Several California cities and counties will implement higher local minimum wage rates on July 1, as California Labor & Employment Law Blog reports. Employers must comply with the most stringent applicable wage law (whether local, state, or federal) to avoid violations.
A long list of cities, including Los Angeles (city and county), San Francisco, Pasadena, Oakland, Santa Monica, and Berkeley, will benefit from this minimum wage increase. According to the UC Berkeley Labor Center, here’s a snapshot of some of the updated hourly minimum wages:
- Los Angeles (city): $17.87/hr (from $17.28)
- Los Angeles County (unincorporated): $17.81/hr (from $17.27)
- Santa Monica: $17.81/hr (from $17.27)
- Pasadena: $18.04/hr (from $17.50)
- San Francisco: $19.90/hr (from $18.67)
- Berkeley: $19.18/hr (from $18.67)
- Emeryville: $19.90/hr (from $19.36)
- Fremont: $17.75/hr (from $17.30)
- Milpitas: $18.20/hr (from $17.70)
Some cities also set separate rates for specific industries. For example, in West Hollywood, hotel workers will see their wage increase to $20.22, while employees working at hotel-operated businesses must be paid $21.01 per hour starting July 1, 2025.