Share of Teen Hires
In June 2023 and 2022, workers between the ages of 15 and 19 made up about 20% of all summer hires. This summer peak is consistent with historical data, where the share of teen hires typically rises sharply in the late spring and early summer, reflecting the influx of seasonal and part-time jobs available to teenagers during school breaks.
New Hire Pay for Teens
In June of 2023, as overall wage growth slowed across the economy, teens continued to see rising pay. Businesses paid more for teen workers in 2023 than they did in 2022, even as new hire pay overall fell across the economy. As of June June 2023, the national average wage for teens was $15.03/hr across the platform. This was an increase of 4% from 2022, when the national average wage was $14.44/hr.
Employment Growth for Teen Workers
In June of 2023, employment among 15-19 year old workers grew by 15.6%, slightly down from the 17% growth in June 2022. While this is trending down from the 20% employment growth in 2020 and 2021, the job market for teens is still very strong.
Hottest Subsectors and Cities for Teenage Workers
Metro Areas
| City | Share of Hires 15-19 Years Old (June 2023) | Average Wage For A Newly-Hired Teenager (April 2023) | Share of Hires 15-19 Years Old (June 2022) | Average Wage For A Newly-Hired Teenager (April 2022) |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 28 | $14.84 | 35 | $15.96 |
| Louisville, KY | 27 | $11.69 | 30 | $11.67 |
| Milwaukee, WI | 27 | $13.86 | 29 | $12.20 |
| Charlotte, NC | 26 | $13.63 | 23 | $12.58 |
| Cleveland, OH | 26 | $13.29 | 28 | $13.32 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 25 | $14.46 | 24 | $14.09 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 25 | $12.59 | 25 | $12.35 |
| Baltimore, MD | 25 | $15.77 | 27 | $15.84 |
| San Diego, CA | 24 | $18.39 | 17 | $17.05 |
| Providence, RI | 24 | $15.87 | 22 | $14.90 |
Industries
| Subsector | Share of Hires 15-19 June 2023 | Average Wage For New Teenage Hired (April 2023) | Share of Hires 15-19 June 2022 | Average Wage For New Teenage Hired (April 2022) |
| Education | 37.3 | $16.00 | 32.3 | $13.74 |
| Sports & Recreation | 33.4 | $13.55 | 34.2 | $12.19 |
| Food & Beverage | 31.2 | $14.48 | 33.3 | $13.99 |
| Accommodations | 29.8 | $14.95 | 29.6 | $13.67 |
| Retail | 23.9 | $13.72 | 23.1 | $13.05 |
| Automotive | 23.0 | $13.92 | 26.1 | $13.03 |
| Non-Profits & Associations | 22.2 | $15.47 | 19.7 | $14.49 |
| Other Personal Services | 18.0 | $14.38 | 17.5 | $13.72 |
| Manufacturing | 17.5 | $15.16 | 17.1 | $14.32 |
| Facilities | 17.4 | $16.87 | 18.2 | $15.48 |
Note:
Data presented by Gusto in this report are derived from Gusto platform data. The data presented in this report are unweighted. Gusto processes payroll, benefits and HR for over 300,000 businesses based in the United States.
