Fremont Minimum Wage 2026 ($18.05) & Worker Rights Guide

The Fremont minimum wage is $18.05 an hour as of July 1, 2026, for all covered employers regardless of size. From January 1 through June 30, 2026, it was $17.75. The rate applies to every hour you work inside Fremont city limits, as long as you work there at least two hours in a week.

Fremont’s rate is well above California’s 2026 minimum of $16.90. If you are paid the state rate for work in Fremont, you lose $1.15 for every hour, or about $2,390 over a year of full-time work, before penalties. For other cities, see our California minimum wage by city guide.

This guide covers who Fremont’s ordinance protects, the nonprofit exemption, when the next increase comes, which state laws (including paid sick leave) still apply, and how to report an employer that underpays you.

Fremont minimum wage 2026 and the July 2027 increase

Fremont’s Minimum Wage Ordinance (Fremont Municipal Code Chapter 5.30) was approved by the City Council in February 2019. Fremont adjusts its rate each year on July 1, not January 1.

Period	Fremont minimum wage	California minimum wage
July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026	$17.75	$16.50 (2025) / $16.90 (2026)
July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027	$18.05	$16.90 (2026) / $17.40 (from Jan. 1, 2027)
July 1, 2027	Not yet announced (2026 rate plus inflation)	$17.40

Each year’s increase follows the Bay Area Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners (San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose), measured from February to February, rounded to the nearest five cents and capped at 5%. If prices do not rise, the wage stays the same. The City announces the new rate by April 1, or as soon as possible after the February index is published, so expect the July 2027 figure in spring 2027.

When California’s rate rises to $17.40 on January 1, 2027, Fremont’s $18.05 will still be $0.65 higher, so the local rate continues to control for covered work in Fremont.

By the numbers$18.05

Who is covered by Fremont’s minimum wage

You are covered if you perform at least two hours of work in a calendar week inside Fremont’s city limits and you are entitled to minimum wage under California law. Part-time and temporary workers are covered if they meet that test.

• One rate for every size of business. Fremont once had a lower rate for employers with 25 or fewer employees, but the two tiers merged on July 1, 2022. Today a two-person shop and a large chain owe the same $18.05.
• Where you work, not where you live. Residence does not matter. What counts is the hours you work inside the city.
• Hours outside Fremont. Work performed outside city limits is not covered by the local rate, although state law still applies.

Your employer must pay at least the minimum for each hour worked in the city. California law does not allow employers to count tips toward the minimum wage, so tips are always on top of your hourly pay.

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Exemptions: nonprofits and on-call time

Fremont’s ordinance has two exemptions you should know about:

• Nonprofit employees. People employed by a nonprofit corporation are exempt from Fremont’s local minimum wage. The City says the exemption is meant to avoid cuts to the services nonprofits provide. Nonprofit workers still must receive at least the California minimum wage ($16.90 in 2026, $17.40 in 2027).
• Standby and on-call time. Time spent on standby or on call, under the criteria of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, is exempt only while you are actually on call.

A union contract can waive the ordinance, but only if the waiver is stated in clear and unambiguous terms. Watch for employers that are not actually nonprofit corporations (for example, a for-profit contractor working for a nonprofit) but claim the exemption anyway.

Sector minimum wages that can pay more

Statewide sector rates can beat Fremont’s minimum. When more than one minimum wage applies, you get the highest one.

• Fast food: $20.00 an hour at limited-service restaurants in national chains with more than 60 establishments nationwide (AB 1228).
• Health care: Under SB 525, covered health care facilities pay between $19.28 and $25.00 an hour as of July 1, 2026, depending on the type and size of facility.

Fremont does not have its own hotel, airport or industry-specific minimum wage.

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Paid sick leave and other protections in Fremont

Fremont has not adopted its own paid sick leave ordinance, so California’s paid sick leave law (Labor Code 246) applies. In general, you earn at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, you can use at least 40 hours (or five days) per year, and your employer may cap your total accrual at 80 hours (or 10 days). See our guide to California paid sick leave rights.

Fremont’s municipal code also has no local predictive scheduling (fair workweek), hotel worker protection, worker retention or gig-worker pay ordinance. State law on overtime, meal and rest breaks, reporting-time pay and pay stubs applies in full.

By the numbers$1.15

What Fremont employers must post and keep

• Post the City’s official minimum wage bulletin at each work site in the top five languages spoken in Fremont. The City publishes it in English, Simplified Chinese, Hindi, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
• Give you, at the time of hire, a written notice with the employer’s name, address and phone number.
• Document all hours worked and keep payroll records for at least four years, and allow the City to review them.

If your employer does not keep adequate records, or will not let the City see them, your account of what you were paid is presumed accurate unless the employer proves otherwise by clear and convincing evidence. Use our wage and hour calculator to estimate the gap between what you were paid and what you were owed.

💡 Example: Daniel works 32 hours a week at a for-profit restaurant in Fremont. After July 1, 2026, his employer keeps paying him $16.90 an hour instead of $18.05. He is shorted $1.15 an hour, or $36.80 a week. After 12 weeks, he is owed $441.60 in back wages, before any penalties. (Hypothetical example.)

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How to report a Fremont minimum wage violation

Fremont does not have a dedicated labor standards office. Questions about the ordinance go to the City at minwage@fremont.gov. To recover unpaid wages, most workers file a claim with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE) or go to court. The Labor Commissioner’s Oakland office is at 1515 Clay Street, Suite 801, Oakland, CA 94612, (510) 622-3273.

1. Collect records: pay stubs, your own log of hours and work locations, schedules and messages, and a photo of the posted bulletin (or a note that none was posted).
2. Check the dates: remember the rate changed on July 1 ($17.75 before July 1, 2026, and $18.05 after).
3. Choose a path: file a wage claim with the Labor Commissioner or talk to a lawyer about a lawsuit. Our guide on wage claims vs. hiring a lawyer explains the difference.
4. Act promptly: state wage claims generally must be filed within three years (four years for some claims under the Unfair Competition Law).

Fremont’s ordinance lets the City issue administrative citations of up to $50 per day for each affected employee, issue compliance orders, and sue. You can also file your own lawsuit. A worker who wins can recover back wages, a civil penalty of $50 for each day the violation continued, and reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, which the court must award.

Retaliation is prohibited. If your employer takes adverse action against you within 90 days of complaining or exercising your rights, the law presumes the action was retaliation. For discrimination or harassment, you can file with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), generally within three years. Learn how our wage and hour attorneys help workers recover unpaid pay.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Fremont minimum wage in 2026?

$18.05 an hour from July 1, 2026. From January 1 to June 30, 2026, the rate was $17.75. The same rate applies to employers of every size.

When will Fremont’s minimum wage go up again?

Fremont’s next adjustment is July 1, 2027. The rate will rise with Bay Area inflation (capped at 5% a year), and the City usually announces the new figure by April 1.

Does Fremont have its own paid sick leave law?

No. Fremont workers are covered by California’s paid sick leave law, which guarantees at least 40 hours or five days of paid sick leave per year.

Do nonprofits have to pay the Fremont minimum wage?

No. Employees of nonprofit corporations are exempt from Fremont’s local rate, but they must still be paid at least the California minimum wage.

Does the Fremont minimum wage apply if my employer is based in another city?

Yes, for the hours you work inside Fremont. Coverage depends on where the work is performed and whether you work at least two hours a week in the city.

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Layoffs and help near Fremont

If you lost your job in a layoff, our Alameda County layoffs page lists recent Cal-WARN notices. Our nearest office to Fremont is in Fresno, and we represent workers throughout California.

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