The updated Living Wage for Santa Fe will be $15.00 per hour as of March 1, 2025.
The Living Wage is calculated based on the 12-month total increase of 2.76% in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Western Region for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. The Living Wage for 2024 was $14.60 an hour.
This rate is significantly higher than the federal minimum wage, which has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009.
All employers within the City of Santa Fe are required to pay workers at least the Living Wage.
This rate is significantly higher than the federal minimum wage, which has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009.
Santa Fe's living wage ordinance aligns with the city's fairness and community well-being values. This policy underscores Santa Fe's dedication to fostering a sustainable and inclusive economy.
In 2007, Santa Fe decided to adjust the living wage to the annual cost of living to help ensure that workers’ wages would keep pace with inflation. The term Living Wage refers to the minimum hourly wage necessary for a person to achieve a higher standard of living. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the federal minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, the minimum wage is a critical labor standard meant to ensure a fair wage for this country’s lowest-paid workers, and the declining value of the federal minimum wage over time has contributed to the growth in U.S. income inequality. Santa Fe’s Living Wage is designed to set a higher standard than the stagnant Federal minimum wage for the lowest-paid workers in the city.
The City’s Living Wage Ordinance states that tips may be counted toward the Living Wage requirement for workers who customarily earn $100/month or more in tips or commission.
