EMPLOYMENT LAW NEWS
Los Angeles County Announces Minimum Wage Increase
By Dana Holle, GovDocs Counsel and Manager
An overview of Los Angeles County’s updated minimum wage rates and the process that determines those rates for LA County employers.
What is Los Angeles County’s Minimum Wage in 2026?
Effective July 1, 2026, Los Angeles County’s minimum wage rate increases to $18.47.
For minimum wage rates in the City of Los Angeles, click here.
A Brief Background of Los Angeles County’s Minimum Wage Rates
Back in 2015, Los Angeles County’s Board of Supervisors adopted a minimum wage ordinance (Ord. 2024-0039), which gradually increased the minimum wage in the unincorporated areas of the county each year until it reached $15.00 on July 1, 2020, for large employers and July 1, 2021, for small employers. Beginning July 1, 2022, and continuing each year thereafter, the minimum wage adjusts for cost-of-living increases based on the consumer price index for the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
At the start of each year, the Chief Executive Office of Los Angeles County announces the upcoming adjusted rates that take effect the following July 1. Accordingly, the Chief Executive Office announced that the minimum wage in unincorporated Los Angeles County will increase to $18.47 per hour on July 1, 2026.
Minimum Wage Requirements in Los Angeles County
Most notably, the Los Angeles County minimum wage only applies to employees who perform at least two hours of work per week within the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles County minimum wage does not apply to the 88 incorporated cities in the county.
Incorporated cities without their own minimum wage ordinances continue to follow the State of California minimum wage, while the following incorporated cities have their own minimum wage requirements:
- City of Los Angeles
- Malibu
- Pasadena
- Santa Monica
- West Hollywood
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Each of the incorporated cities listed above updates in July as well. In addition to standard minimum wage rates, several cities in Los Angeles County enacted their own hotel worker minimum wage ordinances that update on July 1, including the City of Los Angeles, Glendale, Long Beach, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood.
Employers should also note that they are prohibited from taking tip credits under California’s minimum wage law. Therefore, both regular and tipped employees in unincorporated Los Angeles County must receive at least $18.47, effective July 1, 2026.
Minimum Wage Management. Simplified.
Posting Requirements for Los Angeles County
After the new minimum wage rate is announced, the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) is required to publish an updated Minimum Wage Workplace Posting and Official Notice that every employer must subsequently post in a conspicuous area of any workplace or jobsite within unincorporated Los Angeles County. According to the DCBA, the poster must be 8 ½ inches by 14 inches in size and written in at least 10-point font.
The updated minimum wage posters have been released. GovDocs’ Labor Law Poster Program will send out updated Los Angeles County minimum wage posters to impacted customer locations before the July 1 update.
Managing Minimum Wage Rates in Los Angeles County
Employers with locations in Los Angeles County should be aware of the multiple rates that may apply, whether at the state, county, or city level. Applying an incorrect minimum wage rate creates significant wage and hour compliance risks, so location-specific minimum wage rate management is a great solution to help employers track and adjust wage rates in complex areas like Los Angeles County.
This Employment Law News blog is intended for market awareness only, it is not to be used for legal advice or counsel.
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