San Diego city councilmember proposes $25 minimum wage for tourism workers
(Above: Dan Roccato, a finance professor at University of San Diego, discusses recent inflation numbers)
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Thousands of tourism and hospitality workers could see a boost in their paychecks as early as next year if the San Diego City Council passes a proposal to raise their minimum wage.
On Thursday, the Select Committee on Addressing Cost of Living will meet for the first time since its inception. The committee was established late last year to focus specifically on issues related to the cost of living in San Diego.
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Among the topics the members are set to discuss at their first meeting is a $25 minimum wage for tourism workers proposed by councilmember and committee chair Sean Elo-Rivera.
The city first introduced a minimum wage ordinance in 2016 at $10.50 for all employees working within its geographic boundaries. Currently, the city's hourly minimum wage is $17.25 — higher than California's statewide minimum at $16.50, but not enough to meet the city's high cost of living.
According to a staff report for the proposed minimum wage increase, many workers who contribute to San Diego's booming tourism sector are 'forced to seek subsidized, affordable housing, which is extremely limited, and apply for CalFresh to afford food.'
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'Their labor is what creates the value that drives corporate profits and that provides the foundation for our local economy,' the report added. 'Local hotel cleaners, event staff, and janitors are who serve visitors and they are what makes the tourism industry possible.'
If passed, the ordinance would increase the minimum wage each year based on the rising cost of living in San Diego as measured by the U.S. Department of Labor.
According to the latest data for the San Diego-Carlsbad area from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2023, janitors made a median hourly wage of $17.60 and housekeepers made about $18.67. Hotel, motel and resort desk clerks made a median hourly wage of $17.75.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Living Wage Calculator indicates a single-person household would need to make at least $30.71 an hour in San Diego County to support themselves while working full-time.
The proposed ordinance is meant to help benefit San Diegans who play a direct role in making the city a major tourism destination, especially as the cost of living continues to increase.
Just last month, the rate of inflation in San Diego hit its highest point in a year, reflecting worsening price changes seen nationwide. Food and housing are among the top areas of concern.
San Diego was listed as one of the five least affordable major metros in the U.S. in 2024. by Redfin last month. That same report stated someone making the median income would have to spend more than 67% of their earnings on monthly housing costs for a median-priced home in the area.
If passed, the minimum wage ordinance would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
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