Employment: minimum wages: agricultural workers

The law establishes a higher, annually indexed wage floor for covered farm jobs and requires equal treatment of in-state workers doing substantially similar work for the same employer in the same county.

What the law does ​

• Requires agricultural employers to pay approved agricultural employees and corresponding employees at least $19.75 per hour.
• Adjusts that wage every January 1 beginning in 2027 by the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment.
• Covers out-of-state workers approved through a Labor and Workforce Development Agency or Employment Development Department application or job order for temporary or seasonal agricultural work.
• Covers California residents performing the same or substantially similar work at the same time for the same employer in the same county.

Who it affects ​

• Agricultural employers using approved temporary or seasonal workers from outside California.
• Approved agricultural employees who reside outside California.
• California-resident agricultural employees who perform comparable work alongside covered out-of-state workers.

Context ​

Temporary or seasonal work generally means work expected to last no longer than one year, except in extraordinary circumstances.