Nationally, as of 2023, 22.5% of high school students work jobs. Due to San Francisco having one of the highest minimum wages in the country at $19.18, the city’s job market is both desirable and crowded, leaving high school students to compete directly with adults for the same positions.

Workers as young as 14 can become employed with a worker’s permit, which is required for all employees under 18. Because applicant pools can span a wide age range, employers often compare teenage applicants with adult applicants who may have more experience, more developed skills and greater availability. Studies show that while teens may be viewed as having comparable skills in some areas, their perceived work behaviors – such as punctuality and commitment – are judged more harshly. 

According to a 2025 study conducted by The Broken Marketplace, 77% of entry-level jobs require at least one year of experience. This makes it more difficult for students to break into the workforce. 

Due to these potential barriers, students may use connections to get employed. “It was pretty hard to get a job, so I went into my neighborhood and walked into every store with my resume, which didn’t work,” Remy Kauffman ’26 said. “My mom knows the guy who runs the place I work. That’s how I got the job: my mom being proactive.” 

Availability is another factor as teenagers balance school with a job. According to Indeed, a popular job search and hiring platform, part-time jobs have a maximum of 35 hours a week, while full-time jobs account for any job exceeding 35 hours a week. 

Not all jobs offer flexible scheduling, which makes it hard for students to balance work hours with their school schedules and after-school commitments. “Some workplaces want you to work full time, but high school students can only work a certain number of hours, especially if we’re going to school,” Arlo Upston ’29 said. “In a school like Urban, where you get a significant amount of homework, … we don’t have very much time.” 

Once students do manage to secure a job, they face the risk of exploitation from their employer. Some students reported pressure to accept under-the-table pay — which is defined as off-the-record payment in cash — in customer service roles. Paying employees under-the-table allows employers to avoid paying federal taxes while taking away employees’ ability to claim workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and Social Security and Medicare benefits.

An anonymous student worked at Say Cheese in Cole Valley over the summer when they were 17 years old. “Because I was a high school kid … [my boss] was like, ‘I’d rather just pay you under the table and make this easier for both of us.’ But … it made me less money,” they said. 

As a result of being underpaid, the student decided to confront their boss. “I think [my boss] definitely would have had that conversation with adults. Instead, [he] condescendingly told me that he was right and I was wrong,” the anonymous student said. 

While there is often a stigma around hiring teenagers, there are also benefits to having high school students as employees. “I think high school students are a great asset to our team. They bring freshness [and] they bring a great vibe, especially [the] local kids. … All their friends come in, and their family comes in, so it helps our business,” Easy Breezy owner Ari Ford said in an interview with The Urban Legend. 

Students recognize the value they bring to the workplace. “Being a high schooler, I have a lot of vigor and ambition, which I think is useful. I do think that in my case, that got my foot in the door,” Lind said. “I think many employers like to have — and are looking for — young people who are skilled and can be on top of their work; they just don’t always assume young people have those qualities initially.” 

Ford also noted the spirit high school workers bring. “High school students are also eager to learn,” she said. “They’re very happy to have the job, so it’s not a problem [to employ them].”