Santa Ana follows the California statewide minimum wage of $16.50 per hour effective January 2026 for all employers. The city has not adopted a higher local wage, so state law governs.
California Labor Code section 1182.12 sets the state minimum wage, currently $16.50 per hour for all employers regardless of size. Fast-food workers covered by AB 1228 receive $20 per hour, and certain healthcare workers receive industry-specific minimums under SB 525. Santa Ana has not enacted a local minimum wage above the state floor, so state law governs every employer in the city. Employers must post the current Industrial Welfare Commission wage order, pay overtime under Labor Code section 510, and provide itemized wage statements under section 226. Misclassification of employees as independent contractors does not avoid the wage floor.
Paying below $16.50 per hour, missing overtime, misclassifying employees, failing to post wage orders, or omitting required wage-statement information each support Labor Commissioner wage claims.
See how other cities in Orange County handle minimum wage preemption.
See how Santa Ana's minimum wage preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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