Thursday, June 2, 2011

Can a 15 year old work as a mechanic, or is there an older "legal" age?

I'm wondering this, because, guess what? Summer's here. I'd like something to do over the summer that will earn me money, instead of costing money. I'm going to be 16 at the end of summer (Sept. 2nd). Honestly, right now, a job is a job. I'd be lucky just to get any job at all. But I want to know if I could get this type of job, because it would be more money, it would probably be more fun, and i already know well enough what I'm doing ( well, enough for a simple job, like the kind at Big-O, or Jiffy-Lube, etc.). I know how to do the simple things.

-change oil (duh).

-rotate tires.

-mount and dismount a tire.

-patch a tire (unfortunately not plug...)

-I have done drum brakes, but not too fond of them.

-disk brakes. those are so friggen easy, I think most mechanics could do them with their hands behind their backs ( slight exaggeration).

-I have changed a McPherson strut, but only once.



I'm sure there's more, but the point is, simple things along those lines. Is it legal for a 15 year old to get a job in this field, or should I just wait till I'm 16? I know that 15 (or even 14) year ODs can do most simple jobs, but not ones considered to be %26quot;hazardous%26quot;. Is this one considered to be %26quot;hazardous%26quot;? I don't see why it would be, if all of the safety rules are followed (as with everything, safety rules were the first thing I was taught).Can a 15 year old work as a mechanic, or is there an older %26quot;legal%26quot; age?
I doubt that you could qualify as a mechanic no matter how much experience you have. It depends on the state you live in, but most won't let you work in that type of environment. One way to find out is to call a lube place or some other place where you think you might want to work and ask them. You could also stop in and ask, but you might feel more comfortable calling and you can save yourself the trip.