Texas state law says that all registered employees must be paid at least $7.25 before taxes come into effect. For high school students, most available jobs are within the service industry that pay minimum wage. While some will question whether getting a job is even worth it because of the low wage, other students have accepted the wage as a standard. If a student wants to take a stand on minimum wage, they must evaluate what job they have, the amount of hours they work, and the purpose for having a job.Some of the most convenient jobs for high school students are in department stores, restaurants, or in retail markets. Most of these businesses purposely hire students because they know they can pay them minimum wage. While this seems unfair at first, it becomes clear that students are fairly paid for the work they do. Most of these service jobs don’t require a college education at the entry level and often require minimal skills. While I will be the last person to say that these entry level jobs are easy, it is the standard of American business to start small with job positions. For some jobs that can be particularly stressful, such as positions in the food industry, employees have the possibility of making tips, which can be even more than their actual paycheck. Generally, minimum wage is a fair salary for the entry level jobs.
Most students can only maintain a part-time job while attending high school, which means they are working less than 40 hours a week. For most students working anywhere between 15 hours to 35 hours a week should be enough to pay for things like lunch, gas and entertainment purposes. Students who dare to put in overtime earn time and a half of what they usually make, which is a substantial increase and could open up more financial opportunities for students. Either way, hours vary for students and can provide a chance to make more than minimum wage.
The most important factor to determine an attitude about minimum wage is a student’s purpose for working. If a student is in a situation where they must support themselves or their family, minimum wage will be trivial when balanced with school. Other students must work to save up for things such as a car or a college fund. Sadly, making minimum wage at a part-time job makes this quite the mountain to climb. To put in overtime and make a dent in what the cost of college is, a student would have to sacrifice aspects of their education in order to make time. Other students may fortunately be working as a secondary focus, only making money for themselves. For these students, minimum wage may be accepted as a formality in making extra cash for their personal needs and wants.
There are two ends of the employment spectrum for students, and sadly most of them make minimum wage no matter what end they are on. Personally, minimum wage is an acceptable pay considering the job I have and the reasons behind having a job. However, other students may find minimum wage as a hinderance for building a future for themselves. No matter how a student feels about minimum wage, chances are they will be making $7.25 an hour with the hope of making more in the future. In fact, minimum wage may teach working students the value of education and how far a degree can take a person in this economy.
