Every California employer with at least one W-2 employee must either register with CalSavers or sponsor a qualified retirement plan and certify an exemption. Every deadline has passed. What differs by industry is not the rule but the obstacle: turnover, worker classification, seasonality, prevailing-wage fringe obligations, thin margins, and whether the owner can use the state program at all. Start with your industry below.
Find your industry
Each guide covers the industry statewide. The two county links go deeper: where the industry physically clusters, which cities it sits in, and what changes because of that.
Healthcare practices
Owner-clinicians are almost always above the Roth IRA income limits, which makes CalSavers unusable to the person carrying the risk. These are the strongest cash-balance and safe-harbor cases we see.
| Industry | NAICS | Typical size | By county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental practices | 6212 | 4-15 | LA County · Orange County |
| Physician and specialty medical practices | 6211 | 3-40 | LA County · Orange County |
| Ambulatory health care practices | 621 | 3-40 | LA County · Orange County |
| Veterinary practices | 54194 | 5-30 | LA County · Orange County |
| Nursing homes and residential care facilities | 623 | 30-200 | LA County · Orange County |
Professional and financial services
Partner-versus-associate compensation classes, contingency income, and a statutory non-employee rule that reframes the entire mandate for real estate brokerages.
| Industry | NAICS | Typical size | By county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law firms and legal services | 5411 | 2-25 | LA County · Orange County |
| Accounting, tax preparation and bookkeeping firms | 5412 | 2-20 | LA County · Orange County |
| Insurance agencies and brokerages | 524 | 3-30 | LA County · Orange County |
| Real estate brokerages and property management | 531 | 2-50 | LA County · Orange County |
| IT services, software and tech startups | 5415 | 5-100 | LA County · Orange County |
Construction and the trades
Prevailing-wage fringe obligations cannot be satisfied by CalSavers, because the program accepts no employer money. For a public-works contractor that single fact settles the question.
| Industry | NAICS | Typical size | By county |
|---|---|---|---|
| General building contractors and home builders | 236 | 3-40 | LA County · Orange County |
| Specialty trade contractors (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall, roofing) | 238 | 5-50 | LA County · Orange County |
| Landscaping and grounds maintenance | 5617 | 5-60 | LA County · Orange County |
| Fabricated metal products and machine shops | 332 | 10-75 | LA County · Orange County |
| Security and investigation services | 5616 | 20-300 | LA County · Orange County |
Goods movement, wholesale and retail
The largest establishment counts in the county, the thinnest margins, and the hardest worker classification questions on the site.
| Industry | NAICS | Typical size | By county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trucking and drayage | 484 | 3-50 | LA County · Orange County |
| Warehousing and storage | 493 | 20-200 | LA County · Orange County |
| Wholesale trade and distribution | 42 | 5-75 | LA County · Orange County |
| Independent retail (all retail trade) | 44-45 | 3-50 | LA County · Orange County |
| Auto repair, body shops and maintenance | 811 | 3-15 | LA County · Orange County |
Manufacturing and technical
Federal contract fringe rules, equity compensation, and a workforce that benchmarks its employer against much larger companies.
| Industry | NAICS | Typical size | By county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel and garment manufacturing | 315 | 10-100 | LA County · Orange County |
| Food and beverage manufacturing | 311, 3121 | 15-150 | LA County · Orange County |
| Aerospace and defense suppliers | 336 | 20-500 | LA County · Orange County |
| Medical device, biotech and scientific R&D | 5417, 3391 | 10-250 | LA County · Orange County |
| Staffing agencies and administrative support services | 561 | 10-500 | LA County · Orange County |
Consumer services and community
Booth rental, contractor trainers, franchise-versus-owner structures, and the 403(b)-versus-401(k) fork for tax-exempt employers.
| Industry | NAICS | Typical size | By county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salons, spas, barbershops and nail studios | 812 | 3-25 | LA County · Orange County |
| Gyms, fitness studios and recreation | 713 | 5-50 | LA County · Orange County |
| Hotels and accommodation | 721 | 20-400 | LA County · Orange County |
| Childcare centers and social assistance | 624 | 5-60 | LA County · Orange County |
| Nonprofits, foundations and civic organizations | 813 | 5-100 | LA County · Orange County |
What every industry has in common
| Employees | Deadline | Where you stand in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | 31 December 2025 | First notices are going out to this group now |
| 5–49 | 30 June 2022 | Confirm you are on file; watch for FTB notices |
| 50–99 | 30 June 2021 | Confirm, and revisit whether a 401(k) now fits better |
| 100+ | 30 September 2020 | Review plan design and fiduciary coverage |
The mandate, explained plainly · CalSavers versus a 401(k), all 15 rows · If a penalty notice has already arrived · Run your own numbers
By county
The county pages carry the local layer — corridors, business parks, city clusters and the municipal rules that sit on top of the state mandate.
- CalSavers in Los Angeles County — 88 cities, about 9.7 million residents
- CalSavers in Orange County — 34 cities, about 3.1 million residents
Our fees, published
No competing advisor page in this area publishes its fees. Here are ours.
| What | Fee |
|---|---|
| Investment management | 1.5% to 2.0% of assets per year; Advisers may set a rate below the standard schedule, as low as 0%, at their discretion — and whatever rate applies to you is disclosed in writing before you engage. Our Form ADV Part 2A, Item 5, states the fee as up to 2.00% of assets per year, subject to negotiation; the firm may waive all or part of it. Generally billed quarterly in arrears |
| Account minimum | No minimum account balance |
| Commissions and product fees | None — we are fee-only |
| Solicitor compensation | May be received or paid under disclosed arrangements |
| Initial conversation | Free, 15 minutes, no obligation |
Complete fee details in our Form ADV Part 2A, Item 5.
Not sure which of these is you?
Most businesses sit in two or three of these at once. Fifteen minutes on the phone and we will tell you which obstacles actually apply to your payroll — and whether CalSavers is enough.