Did you get your first job early or late?
Enter your age at first paid work to see how you compare to the population. This calculator distinguishes between first any paid work and first full-time career job, the data says they are different transitions.
Querying population data…
How many jobs total?
Lifetime job count by age cohort. Median: ~12.
What age do most people get their first job?
Historically, approximately 40–50% of US teenagers aged 16–17 were employed at any given time during the 1970s and 1980s. That figure has fallen significantly: by the early 2020s, it was closer to 30% for 16–17 year olds. The typical age for first any paid work in the US and UK is broadly 15–17, though this varies considerably by generation, income level, and educational trajectory.
Around 77% of people have had their first paid job of any kind by age 18. By age 22, the figure rises to approximately 94%. The tail extends further than many people expect: a non-trivial share of people in higher education do not take on paid work until their degree is complete.
| Age | Approx. cumulative % who have had first paid job |
|---|---|
| 14 | 18% |
| 15 | 32% |
| 16 | 52% |
| 17 | 66% |
| 18 | 77% |
| 20 | 89% |
| 22 | 94% |
Note: these are approximate figures anchored to known BLS and UK education data. Precise population distributions for “age at first ever paid job” do not exist in peer-reviewed form.
When do people start their first full-time career job?
The age at which people start their first full-time career job is strongly correlated with when they complete full-time education. In both the US and UK, four-year degree holders typically enter career employment between the ages of 21 and 23. Those following non-degree vocational routes often start earlier, commonly between 16 and 19.
Postgraduate study, professional training programmes, and economic conditions all push the median later. In recent years, increasing numbers of graduates in both countries have spent 12–24 months in graduate schemes, internships, or temporary roles before entering what they would describe as their first "career" job, marking the beginning of what will typically be a 12-job career trajectory.
| Age at first career job | Approx. cumulative % who have started | Typical profile |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | 24% | School leavers, apprentices, vocational routes |
| 21 | 51% | 3-year UK degrees, some US 4-year degrees |
| 22 | 63% | 4-year US degrees, most UK graduates |
| 23 | 73% | Late graduates, gap years |
| 25 | 86% | Postgraduate routes, professional training |
Are young people working less than previous generations?
Yes, across most comparable measures. Youth employment rates have declined significantly since the 1980s in both the US and UK. In the UK, the NEET rate (not in employment, education, or training) for ages 16–24 stood at 12.8% in Q2 2025 (UK Education and Training Statistics). While this includes a significant proportion in part-time or temporary education, it represents a substantial share of young people outside the workforce.
In the US, Bureau of Labor Statistics annual youth surveys show consistent decline in teen employment from peak rates of 50%+ in the late 1970s to below 30% in recent years. The primary driver is rising higher education participation: more young people are in full-time education and delaying paid work entry as a result.
Generational differences in when people start work
The expected age of first employment has shifted substantially across generations:
- 1950s–1960s births. Teenage employment was common and often expected. Many people in this cohort had their first job at 13–15, and full-time work by 16–17 was entirely normal for non-university routes.
- 1970s–1980s births. Teen employment began to decline as higher education participation rose. University attendance was no longer the exception, it was becoming the expectation for a growing share of young people.
- 1990s–2000s births. Gen Z is entering the workforce later on average than any previous generation. Between higher education participation, competitive graduate markets, and the impact of the 2008 recession on youth employment norms, the first career job at 25–27 is increasingly unremarkable.
Frequently asked questions
Increasingly so. UK NEET data shows 12.8% of 16–24 year olds are not in employment, education, or training. Many people in higher education do not take paid work until their degree is complete. For those on intensive or demanding courses, this is entirely rational. By the population data, having never had any paid work by 20 puts you outside the majority, but it is far from unusual.
This calculator treats any paid work separately from a first full-time career job. A babysitting job at 13, a Saturday retail job at 16, and a first post-degree role at 22 are all qualitatively different transitions. The calculator handles both separately. Whatever you consider your “first job”, use the definition that feels most meaningful to you and apply it consistently.
Research shows no consistent relationship between first job age and long-term career outcomes. The nature and quality of work experience, and subsequent education, matters considerably more than the age at which you start. People who start working at 14 and those who start at 24 show similar long-term earnings distributions once education level and sector are controlled for.
Teen employment rates in the US have declined substantially over the past 45 years. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that in 1979, approximately 57% of 16 to 19 year olds were employed at some point during the year. By 2024, that figure had fallen to approximately 35%. The primary driver is rising educational participation: more teenagers are enrolled in full-time schooling, academic summer programmes, or structured extracurricular activities that have displaced the traditional summer or part-time job. The decline has been steeper in more affluent households, where unpaid internships, sports programmes, and educational enrichment compete more directly with paid work for teenagers' time.
Research on youth employment consistently identifies a cluster of foundational workplace competencies developed in early paid work that are distinct from what formal education provides. Mortimer et al. (2005, Work and the Life Course), drawing on a longitudinal study of 1,000 adolescents followed from age 14 to 30, found that early work experience was strongly associated with improved time management, interpersonal communication with non-peer adults, task persistence under supervision, and financial literacy. Importantly, these effects were strongest when the work was part-time (under 20 hours per week): intensive work hours during adolescence were associated with lower educational attainment, not higher competency, a finding that has replicated across multiple datasets.
The scarring effect refers to the long-lasting negative impact on lifetime earnings and employment stability of experiencing unemployment early in a career. Gregg (2001, Economic Journal, UK longitudinal data) found that youth unemployment lasting more than a year was associated with a 12 to 15% earnings penalty persisting up to ten years later, even after re-employment. Bell and Blanchflower (2011, Oxford Review of Economic Policy) reviewed evidence across multiple OECD countries and found consistent scarring in the form of lower wages, higher subsequent unemployment risk, and reduced job quality for those who experienced extended early-career joblessness. The 2008 recession cohort, who entered the labour market between 2008 and 2012, showed measurably lower earnings trajectories at ages 30 to 35 than comparable cohorts who entered in more favourable conditions.
For career-entry jobs rather than any paid work, yes. Sector of first career employment shows significant persistence effects on lifetime earnings. BLS longitudinal surveys show that workers who begin their careers in high-wage sectors (finance, law, technology, medicine) have median lifetime earnings approximately 40 to 60% higher than comparable workers who began in low-wage sectors (hospitality, retail, care), even after controlling for education. This reflects both the direct wage effect of sector and the cumulative network and skill-building advantages of starting in higher-margin industries. For teenage first jobs in retail, food service, or manual labour, the industry effect on lifetime earnings largely disappears once educational attainment and subsequent career sector are controlled.
Parental employment status and occupation are among the strongest predictors of teenage employment timing. Children of parents in managerial or professional occupations are significantly more likely to pursue unpaid internships or structured work experience rather than paid part-time work during adolescence. Children of parents in trade or service occupations tend to enter paid work earlier, typically between 14 and 16. The British Household Panel Survey and its successor Understanding Society have tracked this pattern consistently: parental social class predicts not just whether a teenager works but where, in what type of role, and at what age, reflecting differences in opportunity access, expectation, and social capital rather than any intrinsic difference in capability or motivation.
The distinction between internship and paid first job has become more consequential as internships have expanded in scope and duration. A 2023 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) survey found that 72% of US employers considered prior internship experience important or essential when evaluating entry-level candidates, up from 54% in 2015. Paid interns who converted to full-time roles reported starting salaries 8 to 12% higher than peers entering the same firms without internship experience. Unpaid internships remain controversial: research by Nunley et al. (2016, Industrial and Labor Relations Review) found that unpaid internship experience produced no statistically significant advantage in callback rates compared to a control group without internship experience, whereas paid internship experience produced a 14% callback rate increase.
Minimum wage rates for younger workers differ from adult rates in both countries. In the US, the federal minimum wage remains $7.25 per hour (unchanged since 2009), though state minimums range up to $17.00 in California and Washington as of 2024. A youth subminimum wage of $4.25 per hour applies for workers under 20 during their first 90 days of employment under the FLSA. In the UK, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £11.44 per hour as of April 2024, while the National Minimum Wage for 18 to 20 year olds is £8.60 and for those aged 16 to 17 it is £6.40. This differential means that a 16-year-old in their first UK job earns approximately 56% of the adult minimum wage rate.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Youth Employment and Unemployment, annual youth labour force surveys, US.
- UK Education and Training Statistics. (2025). NEET statistics: April–June 2025. GOV.UK; N=947,500 young people aged 16–24.