L.A. Airport Workers and Hotel Workers Will Be Earning $30 An Hour by July 2028

The City of Los Angeles’ Ordinance requiring a $30 minimum wage for hotel and airport workers is no longer suspended, meaning the ordinance became effective on September 8, 2025. The referendum petition that had kept the new ordinance in suspension has failed due to insufficient signatures in support of the referendum.

This ordinance, approved by the Los Angeles City Council in May of this year, mandates wage increases for hotel workers (if the hotel has more than 60 rooms) and all airport workers. For these workers, the minimum wage is set to increase incrementally each year as follows: $22.50 an hour in July of 2025, $25 an hour in July of 2026, $27.50 an hour in July of 2027, and $30 in July of 2028. The final increase to $30 an hour would be right before the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games which are scheduled to be held in Los Angeles.

In addition to the incremental increase in minimum wage, the ordinance imposes additional requirements for employers. First, employers who do not provide their employees with health benefits will need to pay employees an increased amount per hour. Second, there will be additional training for workers under this new ordinance.