Calculate Los Angeles' per diem rate based on GSA guidelines to simplify your business travels.
Traveling for business to Los Angeles means entering one of the world's most dynamic and sprawling economic hubs. From downtown's financial district to the tech centers of Silicon Beach and the entertainment industry's core in Hollywood, LA is a top destination for corporate travel.
However, its reputation as a high-cost city makes managing travel expenses a critical task. This is where a clear understanding of per diem rates—the daily allowance for lodging, meals, and incidentals—becomes essential.
This guide is designed to help employees, financial managers, and business owners navigate the specifics of Los Angeles per diem, ensuring travel is both productive and financially sound.
Due to its high cost of living, Los Angeles County is designated by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) as a Non-Standard Area (NSA). This means it has its own specific per diem rates that are significantly higher than the standard U.S. rate. These GSA rates are the mandatory standard for federal employees and are widely used as a benchmark by private companies.
Key aspects of the FY 2025 Los Angeles per diem rates include:
To simplify the process of finding the exact per diem allowance for your trip to Los Angeles, our calculator provides instant, accurate results based on the official GSA schedule.
When operating or traveling in Los Angeles, businesses must adhere to California state law, as there are no city-specific ordinances that supersede the state's requirements for expense reimbursement.
This is the most critical law governing employee expenses in Los Angeles. It requires employers to reimburse employees for all necessary expenses they incur as a direct result of their job duties. This means that if an employer uses a per diem system for travel to a high-cost city like Los Angeles, the per diem rate must be sufficient to cover the employee's actual, reasonable costs for lodging and meals. If an employee's necessary expenses exceed the per diem amount, the employer is legally required to reimburse the difference.
The City and County of Los Angeles have their own minimum wage rates that are higher than the California state minimum. This is important in the context of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which states that unreimbursed business expenses cannot cause an employee's effective wage to fall below the minimum wage. Given LA's higher local minimum wage, this provides an even stronger floor of protection for employees.
The Workers' Compensation programs for LA City and County employees are comprehensive but apply specifically to work-related injuries and illnesses. They do not govern general business travel expense policies like per diem.
The legal framework for per diem in Los Angeles for a private company employee is dictated by California state law, which differs significantly from the GSA rules that govern federal employees.
Managing travel expenses for a sprawling and expensive metropolitan area like Los Angeles requires a smart, automated system that ensures both compliance and convenience. Manual tracking can lead to errors, policy violations, and frustrated employees.
Fyle provides an intelligent solution tailored for the challenges of LA travel:
With Fyle, managing the unique demands of travel to Los Angeles becomes simple, compliant, and efficient for your entire organization.
The content on this page is for informational use. As legal standards and per diem rates are subject to change, users should verify current details with official GSA or government resources. This information does not serve as financial or legal counsel.
