With summer break coming up, I'm considering getting a summer job, and I'm curious about how much money high schoolers usually make from these gigs. Is there a typical hourly rate or total amount we can expect to earn?
Typically, summer jobs for high school students are usually minimum wage jobs or just slightly above. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour, but many states have a higher minimum wage. For example, as of 2024, the minimum wage in California is $16 per hour, while it's $16.66 per hour in Washington, and $15.13 per hour in New Jersey.
The total amount you can earn over the summer can vary quite a bit depending on the number of hours you work each week, the length of your employment, and the pay rate. As an example, if you are able to work a full-time job (40 hours per week) for the full summer (about 12 weeks), with a pay rate of $10 per hour, you could potentially earn around $4,800 before taxes.
However, many high school students might not work full-time due to other commitments (like summer school or extracurriculars), and some summer jobs might not offer full time hours. If you work part-time, say 20 hours per week, then the total earnings for the summer will be roughly half.
Remember, your take-home pay will be less than your gross pay because of taxes. If you're eligible, you might be able to get some of that money back when you file a tax return.
It's worth mentioning that the value of a summer job isn't just the paycheck, but also the work experience, skills, and connections you can gain, which can be beneficial for future job searches and college applications.
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