Pasadena minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Pasadena is $18.57 an hour in 2026, $1.67 above the California rate of $16.90. Pasadena raises its wage on July 1 rather than January 1, so each year's rate runs from summer to summer. It covers anyone working in the city regardless of where the employer is located, and nonprofit employers are not exempt.
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At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $18.57 an hour, since July 1, 20262 |
|---|---|
| Next change | The next rate has not been announced yet. |
| Tipped employees | $18.57, the full minimum wage before tips27 |
| Full-time pay | $743 a week, $38,626 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | City of Pasadena Planning & Community Development Dept., Code Compliance, (626) 744-6831 |
What to know about the Pasadena minimum wage
Pasadena's City Council adopted its minimum wage ordinance on March 14, 2016, and the first local rate, $10.50, took effect July 1, 2016.1 It rose each July after that: $12.00 in 2017, $13.25 in 2018 and $14.25 in 2019. On February 11, 2019 the council decided to continue to $15.00, reached on July 1, 2020; businesses with 25 or fewer employees and qualifying nonprofits had one more year to comply.1
Because increases arrive on July 1, the $18.57 rate set in the city's official notice applies from July 1, 2026 until the next July change.2 The notices do not state the formula behind each increase.
Workers aged 14 to 17 can be paid at least 85% of the city rate, rounded to the nearest nickel, during their first 160 hours as learners. Tips cannot count toward the wage, although commissions can.7 Employees of national fast-food chains receive the higher state fast-food minimum, $20.00 in 2026.
Enforcement sits with the Code Compliance section of the Planning and Community Development Department. Complaints can be filed online or in person at the Permit Center, 175 North Garfield Avenue, and the complaint forms come in five languages.1 Employers must post the notice in every language spoken by at least 5% of their staff, and violations can be prosecuted as crimes.
All 2026 rates
Compared with California
When a local minimum wage, the state minimum wage and the federal minimum wage differ, the employer must pay the highest one that applies to the work. For most covered work in Pasadena, that is the local rate, but some jobs have a higher statewide minimum (see below the table).
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| Pasadena | Due July 1, 2027, amount not announced | $18.57 |
| California (state) | $17.40 on January 1, 2027 | $16.90 |
| Federal | None scheduled | $7.25 |
California also sets higher statewide minimums for some jobs, which apply in Pasadena when they exceed the local rate: Fast food restaurant employees ($20.00); Health care: large systems, dialysis clinics and large-county facilities ($25.00); Health care: community, rural and intermittent clinics ($22.00); Health care: other covered facilities ($23.00); Health care: safety net hospitals and small-county facilities ($19.28). See the California page for the rules.
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Not allowed: tips are on top of the full minimum wage |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $18.57 an hour27 |
The city states that tips cannot count toward the Pasadena minimum wage, although commissions can.
How the rate changes
The rate changes every July 1 and is published in an official city notice.
Rate history
Who is covered
Adults and minors who work two or more hours a week in Pasadena are covered, including part-time and probationary workers, whether or not the employer is based in the city. Employees who are exempt under California law are excluded.
Other local rates in California
- Emeryville$20.34
- West Hollywood$20.25
- Mountain View$19.70
- Berkeley$19.61
- San Francisco$19.61
- Sunnyvale$19.50
- Richmond$19.18
- Belmont$18.95
- El Cerrito$18.82
- Cupertino$18.70
- Los Altos$18.70
- Palo Alto$18.70
- Santa Clara$18.70
- Redwood City$18.65
- San Mateo$18.60
- Milpitas$18.50
- Los Angeles County (unincorporated areas)$18.47
- Santa Monica$18.47
- Sonoma$18.47
- San Jose$18.45
- Los Angeles$18.42
- Petaluma$18.31
- Santa Rosa$18.21
- South San Francisco$18.15
- Fremont$18.05
- San Mateo County (unincorporated areas)$17.95
- Half Moon Bay$17.91
- Malibu$17.91
- East Palo Alto$17.90
- Burlingame$17.86
- Foster City$17.85
- Hayward$17.79
- Alameda$17.76
- San Carlos$17.75
- San Diego$17.75
- Novato$17.73
- Menlo Park$17.55
- Daly City$17.50
- Oakland$17.34
Everywhere else in California, the state rate applies.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | City of Pasadena Planning & Community Development Dept., Code Compliance |
|---|---|
| Phone | (626) 744-6831 |
| The law | Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 5.02 (Minimum Wage) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 City of Pasadena, Minimum Wage Information Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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- 7 City of Pasadena, Pasadena's Minimum Wage: Frequently Asked Questions Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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