Del Taco Pay in California: How the $20 Fast Food Wage Works

If you work the counter at a Del Taco in California, Del Taco pay starts at $20 an hour, and that floor comes from state law, not from the company. It has been the minimum since April 1, 2024. Here is where the number comes from, why it hasn’t moved since, and what to ask before you take an offer.

Where the $20 comes from

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1228 in September 2023. The law set a $20 minimum wage for workers at fast food chains with at least 60 locations nationwide, starting April 1, 2024, as NBC Los Angeles reported at the time. Del Taco has more than 600 restaurants, so every California location is covered, whether the company runs it or a franchisee does. For comparison, the general state minimum wage was $16 in 2024.

The same law created a Fast Food Council that can raise the rate once a year through 2029, by up to 3.5% or the change in the cost of living, whichever is lower.

Why Del Taco pay hasn’t gone up since 2024

In early 2025 the council discussed a raise to roughly $20.70. It never voted on it. In May 2026, CalMatters reported that the council had no chairperson and hadn’t held a full meeting in more than a year.

So $20 is still the legal floor. A store can pay more, and shift leaders and managers usually earn above the minimum, but nothing currently forces a raise for entry-level crew.

Did stores cut hours to pay for it?

That was the big worry in 2024. Researchers at Harvard’s Shift Project surveyed 3,420 California fast food workers and found that wages jumped right after the law took effect, while weekly hours stayed about the same and there was no sign of cuts to benefits like health insurance or paid sick time. The study looked only at the first months, so treat it as an early read. It also found something less cheerful: nearly two-thirds of workers got less than two weeks’ notice of their schedules, and the raise didn’t change that.

Del Taco pay outside California

The $20 rule stops at the state line. In Nevada, Arizona and the other states where Del Taco operates, pay follows the state or city minimum plus whatever the store decides to offer. Expect a lower starting rate in Las Vegas or Phoenix than in Los Angeles.

What to ask before you accept

A starting rate is only part of the picture. Before you say yes, ask:

• What is the hourly rate, and is it the same for cashier, cook and drive-thru?
• When is the first pay review?
• How much more does a shift leader make?
• Are paychecks weekly or every two weeks?

For a fuller look at perks and raises, see our page on Del Taco salary and benefits, then head to the application guide when you’re ready.

Del Taco Careers is an independent informational website and is not affiliated with Del Taco LLC or its franchisees. For official openings, visit the official Del Taco careers site.