Los Angeles Minimum Wage Laws: What You Need to Know

Minimum Wage Laws in Los Angeles County

Minimum wage is the lowest wage an employer can legally pay their employee. Here is everything you need to know about minimum wage laws in Los Angeles County.

Los Angeles County is made up of eighty-eight incorporated cities and an additional one hundred to one hundred twenty-five unincorporated areas— more than 65% of Los Angeles County is unincorporated. The minimum wage varies within cities in LA county, but cannot be lower than $14.25 or $15 per hour depending on how many people are employed by an employer. There are exceptions to Los Angeles’ minimum wage laws, which are set by California’s minimum wage laws.

Minimum Wage in Los Angeles County

For employees working in unincorporated areas, a minimum wage ordinance has been in effect since July 1, 2016. Regardless of a person’s immigration status or work status, employers must respect the ordinance and have the ordinance on display in the workplace. The ordinance should be provided in English, Spanish, or the primary language of the employees in the workplace. For any violations of the ordinance, an employee has three years to file a complaint with the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs’ Wage Enforcement Program.

An employer with 26 or more employees must pay their employees $15 per hour. Employees working for an employer that employs 25 or fewer employees are entitled to $14.25 per hour, and beginning on July 1, 2021, the minimum wage will increase to $15 per hour.

Minimum Wage in Orange County

Orange County and Los Angeles county are two separate counties that make up the Greater Los Angeles area. The minimum wage in Orange County is $13 per hour for employees who work for an employer that has 25 or fewer employees. If an individual works for an employer that employs 26 or more individuals, then the employee is entitled to $14 per hour.

Minimum Wage for Incorporated Cities v. Unincorporated Areas in Los Angeles

The main difference between incorporated cities versus unincorporated areas is that people living in unincorporated areas do not have a city council or mayor. Instead, residents are under the jurisdiction of a Board of Supervisors with one supervisor representing their particular area and completing the role of mayor. To contact their supervisor for matters concerning the minimum wage, a resident should go to The Board of Supervisors’ webpage and find the supervisor that represents them.

Who is Exempt From Minimum Wage Laws?

Employers in Los Angeles County are obligated to comply with California’s minimum wage laws in almost every circumstance. An employer will only not comply with California law if their own county’s law benefits the employee more. The following are the exceptions to California’s minimum wage law:

Outside salesperson

To be considered an outside salesperson, an individual must be a legal adult, spend more than half of their time working outside of the employer’s business, and sell items or be responsible for getting contracts for services, products, or facilities. If the three conditions described above are not met, then an individual cannot be considered an outside salesperson and are entitled to minimum wage. Also, more than half of the salesperson’s work time must be dedicated to selling products or obtaining the desired services.

Immediate family member

An employee is not entitled to minimum wage if their employer is their spouse, child, or parent. An employer may choose to pay their family member no wage, and do so without violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Apprentices

The State Division of Apprenticeship Standards establishes the rules and regulations concerning apprentices. An apprentice is not entitled to the minimum wage because the work they are performing is a learning experience.
In any occupation except the building and construction industry, a mentor will be allowed to pay the apprentice the amount the mentor wishes, so long as doing so is approved by the chief of the division.

For apprentices employed on public works projects in the building and construction industry, the director of industrial relations of the geographic area that the project is occurring in will determine the wage rate.

For apprentices in the building and construction industry but not employed on public works projects, the wage must be at least 40% of the wage paid to apprentices on public works projects. If there are no apprenticeship salaries in the geographic region, then the salary will be at the mentor’s discretion with the approval of the chief of the division of apprenticeship standards.

Learners

A learner is an employee who is completing their first one hundred and sixty hours (160) at their job. To be considered a learner, an employee must have no previous or related experience. A learner can be paid 85% of the minimum wage during their first 160 hours.

Mentally or Physically Disabled Employees

Section 1191 of California’s Labor Code establishes that the commission can grant a special license which allows for mentally or physically disabled individuals to be paid at a wage less than the minimum wage. The license is only valid for one year, but can be renewed every year.

The commission will decide the minimum wage that a mentally or physically handicapped individual is entitled to.

Nonprofit Organizations

A nonprofit can obtain a certificate from the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement that exempts it from paying their employees the minimum wage.

Related: California Minimum Wage Laws

Incorporated Cities in Los Angeles County

Cities within Los Angeles County have established different minimum wages. For all unincorporated areas, the Los Angeles city wage applies.

• Los Angeles
  • $14.25 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $15 per hour if 26+ employees
  • This wage applies to both Los Angeles city and its unincorporated areas
• Pasadena
  • $15 per hour
• Santa Monica
  • $14.25 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $15 per hour on July 1, 2021
  • $15 per hour if 26+ employees
• Monrovia
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Pomona
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Long Beach
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• South Pasadena
  • $14.25 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $15 per hour if 26+ employees
• Compton
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Redondo Beach
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Whittier
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Azusa
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Covina
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Alhambra
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Arcadia
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Vernon
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Glendale
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Huntington Park
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• La Verne
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Hermosa Beach
  • $14.25 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $15 per hour if 26+ employees
• Sierra Madre
  • $14.25 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $15 per hour if 26+ employees
• Claremont
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Inglewood
  • $14.25 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $15 per hour if 26+ employees
• Burbank
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• San Fernando
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Glendora
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• El Monte
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Manhattan Beach
  • $14.25 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $15 per hour if 26+ employees
• San Gabriel
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• San Marino
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Avalon
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Beverly Hills
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Monterey Park
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• El Segundo
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Culver City
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Montebello
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Torrance
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Lynwood
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Hawthorne
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• South Gate
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Signal Hill
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Maywood
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Bell
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Gardena
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Palos Verdes Estates
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Lakewood
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Baldwin Park
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Cerritos
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• La Puente
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Downey
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Rolling Hills
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Paramount
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Santa Fe Springs
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Industry
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Bradbury
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Irwindale
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Duarte
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Norwalk
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Bellflower
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Rolling Hills Estates
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Pico Rivera
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• South El Monte
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Walnut
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Artesia
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Rosemead
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Lawndale
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Commerce
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• La Mirada
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Temple City
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• San Dimas
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Cudahy
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Bell Gardens
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Hidden Hills
  • $14.25 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $15 per hour if 26+ employees
• Palmdale
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Hawaiian Gardens
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Lomita
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Carson
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Rancho Palos Verdes
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• La Cañada-Flintridge
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Lancaster
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• La Habra Heights
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Westlake Village
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Agoura Hills
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• West Hollywood
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Santa Clarita
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Diamond Bar
  • $13 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees
• Malibu
  • $14.25 per hour if 25 or less employees
  • $15 per hour if 26+ employees
• Calabasas
  • $13 per hour if 25 or fewer employees
  • $14 per hour if 26+ employees

Related: How to Sue Your Employer in California

Contact Us

If you or a loved one would like to know more about minimum wage laws in Los Angeles, get your free consultation with one of our experienced California Employment Attorneys today!