Pasadena’s Minimum Wage Will Top LA Region at $18.57 Starting July 1

Workers in Pasadena will earn a higher minimum wage than their counterparts in the City of Los Angeles or unincorporated Los Angeles County starting this summer.

The city’s minimum wage rises to $18.57 per hour on July 1, up from $18.04 — an increase of 53 cents, driven by the Consumer Price Index. The rate, which applies to all businesses regardless of size, will exceed the City of Los Angeles minimum of $18.42 and the Los Angeles County rate of $18.47, both of which also take effect July 1, according to a city press release issued May 4, 2026.

The increase is the latest since the Pasadena City Council adopted its own minimum wage ordinance on March 14, 2016, when the rate was set at $10.50. The ordinance, codified in Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 5.02, was implemented before the State of California enacted its own statewide minimum wage legislation, and the state’s requirements do not override Pasadena’s rules. The city’s schedule has included steeper incremental increases than the state’s. The wage climbed by $1.25 each year until it reached $15 in 2020. Since then, annual adjustments have been pegged to changes in the Consumer Price Index for the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

The ordinance covers every adult and minor employee who works at least two hours in a week within Pasadena’s city limits. Immigration and work status do not affect eligibility, according to the city.

Planning and Community Development Director Jennifer Paige said in the press release that the local minimum wage is particularly important for low-wage earners and members of the immigrant community. She said workers at all levels contribute to the city’s economic vitality and that the wage reflects the City Council’s commitment to fair compensation.

There is one exception: employees of national fast-food chain restaurants in Pasadena already earn a $20 hourly minimum under a statewide requirement that took effect April 1, 2024. That state rate supersedes Pasadena’s ordinance for qualifying employers.

The California state minimum wage, by comparison, stands at $16.90 per hour — $1.67 less than the new Pasadena rate.

Employers are required to post a notice displaying the current minimum wage rate in a visible location in English and in any language spoken by 5 percent or more of their workforce. Retaliation against employees who assert their rights under the ordinance is illegal under the city’s code. Businesses that violate the ordinance face penalties including back-wage orders, reinstatement of affected employees, and criminal prosecution, according to city documents.

The city’s Code Compliance Division administers the ordinance through outreach, education, training, and coordinated enforcement with the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. The city also contracts with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network for worker outreach and education. Workers with questions or complaints can contact Code Compliance Manager Jon Pollard at (626) 744-6831 or JPollard@CityOfPasadena.net, or NDLON Outreach, Education and Training Coordinator Julieta Aragon at (626) 440-1031 or Julieta@Ndlon.org. Official notices are available at CityOfPasadena.net/Planning/Code-Compliance/Minimum-Wage-Ordinance/.

The new rate takes effect Wednesday, July 1, and holds through June 30, 2027.

A decade ago, Pasadena’s minimum wage was $10.50. By summer, it will have nearly doubled.