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I landed my first fast food job at 15. My hours were limited by child labor laws, and my stint was brief due to a family move just two months in. Yet, it offered me a quick glimpse into the realities of the food industry. While I was provided with a uniform, I had to purchase non-slip shoes to navigate the grease-covered floors—an expense my family struggled to manage. After each shift, I returned home with sore feet, smelly clothes, and skin that was a mix of grease and teenage sweat. I endured steam burns, bruises from slips, and breaks that never felt long enough.
When we moved, I quickly jumped back into the fast food workforce, ready to face all that again for another three years. I’m not complaining; those experiences taught me valuable skills. I learned to handle difficult coworkers and customers, developed patience, and my employers were generally accommodating with my school and activity commitments. My coworkers and I worked hard to cover for each other and were often willing to swap shifts when necessary. When I had free time, I found it easy to pick up extra shifts because I was always eager to work.
For me, working in high school was not optional; it was essential. My parents simply couldn’t afford to give me spending money for outings or to buy the things my friends had. If I wanted a new stereo or CDs, I had to save every penny. Even with a job, affording post-play outings or snacks was a struggle, especially earning less than $6.00 an hour at the minimum wage during the ’90s.
A common argument against raising the federal minimum wage is that teenagers don’t need to earn $15 an hour. Critics often ask what teenagers would even do with that money or why we should provide “living wages” to those without high school diplomas. However, as a teacher with nearly two decades of experience and as a parent of two pre-teens approaching job age, I’m finding it harder to accept that teenagers don’t deserve a higher minimum wage.
I needed to work; it was a given in my family. Two of my sisters ended up at the same fast-food restaurant when they reached high school. We all understood that if we wanted anything, we had to earn it. As we neared college, we saved money for books and expenses, but earning less than $5.50 an hour made it nearly impossible to afford tuition.
While my husband and I are in a better financial position than my parents were, we still require our kids to work in high school for expenses like cars, cell phones, and eventually college. We believe that work teaches kids financial responsibility and independence. However, the current minimum wage simply isn’t enough for teenagers to reach these goals.
We recognize our kids are among the “lucky” ones; we want them to work to foster independence, but our family doesn’t rely on those wages. This is not the case for the 41% of American adolescents living in low-income households, 19% of whom are in poverty. For them, the opportunity to earn a living wage is a crucial matter of survival.
When teenagers have more financial power, they will utilize it wisely. Currently, at the federal minimum wage, a teen must work two hours just to afford a movie ticket, an entire day for a decent pair of shoes, and at least 70 hours to pay for a semester’s worth of college textbooks. And this doesn’t even consider the hours needed to buy a car or pay for insurance and gas.
Most teens would tell you they work not for luxuries but out of necessity or to pursue their dreams. They often take minimum wage jobs because they lack the education, skills, and experience to earn more. These positions can be physically and emotionally taxing, often involving difficult interactions with customers and even bosses. After two decades of teaching teenagers, I’ve seen that when you show them respect and confidence, they often exceed expectations. A living wage signifies their value and importance in the workforce, encouraging them to take pride in their roles.
I’m open to discussing whether we should implement a graduated minimum wage based on regional living costs or education levels, but we must eliminate age as a factor. Every American deserves a living wage, including our youngest and least experienced workers. When we show teenagers they are valued, they will rise to meet those expectations, and yes, that includes the young person at the counter who may struggle with making change.
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Summary:
The article argues against using teenagers as a reason to oppose raising the federal minimum wage. The author shares personal experiences from their own youth working in fast food, emphasizing that many teens work out of necessity rather than luxury. They highlight the importance of a living wage for young workers, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, and advocate for recognizing the value of all workers, regardless of age.
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Stop Using Teenagers as an Excuse to Avoid Raising the Minimum Wage, Minimum Wage, Teen Workers, Living Wage, Financial Responsibility, Low-Income Households