Can a 12 year old get a job in Australia? Let’s find out.
Most young people would like some extra money to buy concert tickets, clothes, or the new iPhone 13. But at what age can a child legally start working? The answer depends on where the young person lives, and in what state or territory. This article will tell you the minimum age to work in each state and territory, so you can be sure you are following the law.
New South Wales
In New South Wales, there is no minimum age for when someone can start working. But there are other rules that depend on how old a child is. For instance:
- if he or she is under 15 and working in entertainment, a photography business, or door-to-door sales, or if he or she is under 16 and working as a model, you must have permission from the employer; and
- If the person is under 18, the business must give them the same working conditions as those in the NSW state award and industrial legislation.
A person has to be 17 to start working full-time. But if they have finished Year 10, they can ask for a break from school so they can work full-time instead.
Australian Capital Territory
In the Australian Capital Territory, there is no minimum age for when someone can start working (ACT). But there are more rules for employers whose workers are under 15 years old. For example, the employer must:
- can only hire a young person for light work that is not against their best interests, like working as a cashier or babysitting.
- can only hire a young person for up to 10 hours per week without telling Child and Youth Protection Services.
- cannot hire a teenager without permission from his or her parents.
Victoria
In Victoria, a person must be at least 15 years old to get a job. But there are some exceptions to this rule that let you hire someone under 15 years old. For example, if you work in:
- a business run by a family;
- the business of entertainment.
If you want to hire someone younger than 15 but older than 13, they can work if their parents give them permission. In this case, you will need a child employment permit.
North of Australia
In the Northern Territory, there is no minimum age for people who want to work. There are, however, other rules that depend on how old the employee is. For instance, an employer can’t ask an employee to do work that is:
- if they are under 15 years old, between 10 pm and 6 am; or
- If the person is under 18 years old, they can’t be exploited in any way that is harmful or likely to be harmful to their physical, mental, or emotional health.
Queensland
In Queensland, a worker must be at least 13 years old to start working. There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule that let you hire someone younger than 13 years old, such as:
- you work in a business your family owns;
- if you are in the entertainment business; or
- There is some kind of supervised work, like delivering packages or collecting money for a good cause.
Australia’s South
In South Australia, there is no minimum age for when someone can start working. But you can’t hire a child between the ages of 6 and 16 who is required to go to school during the hours they have to go. You also can’t make the worker work at a time that will make it hard for them to go to school (i.e. late nights and early mornings).
Tasmania
In Tasmania, there is no age limit for people who want to work. When performing or selling in public, the young person can only do so much. This means that children younger than:
- 11 can’t sell things; and
- 14 isn’t allowed to sell anything from 9 pm to 5 am.
Western Australia
In Western Australia, a person must be at least 15 years old to start working, unless they already do;
- in a business run by a family;
- in the business of entertainment; or
- as a volunteer for charitable organizations or sports teams.
Company Policy
You might want to make a company policy that says how old your employees have to be to work there. This policy should take into account the laws in your state or territory.
Work During School Hours
If you want to hire someone to work during school hours, they must be at least old enough to leave school. The minimum age to leave school is different in each state and territory, just like the minimum age to work. At the moment, it is 14 in all states and territories except Victoria and Tasmania, where it is 16.
Employment Laws in Australia
Australia has different rules for how young people can work in each state, but in general, you have to be at least 13 to work, with some exceptions. Even with all the restrictions, there are jobs for any 13-year-old who wants to work, no matter what they want to do or how good they are at it.
Pay close attention to the following work rules:
- Unless the job is part of a family business, the boss must have a Child Employment Permit.
- Working during school hours is against the law.
- Minors can only do light jobs like gardening, delivering newspapers, running errands, office work, or working as a shop assistant.
- In the entertainment business, there are no age limits on hiring kids and teens.
Now that we know all the rules, let’s look at what jobs hire people at 13years in Australia:
1. Watching kids
Many teens are old enough to take care of younger kids, and most of the time, they are more fun than adults. Babysitting is a good choice because it doesn’t usually interfere with school, and it’s an easy way to make some extra money. Also, babysitting will help you learn to be more responsible.
2. Pet Sitting
If you like animals, this is the best job for you. There’s a huge chance since Australia has more than 29 million pets. Taking care of cute pets will make you money and give you a boost of serotonin. You will have to feed them, play with them, give them water, make sure they are good, and maybe even take them for walks.
3. Dog Walking
You can make extra money by walking dogs while getting in shape and having fun with “man’s best friend.” You should try to find dog owners who work long hours, who can’t walk far, or who are going on vacation.
4. An Online Job
If you have a special skill, you might be able to get a job on sites like “Fiverr” that are for people over 13 years old. A lot of kids use their creativity to write articles, make logos, edit videos and photos, fill out surveys, read emails, and enter data into spreadsheets.
You’ll have a better chance of working from home and really growing your online business if you get certificates and take training courses on related topics.
5. Yardwork
Lawn mowing or gardening are examples of yard work. As a lawnmower, you’ll make good money for fewer hours of work, but it can be hard on your body.
On the other hand, gardening will bring out your creative side and make you feel more calm and happy.
6. Washing a car
You can start your own business with just a little water, soap, and a sponge. Who can say? Someday, washing cars could be the start of a small business that does well and is in high demand.
7. Take out the trash
Paper delivery is a great job that will help you learn how to use your time better. This active job will teach you to value hard work in all kinds of weather. “Deliver For Dollars” is a company that a lot of people in Australia work for.
8. Entertainment
There are a lot of ways to get into the entertainment business, including modeling, acting, and being an extra.
Even though it’s hard to work full-time during the school year, there are many ways for kids to work in the entertainment business if their careers take off.
As you can see, 13-year-olds can do a lot of different jobs. We hope this list of jobs you can get at 13 was helpful. Here’s a list of things we think you should do before getting a job:
- Make a schedule of the times you want to work.
- Think about which of the jobs for 13-year-olds would be the best fit for you.
- Find out what the duties and responsibilities of the job you want are.
- Find out how much they make per hour.
- Take advantage of every chance you get to build your professional portfolio.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can you work in Australia at age 12?
Children have to be at least 11 years old before they can deliver newspapers, flyers, or packages to a registered pharmacist. If you want to work in an industry other than entertainment, you have to be at least 13 years old. You can also find out if a 12 year old can get a job in florida
What jobs can you get when you’re 12?
- Jobs for 12 year olds
- Getting newspapers to people. With a work permit, kids as young as 11 can start delivering newspapers.
- Babysitting. The law says that your 12-year-old can also work as a babysitter to make extra money.
- Entertainment work. …
- Making wreaths out of evergreens.
- working at a business run by a family.
How old do you have to be to get a job in Australia?
There is no minimum age to work in any of Australia’s states or territories. The age a person must be to work depends on what state or territory they live in. In ACT and NT, there is no minimum age, but people under 15 are only allowed to do certain kinds of work.
How can a kid make money?
- Online Polls and Polling Sites.
- Get gift cards by playing video games.
- Collect golf balls and sell them again.
- Aluminum cans can be recycled for money.
- You can make money by recycling plastic and glass bottles.
- Your parents are having a garage sale.
- Set up a lemonade stand in your area.
- Walk the dogs of your neighbors.
What jobs can I get in Australia when I’m 13?
Minors can only do light jobs like gardening, delivering newspapers, running errands, office work, or working as shop assistant. In the entertainment business, there are no age limits on hiring kids and teens.
How old do you have to be in Australia to work at McDonald’s?
We have a minimum age policy of 14 years old unless state law says otherwise (refer below). This makes sure that McDonald’s restaurants are safe places to work and helps young people keep up with their schoolwork.
How long has it been there?
In simple physical terms, the age of much of the continent is impressive. Most of the rocks that make up Australia’s landforms were formed between 4.6 billion and 252 million years ago, during the Precambrian and Paleozoic periods. However, the cores of all the continents are about the same age.