Local Minimum Wage Set to Increase

The City’s minimum wage will climb above $18 an hour on Tuesday.

On July 1, the Pasadena minimum wage will be $18.04 an hour. That rate will be in effect until June 30, 2026 when it will be modified again.

The current minimum local minimum wage is $17.50 per hour.

The wage generally applies to all businesses, regardless of size, with a notable exception for certain fast-food establishments covered by state law.

Pasadena’s minimum wage ordinance was adopted in 2016 and has been increasing each year. The last increase to $17.50 was effective on July 1, 2024.

Pasadena’s minimum wage rules were approved prior to the State of California’s action. Pasadena’s minimum wage provides for a steeper increase in the minimum wage.

After a series of prescribed annual increases, Pasadena’s minimum wage is now adjusted by an amount equal to the change in the consumer price index.

However, there is an exception for local fast-food workers employed at national chains.

On April 1, 2024, the minimum wage set by the State for all “national fast-food chain” establishments is $20.00 per hour. California’s fast-food workers’ minimum wage applies to all national fast-food chain establishments within the geographical boundaries of Pasadena and supersedes the local minimum wage rate if the employer meets the definition of “national fast-food chain.” This definition includes limited-service restaurants that offer limited or no table service, where customers order and pay before consumption, and are part of a restaurant chain of at least 60 establishments nationwide.