Wage guide
Los Angeles (City) Minimum Wage (2026)
Current minimum wage
$18.42/hr
Effective July 1, 2026. Rates current as of .
Reviewed by Justin Silverman, California employment attorney (State Bar #292036). Current for 2026.
If you work within the City of Los Angeles, your employer must pay at least the city minimum wage, which is higher than the California state rate.
Because the Los Angeles (City) rate is higher than California’s statewide minimum of $16.90 per hour, your employer must pay the higher local rate for the hours you work here. This applies based on where you actually perform the work, not where you or your employer are located.
The hotel rate reaches hotels with 60 or more guest rooms, and hotels with 50 or more guest rooms inside the Airport Hospitality Enhancement Zone, under Los Angeles Municipal Code section 186.01.C. Airport workers are covered by a parallel scheme in the Administrative Code with its own, larger health benefit figure.
Higher rates for specific jobs in Los Angeles (City)
These floors sit above the general rate. If your job is on this list, the rate here is the one your employer owes you for hours worked in Los Angeles (City).
| Job type | Hourly rate | Health benefit | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel workersHotels with 60 or more rooms, or 50 or more in the Airport Hospitality Enhancement Zone. If your employer provides no health benefits you are owed $29.25 per hour instead. Rises to $25.50 plus $6.00 on July 1, 2027. | $25.00 | $4.25 | July 1, 2026 |
| Airport workersEmployers servicing the airport, under Administrative Code section 10.37.3(a). | $25.00 | $7.65 | July 1, 2026 |
Read those two columns together, because the hourly rate is the figure for a worker whose employer provides health benefits. If yours does not, you are owed that rate plus the health benefit amount as additional hourly wage. If your employer pays something toward a plan but less per hour than the ordinance requires, you are owed the difference the same way.
What counts is narrower than people assume. Health coverage, dental, vision, mental health, and disability income count. Retirement, life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment do not. The benefit is also not required on overtime hours.
Rates as this site verified them on July 19, 2026. Each row shows the date that figure took effect, which is not always the same across job types, so confirm yours against the city before relying on it.
Local minimum wages in California change frequently, usually on January 1 or July 1. You can confirm the current Los Angeles (City) figure on the city’s official wage page (opens in a new tab).
Your wage rights beyond the minimum wage
The minimum wage is only the floor. No matter where you work in California, you are also entitled to overtime, duty-free meal and rest breaks, accurate pay stubs, and reimbursement of work expenses. Being paid below the applicable rate, or being denied these protections, can mean you are owed the difference plus penalties and attorney’s fees.
Estimate your overtime with our California overtime calculator, or read our full guide to unpaid wages and overtime in California. You can also compare rates on our California minimum wage by city page.
One more thing worth knowing: California allows no tip credit. If you earn tips, your employer still must pay you the full minimum wage, and your tips are yours on top of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage in Los Angeles (City) in 2026?
The Los Angeles (City) minimum wage is $18.42 per hour, effective July 1, 2026. Because it is higher than California's statewide minimum of $16.90, your employer must pay the local rate for hours you work here.
Does the minimum wage depend on where I work or where I live?
Where you work. Local minimum wage ordinances apply based on where you actually perform the work, not where you or your employer are based. If you work in this jurisdiction, its rate applies to those hours.
Can my employer count my tips toward the minimum wage?
No. California allows no tip credit. You must be paid the full minimum wage regardless of tips, and your tips are yours on top of that. Counting tips toward the minimum is wage theft.
What can I do if I am paid below the Los Angeles (City) minimum wage?
You may be owed the unpaid difference, plus interest, penalties, and attorney's fees. A free consultation can tell you what you may be owed.
Paid less than the Los Angeles (City) minimum wage?
You may be owed the unpaid difference plus penalties. A consultation with our office is free.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. The rate shown is current as of July 19, 2026 and may have changed; confirm with the city.