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I got my first fast-food job at 15. Limited hours due to child labor laws meant my time there was short-lived, especially after we moved to a new state just two months into the job. However, it offered me a glimpse into the fast-paced food industry. While my employers provided a uniform, I had to purchase special shoes to prevent slipping on the greasy floors—a cost my family struggled to manage. Each shift left me with sore feet, smelly clothes, and skin coated in a mix of grease and youthful sweat.
In my brief time, I faced steam burns, bruises from slips, and snack breaks that felt far too short. After moving, I quickly found another fast-food job, ready to take on the challenges for another three years.
I’m not complaining. My experiences in the food industry during high school and college taught me valuable lessons. I learned how to navigate tricky relationships with coworkers and customers, developed patience, and appreciated the flexibility my employers offered to accommodate my school commitments. My coworkers and I supported each other, often swapping shifts when needed. When I had no conflicts, picking up extra shifts was easy, especially when I was the first to answer the phone.
For me, working through high school was not a luxury; it was a necessity. My parents couldn’t provide me with spending money for outings or the items my friends had. If I wanted a new stereo or CDs, I had to save every cent. Even with a job, I struggled to afford post-play meals or pre-practice snacks.
At that time, I earned less than $6.00 an hour at minimum wage.
A common argument against raising the federal minimum wage is that teenagers don’t need to earn $15 an hour. People question why teens require that much money or what they would do with it. As someone who has taught teens for nearly two decades and as a mother of two pre-teens approaching the workforce age, I find it increasingly difficult to accept the notion that teenagers shouldn’t receive a higher minimum wage.
I had to work. My parents made it clear that if I wanted anything, I had to earn it. My sisters followed my lead into the same fast-food job as they entered high school. We all understood that our desires had to be met through our own efforts since our parents couldn’t provide for us. As we approached college, we were saving for tuition and textbooks, which our jobs barely covered. Paying for college on less than $5.50 an hour was impractical.
While my husband and I are in a better financial position than my parents were, we still need our kids to work in high school to help with expenses for cars, cell phones, and college. We believe in instilling financial responsibility and independence through work.
However, the current minimum wage is simply insufficient for teens to achieve those goals.
We recognize that our kids are “fortunate”; we want them to experience work for independence, yet our family does not rely on those wages. This is not the case for 41% of American teens living in low-income households, with 19% living in poverty. For these teens, earning a living wage is a matter of survival to support themselves and their families.
Increasing teenagers’ earning potential will lead to responsible spending. At the current federal minimum wage, a teen has to work two hours just to buy a movie ticket, a full day for a decent pair of shoes, and around 70 hours just to afford a semester’s worth of college textbooks (and that’s a budget-friendly semester). We haven’t even touched on the hours required to purchase a car, insurance, and gas.
When you ask most teens why they work, they’ll say it’s not about luxury items. Those jobs are often vital for their survival or stepping stones toward their aspirations. They take on minimum wage jobs because they lack the education, skills, and experience to earn more. These roles can be physically and emotionally draining as they face difficult customers and sometimes challenging bosses.
I’ve seen, through nearly 20 years of teaching, that when we show teens respect and confidence—rewarding their hard work—they often exceed expectations. A living wage communicates their value and importance within the workforce, affirming that they have a significant role in society. When we acknowledge their worth, they typically respond with dedication and effort.
I’m open to discussing whether a graduated minimum wage based on regional costs of living and education levels is necessary, but we must remove age from the equation. Every American deserves a living wage, including our youth. They must know they are valuable, and they will rise to the challenge.
And, yes, that includes the teenager behind the counter who struggles to count your change.