What pays what here
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim at all experience levels (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Pay floors differ across this metro, so read the next section too.
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Occupation | Jobs in metro | 10th percentile | Median here | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand laborers and material movers | 120,720 | $17.25 | $20.38 | $19.35 |
| Stockers and order fillers | 85,630 | $17.18 | $18.58 | $17.95 |
| Forklift and industrial truck operators | 22,170 | $18.49 | $22.41 | $22.32 |
| Light truck drivers | 40,900 | $18.10 | $22.36 | $21.57 |
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | 61,270 | $20.63 | $29.01 | $28.19 |
| Retail salespersons | 130,650 | $17.19 | $18.13 | $17.03 |
| Cashiers | 109,940 | $16.98 | $17.78 | $15.81 |
| Customer service representatives | 66,590 | $18.24 | $23.48 | $21.53 |
| Home health and personal care aides | 385,530 | $16.50 | $16.50 | $17.21 |
| Nursing assistants | 43,090 | $19.25 | $22.78 | $20.32 |
| Medical assistants | 39,770 | $18.83 | $22.96 | $21.97 |
| Construction laborers | 21,730 | $19.08 | $28.28 | $22.66 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | 27,860 | $17.85 | $21.46 | $18.82 |
| Helpers, electricians | 790 | $16.60 | $24.02 | $20.51 |
| Electricians | 20,610 | $22.19 | $35.49 | $30.38 |
| HVAC mechanics and installers | 10,720 | $22.40 | $35.49 | $29.33 |
Home care is the giant: 385,530 jobs. BLS shows $16.50 at both the 10th percentile and the median, under the $17.21 U.S. median.
Worked example. At the medians, a warehouse hand laborer's 40 hours pay $815.20 and a home aide's pay $660.00, a $155.20 weekly gap. Weigh the physical demands. Other metros: pay benchmarks.
Local pay rules: check the street address
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Where you work | Minimum now | Next change |
|---|---|---|
| City of Los Angeles | $18.42 | July 1, 2027; rate not posted |
| Unincorporated LA County | $18.47 | July 1, 2027; rate not posted |
| Other cities | $16.90, unless the city sets its own | $17.40 state rate on January 1, 2027 |
| Covered fast food chains, statewide | $20.00 | Set by state council |
City of Los Angeles OWS; LA County DCBA; Governor's office, July 31, 2026; California Labor Commissioner; minimum wage by state.
Next January, 40 hours inside the city pays $736.80, against $696.00 at the state rate, $40.80 more. Use the city's boundary lookup. U.S. DOL's tipped table shows no lower rate for California. Payday must come at least twice a month for most jobs (U.S. DOL, revised January 1, 2023; pay frequency laws).
Local rights: city law stacks on top of state law
Paid sick leave. Inside the city: 48 hours up front each year, or 1 hour per 30 worked, with a carryover cap no lower than 72 hours (OWS). Statewide: at least 40 hours or 5 days a year (Labor Commissioner, updated December 31, 2025).
Fair Work Week (city, large retail only). It covers retailers with 300 or more workers worldwide, if you work 2 or more hours a week in the city. You get schedules 14 days ahead and may decline late changes. Added time over 15 minutes, or a changed date, time or place, brings 1 hour of Predictability Pay. Cut hours or an unused on-call shift pay half the hours lost. Closing then opening with under 10 hours between needs your written consent and pays time and a half (OWS).
Example: at $18.42, a late cut from 6 hours to 2 owes 2 hours of pay, $36.84.
Meals and rest. A 30-minute meal if you work more than 5 hours, a second over 10 (Labor Commissioner). Rest breaks and missed-break pay: break laws.
Freelancers. The city's ordinance covers contracts of $600 or more. The state law covers professional services contracts of $250 or more (OWS).
Hotel workers. A separate citywide hotel rate applies, plus a $4.25 hourly health benefit payment since July 1, 2026 (OWS).
Your record. Statewide, employers with 5 or more workers generally wait for a conditional offer (ban the box laws). The city also enforces its own Fair Chance ordinance.
Who to call. City: Office of Wage Standards, 1-844-924-3752, weekdays 7 to 4:30, 1149 S. Broadway, Suite 300, by appointment. It will not ask about immigration status. State: Labor Commissioner, 833-526-4636. Next steps: unpaid wages.
Free local help
The city's Community Investment Department (older pages say EWDD) runs 14 WorkSource Centers, most also America's Job Centers of California. It says services are "always free" (read October 31, 2026).
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Center | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Vernon-Central/LATTC | 400 W. Washington Blvd., 90015 | 213-763-5951 |
| Hollywood | 4311 Melrose Ave., 90029 | 323-454-6100 |
| South LA | 5343 S. Crenshaw Blvd., 90043 | 323-730-7900 |
| Harbor Gateway | 1111 Figueroa Pl., Wilmington 90744 | 310-732-5700 |
Training money. The city lists job training but posts no dollar cap, so ask what you qualify for. One program is narrow: LARCA 2.0 pays up to $1,000 in training stipends and 400 hours of $20 work experience, only for Rodríguez v. City of Los Angeles class members or a close relative they name. More: free job help. Long Beach and Orange County have other boards.
Getting there on Metro
A ride is $1.75, with free 2-hour transfers. Tap and you never pay over $5 a day or $18 in 7 days. Cash skips the caps (Metro, read October 31, 2026).
Metro's page sells no monthly pass of its own beyond the EZ transit pass, $110 at the base level, for riders using several agencies. A commuter with two rides a day pays $17.50 a week, or $77 for 22 workdays, so EZ costs $33 more unless you need those other agencies.
LIFE program. You get 90 days of free rides, then 20 free rides a month. Those are worth $35 at the regular fare, cutting that $77 to $42. You qualify with EBT, Medi-Cal, SSI or General Relief, or with income up to $58,300 for one person. Full time at $18.42 is $38,313.60 a year, so a single worker on the city minimum qualifies. Residents of 7 South LA ZIP codes can get 6 more free months. Call 213-922-2378.
Who employs people here
September is preliminary (BLS Economy at a Glance, extracted October 30, 2026). Unemployment was 4.4%.
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Sector | Jobs, September 2026 | Change over 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 6,282,100 | +0.5% |
| Education and health services | 1,340,700 | +3.8% |
| Trade, transportation and utilities | 1,047,900 | +0.3% |
| Professional and business services | 975,500 | -0.5% |
| Leisure and hospitality | 782,000 | +1.5% |
| Government | 734,800 | -1.1% |
| Manufacturing | 444,800 | -1.2% |
| Financial activities | 300,400 | -1.7% |
| Construction | 251,500 | +0.0% |
Education and health leads and grew fastest, 3.8%. The Port of Los Angeles counts 126,000 jobs in Los Angeles, 1 in 16, and the two San Pedro Bay ports 990,000 across five counties, 1 in 9 (Port of Los Angeles, read October 31, 2026). Those jobs span many employers, so search terminal, trucking and warehouse companies, not just the port.
Job fairs and hiring events
JobPin's Los Angeles hub showed no confirmed upcoming event today, and the Long Beach hub none either. Other dates (read October 31, 2026):
- Veterans First Community Hiring Expo: Thursday, November 5, 10 AM to 2 PM, Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, 1816 S. Figueroa St. Veterans first, "everyone is welcome."
- Orange County Job Fair: Thursday, November 12, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, 8 MacArthur Place, Santa Ana. See the Santa Ana hub.
- Los Angeles Job Fair: Thursday, November 19, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, 5711 W. Century Blvd. Diversity Career Group asks for 12 resumes and professional dress.
Getting ready: how to get hired at a job fair.
A plan for this week
- Monday, November 2: apply for LIFE. Metro says it takes under 10 minutes.
- Tuesday: call your nearest WorkSource Center, then visit. Ask, "What job training can you pay for, and do I qualify?"
- Wednesday: run each job's address through the boundary lookup, so you know which floor applies.
- Thursday: go to Patriotic Hall at 10 AM with printed resumes.
- Friday: apply to five jobs and register for November 19.
Current openings
Next steps on JobPin: warehouse jobs in Los Angeles and retail jobs in Los Angeles.
Source-linked openings
Current source-linked listings could not be confirmed in this sample. Check the category search and each original posting for availability.
How to verify a listing
A City of LA posting under $18.42 is old or wrong, and tips do not excuse it. Open JobPin's source link, confirm the job on the employer's site, and check that the address sits inside the city. How we check: how JobPin verifies listings.
How JobPin dates and sources listings: How JobPin verifies listings and events. Report a listing.