Tipped service wages increasing from $11 to $11.85. Tipped food service workers increasing from $8.80 to $9.45

[Heartstrings]

1 hour ago, HomeAgain said:

It is currently $14.25 here. 

The grocery store pays minimum wage and hurts for workers.

Burger King offers $19, and hurts for workers.

McD's, at least the one we go to, pays $15 and has no issues getting anyone to work there (and keeping their staff).

That’s either a great manager at McDs or it’s the benefits like scholarship money that you can get at McDs

[Granny_Weatherwax]

This topic (along with the original post) makes me laugh. Min wage here is $12. As an employee required to have prof certification, provide my own liability insurance, provide all of my supplies and gear, I was paid $12 an hour; the same wage as the teenagers who sat at the desk and playing on their phones their entire shift. 

[TexasProud]

1 hour ago, Emba said:

$7.25 in Texas. I know some local places start at about $10 an hour for low-level part time jobs, though, and if you cross the nearby state line into New Mexico, minimum wage is $11.50, and many young people with cars do that, which may be why a lot of the local jobs start out a bit above minimum wage.

Yeah, I am in Texas and everyone around her is paying 12- 15 an hour.  My daughter got 15 dollars and hour plus tips.  

[Faith-manor]

13 minutes ago, Heartstrings said:

That’s either a great manager at McDs or it’s the benefits like scholarship money that you can get at McDs

It might be the shift scheduling. Our local McD's manager will actually do set hours for employees, and publish the schedule a week in advance, then let employees trade if someone has a medical appointment or school thing. Burger King does not give a set hours, no guaranteed hours, and puts the schedule out on Saturday night for Sunday morning. It doesn't do anyone any good to be offered $19 an hour, and then have no idea if they will get hours much less how many hours. So $13 at McD's and guaranteed 25 hours per week or even more is something they can count on.

[Kuovonne]

I’m in Texas where the legal minimum wage here is $7.25. 
 

But when my teen DD’s were looking for their first jobs, they never found any that paid that little.

Annoyingly enough, when DD moved to California for college, she had a much harder time finding a good job, even though the minimum wage is much higher and there are plenty of “hiring now” signs. She doesn’t want and can’t work a full time job. She just wants a small part time job to fill in the edges as a student, same as she had in high school, not a full time job to support a household. While it was easy to find a good part time job in Texas that could fit around her school schedule, she has been unsuccessful in doing so in California.

[Carrie12345]

7.25.  You’re unlikely to find a place near me that actually pays minimum wage, but that doesn’t mean they pay enough for living, even childless with roommates.

$12/hr for 32hr/wk is lucky. Without a schedule to allow a second job.

One of my kids does okay with a skilled job that allows for overtime and second (and sometimes third) jobs. But she’s on our medical insurance and has a “roommate”. And works a traumatic job that isn’t for most people.

[Ailaena]

We are at $12.56 and it raises to $13.65 in January.  Like y’all, most fast food and other chains are $15, or so. 

[Starr]

34 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

Without a schedule to allow a second job.

This, no regular schedule, no health care , leave time, retirement and the list goes on.

[cjzimmer1]

The legal minimum wage here is $7.25 but I haven't seen any job postings where wage number was included for anything under $12.00.  So while employers can legally pay less, in actuality they probably have to pay more if they want to actually have employees.  My daughter works at a fast food restaurant where starting rates are $14.  They have lost at least a dozen employees in the last couple of months because they are all going to other places that pay more (or at least that is the reason they are sharing with co-workers).  

[KungFuPanda]

In the county where I work it's $15.65 for large employers and $14 for smaller ones. You absolutely cannot house and feed one person working full time on that here. 

[gardenmom5]

I've seen "starting at" listed on job ad placards - so that's what I'm going by.  And what 1ds was making during his undergrad while he was working entry at target (and that was a few years ago.)

- Even then, that was higher than the current minimum wage of $14.49 in my city, and many retail job listings start higher than that.

Edited November 3, 2022 by gardenmom5

[Pam in CT]

$15.

Service companies that start at minimum essentially compete on predictable scheduling. The ones who set predictable, regular schedules (and "allow" workers who want to work 40 hours to actually get 40 predictable hours) can retain employees; whereas the ones who underemploy / don't set schedules in advance / just abruptly announce to their employees to punch out if business is slow, unsurprisingly have a lot of turnover.  I teach adult ESL and my students regularly swap notes on how well employers do scheduling. 

And some chains (Home Depot, Panera, Starbucks) start at above minimum.

 

[KSera]

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

I didn't know how to respond as it varies based on age. £9.50 is USD10.68.

This is super interesting! Having different requirements for minors vs adults is something I’ve thought about when we’ve had minimum wage go up near us, but I didn’t know the UK already does that. Is there any issue with employers hiring inexpensive kids rather than more expensive adults? That seems a potential downside. But we have so many places where minimum wage isn’t enough for someone to live on, but OTOH, most teens don’t need enough to support themselves and I know it can be a hardship for some small businesses to afford to hire help when minimum wage goes up significantly. 

[lauraw4321]

While we just have federal MW, technically, I don't see anyone advertising less than $11.50 an hour.

[Laura Corin]

26 minutes ago, KSera said:

This is super interesting! Having different requirements for minors vs adults is something I’ve thought about when we’ve had minimum wage go up near us, but I didn’t know the UK already does that. Is there any issue with employers hiring inexpensive kids rather than more expensive adults? 

That has been mentioned in the news as being a risk - or even employers sacking young people when they get older and more expensive  - but I don't know if it actually happens.

In practice, in this market, my 22yo son got above adult minimum wage for shop work this summer, presumably because it was hard to find competent help of any kind.

This article talks a bit about the rationale for the different levels https://minimumwage.blog.gov.uk/2020/03/09/why-do-young-people-have-lower-minimum-wages/

[Corraleno]

In Oregon it varies by county, ranging from $12.50 in the most rural counties to $14.75 in the Portland Metro area. But most jobs in the metro area start higher, e.g. Target & McDonalds start at $16-17, and UPS warehouse work is currently paying $23/hr (+ $2 more for weekends), plus medical/dental, 401K, and up to $25K tuition reimbursement. 

 

[Clarita]

Chick-fil-a has a hiring sign that just went up for $18/hr. This is a HCOL area.  

[KSera]

52 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

UPS warehouse work is currently paying $23/hr

Does anyone know how these UPS warehouse jobs are? It pays really well, but I have no idea if it’s a brutal job.

[Katy]

1 hour ago, KSera said:

Does anyone know how these UPS warehouse jobs are? It pays really well, but I have no idea if it’s a brutal job.

Yeah, DH worked there in & even a bit after college.  He started on the floor.  It was hard work, overhead shelter but basically outdoors in terms of wind and hot/cold weather.  You have to be able to read fast and throw packages of up to 30 pounds for hours.  He went from chunky to in shape in about 6 weeks when he first started. He even got to a point that he couldn't eat before going there without puking so afterwards he'd come home and eat a whole thin crust pizza for his one meal of the day.  They have really good benefits but the agreement changed so now you have to be there for something like 90 days to get on there.  It's part time. At his location there were about half college kids and half people who had the majority of their income from some other source but worked mostly for the good benefits (a single mom whose kid could sleep at the grandparents while she worked nights, a couple small business owners, farming, national guard, waiting tables, one guy even had a trust fund but was required to work to keep it).  From his description I'd call it abusive (a ton of yelling and verbal abuse until the union steps in) but from his perspective it was like basic training, and taught him to grow up & toughen up.  He eventually moved into supervision, management, and even engineering there before moving on to his career company. He's talked about going back there to stay in shape if he retires early, so I guess that means he'd recommend it.

[Wheres Toto]

Currently $13, going up to $14.13 in January.  Many places are advertising $15/hour for retail/fast food, more for other types of jobs.  

[KungFuPanda]

1 hour ago, KSera said:

Does anyone know how these UPS warehouse jobs are? It pays really well, but I have no idea if it’s a brutal job.

I hear it's brutal.  We've had more than one person interview for a landscaping position that pays less to get away from UPS.  One guy got locked in a truck and they didn't let him out until Florida.  We're in Maryland.  I spoke to a woman who was all in as a UPS employee until an injury sidelined her.  She's a forest ranger now and can't believe she did that job as long as she did.  She described it almost like trauma bonding.  She said when she watched castaway she could relate because she would absolutely start organizing packages after a plane crash because she was that indoctrinated.

[Corraleno]

1 hour ago, KSera said:

Does anyone know how these UPS warehouse jobs are? It pays really well, but I have no idea if it’s a brutal job.

Yes, it's brutal. DD is 100 lbs soaking wet and she worked the warehouse for three months in the winter of 2020 (temporary hire for the holiday crush when they were taking anyone who applied). The "inside" temperature is basically the same as outside, she had to be really bundled up and have really warm gloves and good shoes. They basically had to keep working until the work was done, so she often had really long shifts, up to 10 hrs, but they were paid $27/hr for overtime. She'd come home totally exhausted and covered in bruises, but as an 18 yr old with no experience she made really good money for those three months.

They do have plenty of part-time jobs available, though, you can just work a couple of shifts per week (and make more if you pick weekend shifts). And I've read that the tuition benefits count for part time employees and kick in immediately. The shifts here are: Preload (3:00 AM - 9:30 AM) Day (9:00 AM - 4:00 PM) Twilight (4:00 PM - 10:30 PM) Night (10:00 PM - 4:00 AM). DD worked the Twilight shift, but with the Christmas craziness early in the pandemic (when everyone was shopping online and USPS was a mess), she often didn't get home until 1 or 2 AM. It would be a good job for a healthy young guy who wants to work weekends for $25/hr, but full time is pretty tough.

ETA: As tough as it is, it pays better than Amazon warehouse jobs (at least around here) and I've heard that the working conditions are better (again, at least around here). When DD worked there, the bosses were decent people and weren't nasty or difficult (while I've heard horror stories about Amazon).

Edited November 3, 2022 by Corraleno

[lewelma]

$21.20/hour in New Zealand. Youth wage is $17/hour.

To put this in perspective, our median wage is 56,000/year which is about $27/hour. 

[KSera]

50 minutes ago, Katy said:

Yeah, DH worked there in & even a bit after college.  He started on the floor.  It was hard work, overhead shelter but basically outdoors in terms of wind and hot/cold weather.  You have to be able to read fast and throw packages of up to 30 pounds for hours.  He went from chunky to in shape in about 6 weeks when he first started. He even got to a point that he couldn't eat before going there without puking so afterwards he'd come home and eat a whole thin crust pizza for his one meal of the day.  They have really good benefits but the agreement changed so now you have to be there for something like 90 days to get on there.  It's part time. At his location there were about half college kids and half people who had the majority of their income from some other source but worked mostly for the good benefits (a single mom whose kid could sleep at the grandparents while she worked nights, a couple small business owners, farming, national guard, waiting tables, one guy even had a trust fund but was required to work to keep it).  From his description I'd call it abusive (a ton of yelling and verbal abuse until the union steps in) but from his perspective it was like basic training, and taught him to grow up & toughen up.  He eventually moved into supervision, management, and even engineering there before moving on to his career company. He's talked about going back there to stay in shape if he retires early, so I guess that means he'd recommend it.

I’m glad I asked! This would be a super bad fit for the person in question. Thanks everyone else for your stories as well. We had heard the same thing about Amazon and this person turned down an Amazon job based on that. just the lack of climate control in summer in the warehouse would have been not tolerable.

[bookbard]

It's $21.38 in Australia, although that is misleading. There are youth wages for people under 21, there's a different scheme for certain people with a disability (who also receive the disability pension), and there's a different scheme for apprentices. Also I believe certain industries would have a higher minimum wage due to unions. 

So if you're a part-time beginner worker in retail, and you're 15 or under, you get $10 an hour (more on weekends and public holidays). That's half the adult wage, which is why we see lots of 14 year olds working fast food or the check out at the supermarket. 

Keep in mind wages have stuck fast in Australia over the last ten or more years, especially considering inflation. I was getting paid $5 an hour to work over 30 years ago as a teen, but that $5 could have bought a lot more than todays $10.

[Soror]

4 hours ago, Pam in CT said:

$15.

Service companies that start at minimum essentially compete on predictable scheduling. The ones who set predictable, regular schedules (and "allow" workers who want to work 40 hours to actually get 40 predictable hours) can retain employees; whereas the ones who underemploy / don't set schedules in advance / just abruptly announce to their employees to punch out if business is slow, unsurprisingly have a lot of turnover.  I teach adult ESL and my students regularly swap notes on how well employers do scheduling. 

And some chains (Home Depot, Panera, Starbucks) start at above minimum.

 

Related to this I just saw this article -https://www.today.com/food/restaurants/chick-fil-a-three-day-workweek-rcna55086?search=chick fil a

Quote

Justin Lindsey, a Miami Chick-fil-A operator received 429 applications in one week for just one full-time position. Surprisingly, the biggest draw wasn’t the competitive wage — it was the three-day workweek.

Employees on the three-day workweek are separated into two pods: Each pod works three consecutive 12- to 14-hour days and enjoys having two weekends and seven consecutive days off every month. Lindsey, who started operating the location last summer, told TODAY Food. “I want to lead with generosity. And generosity for me is two things: It’s pay and it’s time.”

The Chick-fil-A Lindsey operates has experienced 100% retention at the management level since implementing a three-day workweek option.

 

[Melissa Louise]

Ds started at $15 AUD and I think is now $20.

It's because we have youth wages.

I think it's unethical; if you are doing the same work as someone older than you, you deserve the same pay.

The minimum youth wage relies on parents subsidizing their children.

Ds pays token board, but could not survive independently on youth wage. We are a high COL area with an inflation problem.

Effectively, the company gets his labour cheap and I make up the difference.

I'm not sure what it is over 21. Not enough to manage COL + inflation, that's for sure.

[bookbard]

31 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

The minimum youth wage relies on parents subsidizing their children.

 

Yes, it seems really weird that it goes up to 21. My 19yr old niece is living independently and working full time as a manager. No one is subsidising anything. 

[Ausmumof3]

Minimum wages for under 15s in fast food approx $7USD per hour

Minimum wage for my teen under his award at 16 is $15USD per hour

minimum wage for adults is $13USD. I’m not sure if that’s casual or permanent. Keep in mind employers don’t pay health insurance either.