Santa Monica minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Santa Monica is $18.47 an hour in 2026, $1.57 above the California rate of $16.90. Santa Monica changes its rate every July 1 rather than January 1, keeping it in line with unincorporated Los Angeles County, and hotel workers have a separate, higher living wage.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $18.47 an hour, since July 1, 202612 |
|---|---|
| Next change | The next rate has not been announced yet. |
| Tipped employees | $18.47, the full minimum wage before tips32 |
| Full-time pay | $739 a week, $38,418 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, 800-593-8222 |
What to know about the Santa Monica minimum wage
Santa Monica's minimum wage ordinance took effect July 1, 2016, and paid sick leave followed on January 1, 2017.1 Businesses with 25 or fewer employees had a slower schedule until July 2020; since July 1, 2021 one rate has applied to all employers.
Each July 1 the rate moves with the Los Angeles-area Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The city posts new rates on or near January 1 each year, so the July 1, 2027 figure is expected around the start of 2027.1 The $18.47 rate set for July 1, 2026 applies through June 30, 2027.2
Hotel workers have a separate living wage under Municipal Code Chapter 4.63: $25.00 an hour from July 1, 2026, up from $22.50 set September 8, 2025. It matches the City of Los Angeles hotel worker wage, also covers businesses operating on hotel property, and does not apply to hostels. Santa Monica does not add a hotel health-benefit requirement.1
Mandatory service charges must go in full to the non-managerial staff who served the customer.3 Sick leave accrues at one hour per 30 hours worked, up to 72 hours a year at employers with 26 or more employees and 40 at smaller ones. The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs handles wage help and complaints for the city at 800-593-8222 or [email protected].1
All 2026 rates
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Citywide rate | All covered employers regardless of size | $18.4712 |
| First-time workers (learners) | 85% of the city minimum wage for the first 160 hours in an activity where the worker has no previous similar or related experience. | See rule1 |
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 Santa Monica, that is the local rate, but some jobs have a higher statewide minimum (see below the table).
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica | Due July 1, 2027, amount not announced | $18.47 |
| 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 Santa Monica 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 | $18.47 an hour32 |
Tips and gratuities belong to the worker and do not count toward the wage. Mandatory service charges must go in full to the non-managerial employees who served the customer.
How the rate changes
The rate is adjusted every July 1 by the CPI-W for Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, matching the unincorporated Los Angeles County rate.
Rate history
Who is covered
Every employer must pay the city rate to employees, including temporary and part-time staff, who work at least two hours in a work week in Santa Monica. The few exemptions cover transitional-jobs employers and workers whose collective bargaining agreement expressly waives the ordinance; qualifying nonprofits may apply for a one-year deferral.
- The city's own minimum wage contact is [email protected] or (310) 458-8281.
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
- Pasadena$18.57
- Milpitas$18.50
- Los Angeles County (unincorporated areas)$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 | Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs |
|---|---|
| Phone | 800-593-8222 |
| The law | Santa Monica Municipal Code Chapter 4.62 (Minimum Wage); Santa Monica Municipal Code Chapter 4.63 (Hotel Worker Living Wage) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 City of Santa Monica, Minimum Wage Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 2
- 3 City of Santa Monica, Santa Monica's Minimum Wage FAQs (2023, PDF) Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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