IHSS Pay Raise 2025: County-by-County Changes in California

Poor Pay for California Home Care Providers
IHSS care providers are notoriously underpaid—a well-documented fact. Many counties are sitting just above the state minimum wage and others are under their county’s minimum wage.

It’s shameful that those responsible for the health and well-being of our most vulnerable community are being paid far less than the most basic entry-level job.

As is typical of government bait-and-switch practices, Californians had their care homes and mental health facilities shut down with the promise that the state would provide a “better alternative” of care. That broken promise resulted in more mentally ill people living on the streets and families trying to find caregivers to take care of their disabled and mentally challenged family members for an hourly wage that pays less than their local Walmart or Starbucks.

And with threatened state budget cuts every year, IHSS making it more and more difficult for families to obtain services, and poorly trained judges, families with disabled loved ones are feeling less secure and more pessimistic about the future of this benefit in California.

Overview of the 2025 Pay Raises by County
The one bright spot is the yearly raise each county receives. So, let’s talk about pay raises for IHSS going into 2025. For most counties, you’re going to get the standard cost of living increase of 50 cents.

If you are anywhere in the orange section of the image or you live in any of the counties listed there, you got the standard increase of 50 cents. Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, a lot of the big counties in the South are here.

These counties received more than 50 cents but less than a dollar. Of note, Alameda broke $20 an hour with a 95-cent increase. One of only 6 counties above the $20.00 mark.

Counties Receiving more than a Dollar Raise

Kern and San Bernardino are both getting $1.10 cents. San Francisco is getting $1.25, which puts them at $22 even and still the highest-paid county. And Plumas, Nevada, and Sierra, are all getting the same increase of $1.25. And they’re all going to the same amount of $17.75. They’re kind of just acting as one big county.

Humboldt and Tehama got a $1.50 raise, putting Humboldt at $18 and Tehama at $17.50. Calaveras with the penny missing raise of $1.49, puts them at $17.49, which makes less “cents”.

Sacramento tops out the $1 range at $1.65, which puts them kind of in the middle of the pack as far as their total. $18.65.

And for $2 raises and above. Marin is now at $19.50 with a $2.05 raise. San Benito is at $18.95 with a $2.15 raise. And Mendocino is at $19.31 with a $2.31 raise. Looks like they found an extra penny in the budget for Mendocino.

Top Counties for 2025 IHSS Pay Raises

1: Napa County
Taking the top spot, Napa County saw a remarkable $3.05 increase, boosting hourly wages from $17.45 to over $20. Given the county’s high cost of living, this adjustment was both necessary and well-deserved.

2: San Mateo County
Coming in second, San Mateo received a $2.50 raise, securing its position among the exclusive over-$20-per-hour counties.

3: San Luis Obispo County
In third place, San Luis Obispo experienced a $2.36 increase, bringing wages to an even $21.

IHSS Highest and Lowest Paid Counties in California

As for the highest and lowest pay rates in the state, San Francisco is sitting at the top with $22. Napa took a leap. They went from well below the top 10, to fourth place in the whole state.

As for the lowest-paid counties, Siskiyou has the lowest pay rate in the state at $16.50. I need to say again how wrong that is. That’s the state minimum wage, being paid to people who are assisting the most vulnerable with essential life services- breathing, bathing, eating, safety, and more.

And finally, there are a lot of counties vying for second and third lowest at $17 and $17.10.

Share your Thoughts on IHSS Pay
So, are you happy with the provider pay rate in your county? It might be a good conversation to have with your union representative or government official.

Do you have great IHSS social workers, providers, or other benefits in your county? Drop Galt Advocacy a line and let us know. Or join us on our Facebook page. We love to connect with special needs families throughout the state. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you and your loved ones!

Individual counties are working to negotiate mid year wage bumps pending approval from the state so stay tuned.

Poor Pay for California Home Care Providers
It is just a fact that IHSS care providers are notoriously underpaid. Many counties are sitting just above the state minimum wage and others are under their county’s minimum wage.

It’s shameful that those responsible for the health and well-being of our most vulnerable community members are paid far less than the most basic entry-level job.

As is typical of government bait-and-switch practices, Californians had their care homes and mental health facilities shut down with the promise that the state would provide a “better alternative” of care. This broken promise has resulted in more mentally ill individuals living on the streets, while families struggle to find caregivers for their disabled and mentally challenged loved ones for an hourly wage that pays less than their local Walmart or Starbucks.