LA City Council Approves Tourism Workers’ Minimum Wage Increase

On December 11, 2024, the Los Angeles City Council voted to approve a plan to gradually increase the minimum wage for certain tourism workers — airport and hotel employees —within the city.

The minimum wage for those tourism workers will increase as follows:

• $22.50 per hour on July 1, 2025.
• $25.00 per hour on July 1, 2026.
• $27.50 per hour on July 1, 2027.
• $30.00 per hour on July 1, 2028.

The plan also includes enhanced health care benefits for workers — with a health payment of $8.35 per hour starting July 1, 2025. For hotel workers, the health care benefit payment will be applied in the same manner as it currently is for airport workers under Los Angeles city’s Living Wage Ordinance (LWO). If an employer’s hourly health benefit payment cost is less than the required amount, the difference must be added to the employee’s hourly wage.

As of July 1, 2024, Los Angeles city airport workers earn $19.28 per hour with health benefits, or $25.23 per hour, if no health benefits are provided. Los Angeles hotel workers at hotels with 60 or more rooms currently earn $20.32 per hour.

The changes will require updates to both the LWO and the Hotel Workers Minimum Wage Ordinance (HWMO), with further revisions expected in the coming months by the City Attorney’s Office. The $30 per hour minimum wage increase is set to take effect in July 2028, coinciding with Los Angeles’ hosting of the Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

Vanessa M. Greene, J.D., Employment Law Subject Matter Expert, CalChamber

CalChamber members can read more about Los Angeles City’s Minimum Wage Ordinance and Los Angeles City’s Hotel Workers Minimum Wage Ordinance (HWMO) in the HR Library, and use the Local Ordinance Wizard to help determine the local ordinances and labor law posters that apply to your business or location(s). Not a member? Learn how to power your business with a CalChamber membership.