The minimum wage in California is set to increase Jan. 1, impacting dental practices, according to a Nov. 14 news release from the California Dental Association.
Here are four things for employer-dentists to know:
1. Employers must always pay the local minimum wage if it is higher than California's minimum wage.
2. The vote on Proposition 32 is too close to call at this point, but if it is passed, the state's minimum wage will increase to $17 per hour for the rest of 2024 and hit $18 per hour Jan. 1, 2025, for employers with 26 or more employees. For employers with fewer than 26 employees, minimum wage will increase to $17 on Jan. 1, 2025, and jump to $18 on Jan. 1, 2026.
3. If the proposition does not pass, California's minimum wage for employers of all sizes will increase to $16.50.
4. Dental practices are typically not included in the minimum wage for healthcare workers that went into effect in October 2024.