Minimum Wage · California
California Minimum Wage by City
2026 rates for every city and county, plus fast food, health care and hotel jobs
Rates verified October 4, 2026
California’s minimum wage is $16.90 an hour in 2026 and $17.40 starting January 1, 2027, but about 40 cities and counties require more. Find where you work, check your pay against the local minimum and see the higher rates for fast food, health care and hotel jobs.
| City or county | County | Minimum wage now | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emeryville | Alameda | $20.34 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| West Hollywood | Los Angeles | $20.25 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Mountain View | Santa Clara | $19.70 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Berkeley | Alameda | $19.61 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| San Francisco | San Francisco | $19.61 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Sunnyvale | Santa Clara | $19.50 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Richmond | Contra Costa | $19.18 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Belmont | San Mateo | $18.95 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| El Cerrito | Contra Costa | $18.82 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Cupertino | Santa Clara | $18.70 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Los Altos | Santa Clara | $18.70 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Palo Alto | Santa Clara | $18.70 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Santa Clara (city) | Santa Clara | $18.70 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Redwood City | San Mateo | $18.65 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| San Mateo (city) | San Mateo | $18.60 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Pasadena | Los Angeles | $18.57 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Milpitas | Santa Clara | $18.50 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Los Angeles County (unincorporated) | Los Angeles | $18.47 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Santa Monica | Los Angeles | $18.47 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Sonoma (city) | Sonoma | $18.47 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| San Jose | Santa Clara | $18.45 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Los Angeles (city) | Los Angeles | $18.42 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Petaluma | Sonoma | $18.31 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Santa Rosa | Sonoma | $18.21 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| South San Francisco | San Mateo | $18.15 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Fremont | Alameda | $18.05 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| San Mateo County (unincorporated) | San Mateo | $17.95 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Half Moon Bay | San Mateo | $17.91 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Malibu | Los Angeles | $17.91 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| East Palo Alto | San Mateo | $17.90 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Burlingame | San Mateo | $17.86 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Foster City | San Mateo | $17.85 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Hayward | Alameda | $17.79 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Alameda (city) | Alameda | $17.76 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| San Carlos | San Mateo | $17.75 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| San Diego (city) | San Diego | $17.75 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Menlo Park | San Mateo | $17.55 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Daly City | San Mateo | $17.50 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Novato | Marin | $17.46 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Oakland | Alameda | $17.34 | Jan 1, 2026 |
Industry minimum wages
| Who it covers | Rate |
|---|---|
| Fast food (national chains, AB 1228) | $20.00 |
| Health care (SB 525) - large health systems (10,000+ FTEs), dialysis clinics, hospitals owned by large systems, and facilities owned by counties over 5 million population | $25.00 |
| Health care (SB 525) - hospitals with high governmental payor mix, independent rural hospitals, and facilities owned by counties under 250,000 population | $19.28 |
| Health care (SB 525) - clinics (community clinics, rural health clinics, certain urgent care clinics) | $22.00 |
| Health care (SB 525) - all other covered health care facilities (incl. facilities owned by counties of 250,000-5 million) | $23.00 |
| Los Angeles (city) - hotel workers (Citywide Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance) | $25.00 |
| Los Angeles (city) - airport workers (LAX) | $25.00 |
| Santa Monica - hotel workers | $25.00 |
| West Hollywood - hotel employees | $20.87 |
| Long Beach - hotel workers (Measure RW) | $26.50 |
| Glendale - hotel workers (hotels with 60+ rooms) | $25.00 |
| Oakland - hotel workers (Measure Z) | $18.85 |
| San Diego (city) - hotels (150+ rooms) and amusement parks (75+ acres) | $19.00 |
| San Diego (city) - event centers | $21.06 |
Rates verified October 5, 2026 against city and county ordinances, the California Department of Industrial Relations and the UC Berkeley Labor Center inventory.
Which minimum wage applies to you?
Your employer must pay the highest rate that applies to your job: the state minimum wage, your city or county minimum wage, or an industry minimum wage such as the $20 fast food rate or the health care minimum wage. What counts is where you physically do the work, not where the company is headquartered.
Some cities set different rates for small businesses, hotel workers or other groups. Open the Details link next to each city in the table for its rules.
When local minimum wages change
Most cities adjust their minimum wage every January 1, usually by inflation. Others, including Los Angeles, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Malibu, San Francisco, Berkeley, Emeryville, Alameda, Fremont and Milpitas, adjust every July 1. Unincorporated Los Angeles County also changes on July 1.
We check every rate when new figures are announced and update this page.
If you were paid less than the minimum wage
Under Labor Code 1194 and 1194.2, you can generally recover the unpaid difference, an equal amount as liquidated damages, and interest, usually going back three years (four in some cases under the Unfair Competition Law). If you have left the job, waiting time penalties can add up to 30 days of wages, and inaccurate pay stubs can add up to $4,000 more.
Estimate your claim with our wage & hour calculator, or read how our attorneys handle wage and hour claims.
You can generally recover every unpaid dollar, an equal amount in liquidated damages, and interest. We check pay records for free.
Salaried and exempt employees
Minimum wage also sets the floor for salaried exempt employees. To be exempt from overtime in California, most employees must earn at least twice the state minimum wage for full-time work: $70,304 a year in 2026, rising to $72,384 in 2027. If you are paid a salary below that amount, or your job duties are not truly executive, administrative or professional, you may be owed overtime. See how the exempt duties test works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest minimum wage in California?
Among general city minimum wages, Emeryville has the highest at $20.34 an hour. Some industry minimum wages are higher, such as the $25 hotel worker wage in Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Glendale.
Does the local minimum wage apply to small businesses?
Usually, yes. A few cities, such as Hayward, Novato and Sonoma, set different rates by employer size, but no employer can pay less than the state minimum wage.
Can my employer pay me less because I get tips?
No. California does not allow a tip credit. Tipped workers must receive the full minimum wage before tips, and tips belong to employees. See California tip pooling rules.
I work in more than one city. Which rate applies?
Generally, the rate for the city where you perform the work during those hours. Some cities only cover employees who work at least two hours a week within city limits.
Related guides
Workers only. Never employers.
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This page provides general information about California law and is not legal advice for any specific situation. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.