What jobs are U.S. teens working in summer 2026?
Employment by occupation among U.S. 16- to 19-year-olds (summer averages)
Note: Data is not seasonally adjusted. Figures are averages for June and July 2026.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
What jobs are U.S. teens working in summer 2026?
Employment by occupation among U.S. 16- to 19-year-olds (summer averages)
| Occupation | Number (in thousands) | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Food preparation and serving related | 1,529 | Food preparation and serving related |
| Sales and related | 1,104 | Sales and related |
| Transportation and material moving | 701 | Transportation and material moving |
| Office and administrative support | 449 | Office and administrative support |
| Personal care and service | 403 | Personal care and service |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance | 300 | Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance |
| Construction and extraction | 258 | Construction and extraction |
| Production | 227 | Production |
| Protective service | 203 | Protective service |
| Education, training and library | 173 | Education, training and library |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media | 162 | Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media |
| Healthcare support | 137 | Healthcare support |
| Installation, maintenance and repair | 130 | Installation, maintenance and repair |
| Management | 103 | Management |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical | 103 | Healthcare practitioners and technical |
| Business and financial operations | 74 | Business and financial operations |
| Farming, fishing and forestry | 59 | Farming, fishing, and forestry |
| Computer and mathematical | 29 | Computer and mathematical |
| Life, physical and social sciences | 27 | Life, physical and social sciences |
| Community and social service | 27 | Community and social service |
| Architecture and engineering | 21 | Architecture and engineering |
| Legal | 4 | Legal |
Note: Data is not seasonally adjusted. Figures are averages for June and July 2026.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
