Which county's pay rate applies if I live somewhere else?

The county where the care recipient lives. Your home county does not set the IHSS hourly rate for that case.

How does IHSS overtime work?

If you work more than 40 hours in a single workweek, you are paid 1.5 times your hourly rate for those extra hours. CDSS publishes the workweek rules that sit beside that premium.

Do IHSS providers get paid sick leave?

Active providers receive 40 hours of paid sick leave per fiscal year. Ask the county or Public Authority how to request those hours on your case.

Is live-in IHSS income taxed?

If you live in the same home as the person you are caring for (live-in provider), your IHSS income is generally exempt from federal income tax under IRS Notice 2014-7. This page is not tax advice. A tax preparer can apply the notice to your return.

Pay and coverageIHSS pay rates

IHSS pay rates

IHSS Caregiver Hourly Pay Rates in California

Updated September 16, 2026. Reviewed September 16, 2026 against public CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, VA, and CareScout 2025 California tables. County wages, hours, and wait times still change. Official .gov pages decide.

California IHSS caregiver pay ranges from $16.90 to $25.00 an hour in this 2026 county sample. The rate follows the county where the care recipient lives.

Based on public CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, VA, and California Department of Insurance pages retrieved 2026-09-16. County, Medi-Cal, Medicare, VA, and insurer staff decide what actually pays. Hourly rates, hour totals, waiver slots, and wait times are local and change.

Direct answer

The recipient's county sets the hourly rate

In California, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) pays caregivers an hourly rate that ranges from $16.90 to $25.00 per hour. Your exact pay rate is determined by the county where the care recipient lives, not where you live. Each county negotiates its own local wage supplement on top of the California state minimum wage floor.

Who decides

Each county negotiates its own IHSS wage supplement on top of the California state minimum wage floor. CDSS publishes the official county wage table. The county IHSS office can confirm the figure for the home address.

What to do next

Find the county where the care recipient lives in the sample below, then confirm the current rate on the CDSS county wage page or with that county office.

2026 Sample Hourly Pay Rates by County

County	Hourly Pay Rate
San Francisco	$25.00
Alameda	$22.10
San Mateo	$21.70
Santa Clara	$20.44
San Diego	$20.40
Contra Costa	$20.03
Los Angeles	$19.64
Sacramento	$19.15
Orange	$18.90
Riverside	$19.90
Fresno	$18.75
Siskiyou (State Minimum)	$16.90

The table above is a 2026 sample for a short list of counties. You can view the full county-by-county breakdown in the IHSS Connect Wage Guide or the IHSS Advocate County Table. CDSS county IHSS wage rates is the official publication. Local supplements change, so confirm the current rate for the county where the care recipient lives before you budget a paycheck.

Important benefits and pay rules

Overtime: If you work more than 40 hours in a single workweek, you are paid 1.5 times your hourly rate for those extra hours. CDSS publishes the overtime and workweek requirements.
Paid sick leave: Active providers receive 40 hours of paid sick leave per fiscal year.
Taxes: If you live in the same home as the person you are caring for (live-in provider), your IHSS income is generally exempt from federal income tax under IRS Notice 2014-7.

Which county will you or the recipient be living in?

That county sets the hourly rate. If you want help with the IHSS paperwork, or you want to talk about care at home, ask for help or call Sevah at (650) 535-1802. Sevah is a home care provider for families.

Questions people ask

Which county's pay rate applies if I live somewhere else?: The county where the care recipient lives. Your home county does not set the IHSS hourly rate for that case.
How does IHSS overtime work?: If you work more than 40 hours in a single workweek, you are paid 1.5 times your hourly rate for those extra hours. CDSS publishes the workweek rules that sit beside that premium.
Do IHSS providers get paid sick leave?: Active providers receive 40 hours of paid sick leave per fiscal year. Ask the county or Public Authority how to request those hours on your case.
Is live-in IHSS income taxed?: If you live in the same home as the person you are caring for (live-in provider), your IHSS income is generally exempt from federal income tax under IRS Notice 2014-7. This page is not tax advice. A tax preparer can apply the notice to your return.

Official sources for this page

Reviewed against CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, and CareScout public pages. We do not quote IHSS wages. County IHSS offices and Medi-Cal decide eligibility, hours, and pay. For current county wage rates, use the official CDSS wage page. CDSS county IHSS wage rates.

Official program pages: CDSS: In-Home Supportive Services, CDSS: IHSS for children, County IHSS offices, CDSS: IHSS providers, CDSS: county IHSS wage rates, CDSS: provider orientation, CDSS: Electronic Visit Verification, CDSS: Electronic Services Portal, DHCS: Medi-Cal, Apply for Medi-Cal, BenefitsCal, CDSS: hearing requests, CDSS: forms catalog, CDSS: IHSS overtime and workweek, DDS: regional centers.