How Old Do You Have to be to Work at Wendy’s?

Well, to keep things simple, the short answer is 16 years old. However, in some locations, depending on the local laws, it’s possible to be hired at Wendy’s at the age of 15 or even 14 years old.

Like most fast-food jobs, Wendy’s employs a lot of teens and people who have no previous work experience. Employee turnover is high, meaning that employees don’t stay there long and they get new staff regularly.

Still, it can be an OK place for your first job, especially if you have a positive attitude about your work and don’t mind working under rushed conditions sometimes.

So, let’s take an in-depth look at How Old Do You Have to be to Work at Wendy’s? and find out.

Minimum Age And Minimum Wage

In general, you can get a job at Wendy’s if you’re aged 16 or older. This is true in almost any location, except for Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, Nevada, and Arkansas, where the minimum working age is 18. This is during what’s considered “school hours,” however because there are laws designed to keep young people in school to a certain age.

Outside of school hours, after about 4:00 pm, many states allow you to work at the age of 15 or even 14 years old. You can check out the laws for your state here.

How Much Should You Expect To Get Paid?

This depends on the job that you do. According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the minimum wage for most jobs in America is $7.25 per hour. However, different states have their own state laws for minimum wage. These have to be the same or higher than the FLSA requirements.

Jobs for teens at Wendy’s include Crew Member and Shift Supervisor. Crew Member jobs (line cook, cashier, or drive-through operator) pay at least the minimum wage of $7.25 and may pay up to $12 per hour. On average, Crew Members at Wendy’s make $9 per hour.

Shift supervisor at 16…

Shift Supervisors can be paid more. To be a shift supervisor, you need to be at least 16 years old and have some previous experience at Wendy’s or a similar restaurant. Because you’re supervising others, you’ll get paid more as well. Shift Supervisors can be paid between $9 and $15 per hour. The average pay for Shift Supervisors is $11 per hour.

What Jobs Does Wendy’s Have for Teens?

Teenagers from the age of 14, in some states, and 16 most everywhere can start to work at Wendy’s with no previous work experience. New hires at Wendy’s are employed as Crew Members.

What Does a Crew Member do?

Your tasks as a crew member can include:

Crew Members are expected to learn all parts of the job. Normally, though, you wouldn’t expect to do all of these tasks regularly. Most franchises will direct a new hire into either a line cook or cashier position, depending on your personality and job skills.

If you seem like you can work well with people and keep a positive, friendly demeanor, you’ll be more likely to work at a cashier than at a fry station.

Calm under pressure…

Cashiers and drive-through operators are responsible for taking orders. This also means that they’re the people that deal directly with customers, and if things go wrong, they’re the ones who take the heat. So if you are interested in working as a cashier, remember that you’ll need to be patient, polite, and calm under pressure.

Shift Supervisors have to be ready to deal directly with customers, too. A Shift Supervisor works under the franchise manager to make sure that staff are at work and doing their jobs well. The supervisor also has to deal with complaints and any other issues that arise on a day-to-day basis, like clogged toilets or slippery floors.

As I mentioned earlier, you have to be at least 16 to work as a shift Supervisor at Wendy’s. You also need to have some previous experience before they’ll hire you for this job.

How To Apply?

Like in all jobs, the first step is applying, which you can either do online or by going into a Wendy’s and filling out an actual paper application form. Since Wendy’s hires people with no experience and has a high staff turnover, you should expect to get called in for an interview.

An interview at Wendy’s won’t take very long. They’ll ask you a few questions about how you would deal with a complaining customer and if you mind cleaning the bathrooms, and that’s about it. As long as you’re agreeable and positive, your interview should last about five to ten minutes.

Staff orientation day…

Once you get hired, you’ll be invited to a staff orientation day, possibly at a regional headquarters or at the Wendy’s branch where you’ll be working. Orientation for Wendy’s takes about four to five hours and involves watching a whole lot of videos that teach you about the food they make and the machines used to produce it.

After this, you’ll start your job. On your first day, make sure to wear shoes with non-slip soles because the kitchen floor can get greasy. You’ll probably be either trained on the cash register or put on a relatively easy cooking job like a frying station.

Fast-paced environment…

Eventually, you might graduate to frying burgers (a more-skilled job) or drive-through operator (where you have to be able to multi-task). Working at Wendy’s can be very fast-paced and rushed at certain times of day, especially at the busiest locations. You will get a break in your shift, however. You also get a bonus of discounted meals or even free meals every shift.

Be Confident In Your First Interview?

If you’re lacking in confidence and nervous for your first interview, that’s perfectly understandable! So, let’s take a look at these amazing online guides to help give you the boost you need, such as the Unstoppable Self Confidence, The Confidence Gap: A Guide to Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt, The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance, as well as Self-Confidence Strategies for Women, or how about The Self Confidence Workbook, and the You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life available online in 2023.

But maybe it’s your self-esteem taking a toll? For that, we highly recommend reading Stop Overthinking: 23 Techniques to Relieve Stress, Stop Negative Spirals, Declutter Your Mind, the Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior, or even the Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life, and finally Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing, Improving, and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem, or if your brain never turns off, then Get Out of Your Head is the book for you.

I’ve also put together some interview guides on Why Do You Want To Work Here, Answering Tell Me About Yourself In Interview, What Are Your Career Goals, or how to Answer Why Best Candidate Position, as well as What Are You Most Proud Of, How Do You Handle Stress, my Strengths And Weaknesses For Job Interviews, and of course the Best Questions To Ask In An Interview to ace that interview the first time!

Final Thoughts

In most locations, you can definitely get a job as a Crew member at 16 years old. You have to be at least this age if you want to be a shift supervisor. In some states, you can work at Wendy’s as young as age 14 years old, as long as you’re working outside of school hours.

Because Wendy’s is a fast-paced work environment offering lower pay, they have a lot of staff turnover. This means they’re nearly always looking for new staff. You can get a job at Wendy’s with no previous work experience.

This might not be your dream job, but as far as jobs for teens go, Wendy’s is an alright first step into the job market.

All the very best Working At Wendy’s!