San Mateo Minimum Wage 2026: $18.60 Rate & Worker Rights

The minimum wage in the City of San Mateo is $18.60 an hour in 2026, and it rises to $19.25 an hour on January 1, 2027. It applies to anyone who works at least two hours a week inside city limits, whatever the size of the employer, and it is $1.70 an hour above California’s 2026 minimum of $16.90.

That gap adds up. If you work 35 hours a week in San Mateo and are paid only the state rate, you are short $59.50 a week, or more than $3,000 over a year. This guide covers who the city ordinance protects, what does and does not count toward the wage, the state rules that still apply, and where to report a violation. To compare rates in nearby cities, see our California minimum wage by city chart.

San Mateo minimum wage 2026 and 2027

San Mateo’s ordinance is in Chapter 5.92 of the San Mateo Municipal Code. The rate changes every January 1 based on the August-to-August change in the Consumer Price Index for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose area, capped at 3.5% a year, with any excess carried forward to later years. The city must publish the next year’s rate in a bulletin by October 1.

Effective date	San Mateo (city)	California
January 1, 2026	$18.60 per hour	$16.90 per hour
January 1, 2027	$19.25 per hour	$17.40 per hour

The state rate will not catch up with San Mateo’s in 2027. Your employer must pay whichever rate is higher, so for work inside the city that is the city rate.

By the numbers$18.60

Who is covered

You are covered if, in a calendar week, you do at least two hours of work within San Mateo’s city limits and you qualify as an employee under California’s minimum wage law. In practice that means:

• Part-time, temporary and full-time workers are all covered once they reach two hours in the city in a week.
• Workers under 18 are covered. There is no age limit.
• Immigration status does not matter. The city states that covered employees have these rights regardless of status.
• Employers based elsewhere must pay the city rate for the hours you work inside San Mateo, including staffing agencies and contractors that send you there.
• Small businesses and nonprofits get no exemption.

There are a few limits. Learners, as defined in the state wage order, may be paid 85% of the city rate for their first 160 hours. Workers under a collective bargaining agreement can have the ordinance waived only if the agreement says so expressly, and that waiver is not allowed in the property services industry (janitors, landscapers, groundskeepers and security guards). Truly independent contractors are not covered, but many workers labeled contractors are employees under California’s ABC test.

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What counts toward the minimum wage

The ordinance bars your employer from counting tips toward the minimum wage, so you must receive at least $18.60 an hour in wages before tips. Your employer also cannot pay for the increase by cutting your rate, charging more for parking, meals or uniforms, or reducing other non-wage benefits.

Exempt salaried employees fall under state rules instead: in 2026 an exempt employee must earn at least $70,304 a year and meet the duties test. If you are paid a salary below that, you are likely owed overtime and the hourly minimum. Our wage and hour calculator can help you estimate the gap.

Sector wages that pay more than the city rate

Some state minimum wages are higher than San Mateo’s, and they apply inside the city too:

• Fast food: $20.00 an hour for workers at limited-service restaurants that belong to national chains with more than 60 establishments nationwide (AB 1228).
• Health care: covered health care workers have a separate state minimum under SB 525. Since July 1, 2026 it ranges from $19.28 to $25.00 an hour depending on the type of facility.

San Mateo’s ordinance does not set a separate hotel worker wage, and the city’s minimum wage materials do not point to any local fair workweek (predictable scheduling), worker retention or gig-worker pay law. State law governs those areas here.

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Paid sick leave in San Mateo

San Mateo does not have its own paid sick leave ordinance, so California law controls. Under Labor Code 246 you earn at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, your employer must let you use at least 40 hours (five days) a year, and accrual can be capped at 80 hours (10 days). See our guide to California paid sick leave rights for how to use it and what to do if you are punished for calling in sick.

By the numbersTwo hours

Example: what an underpayment looks like

💡 Example (hypothetical): Maria works 30 hours a week at a store in downtown San Mateo and is paid $17.00 an hour, above the state minimum but below the city rate of $18.60. She is short $1.60 an hour, or $48 a week. After 26 weeks, the unpaid wages total $1,248. Under the ordinance she can also seek interest on those wages and a $50-per-day civil penalty for each day the violation continued.

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Your rights against retaliation

Your employer cannot fire you, cut your pay or otherwise retaliate because you complained to the city, took part in an investigation, went to court or asserted your rights under the ordinance. If you are fired within 120 days after your employer learns of that activity, the firing is unlawful unless the employer has clear and convincing evidence of just cause.

Employers must also give each new employee written notice of these rights and the employer’s name, address and phone number, post the city notice at the work site, and keep records of your name, hours and pay rate for at least three years. You can ask for a copy of your own records.

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How to report a violation

Since December 1, 2025, the San Mateo County Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement (OLSE) investigates minimum wage violations in the City of San Mateo. You can reach OLSE through its free, confidential Labor Advice Hotline at 1-866-870-7725, by email at olse@smcgov.org, or through the online form on the OLSE website. For general questions about the ordinance, the City Manager’s Office can be reached at (650) 522-7000.

1. Write down your hours and pay. Keep pay stubs, schedules and texts about your shifts.
2. Note where you worked. Coverage depends on hours worked inside city limits.
3. Contact OLSE or a lawyer. You do not have to file with the city first. The ordinance lets you sue in court, and a worker who wins is entitled to reasonable attorney fees and costs.
4. Consider state claims too. The California Labor Commissioner (DLSE) handles unpaid wages, overtime, meal and rest breaks and sick leave. Claims for unpaid wages generally must be brought within three years.
5. Discrimination or harassment goes to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), usually within three years.

A minimum wage problem is often a sign of other violations, such as missed breaks, unpaid overtime or off-the-clock work. Learn more about wage and hour violations and how we handle them. If your job was cut, our San Mateo County layoffs page tracks recent WARN notices.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum wage in San Mateo in 2026?

$18.60 an hour, effective January 1, 2026, for work performed inside the City of San Mateo.

What will the San Mateo minimum wage be in 2027?

The city has announced $19.25 an hour starting January 1, 2027.

Is the City of San Mateo rate the same as San Mateo County’s?

No. The city rate applies only inside city limits. Unincorporated San Mateo County has its own rate of $17.95 in 2026, and other cities such as Redwood City and Burlingame set their own.

Does San Mateo have its own sick leave law?

No. California’s paid sick leave law applies: at least 40 hours or five days of use a year.

Can I file a complaint if I am undocumented?

Yes. The city states its minimum wage rights apply regardless of immigration status, and OLSE says it does not ask about status.

Employees First Labor Law represents workers across California, including the Peninsula. Our nearest office to San Mateo is in Fresno, and we can review your case by phone or video.

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