California minimum wage is currently $14.00/hour for larger employers (26 or more employees) and $13.00/hour for employers with 25 or fewer. The final 2016 Senate Bill (SB) 3 increase to $15.00/hour will occur on January 1, 2022 for larger employers and January 1, 2023 for the rest. See California’s Gradual Increases in Minimum Wage, to Reach $15.00 Per Hour by January 1, 2022 (April, 2016).
The municipalities below have ordinances directing higher minimums than the current state standards, some with midyear increases as indicated. Most have a single rate for larger and smaller employers.
| City or County | Minimum Wage Rate |
| Alameda | $15.00 (effective July 1, 2021) |
| Belmont | $15.90 |
| Berkeley | $16.32 (effective July 1, 2021) |
| Burlingame | $15.00 |
| Cupertino | $15.65 |
| Daly City | $15.00 |
| El Cerrito | $15.61 |
| Emeryville | $17.13 (effective July 1, 2021) |
| Fremont | $15.25 (26+ employees) (effective July 1, 2021) |
| $15.00 (25 or fewer employees) (effective July 1, 2021) |
|
| Half Moon Bay | $15.00 |
| Hayward | $14.00 (25 or fewer employees) and |
| $15.00 (26 or more employees) | |
| Los Altos | $15.65 |
| Los Angeles City | $15.00 (effective July 1, 2021) |
| Los Angeles County (Unincorporated Areas) | $15.00 (effective July 1, 2021) |
| Malibu | $15.00 (effective July 1, 2021) |
| Menlo Park | $15.25 |
| Milpitas | $15.65 (effective July 1, 2021) |
| Mountain View | $16.30 |
| Novato | $14.00 (25 or fewer employees) |
| $15.00 (26+ employees) | |
| $15.24 (100+ employees) | |
| Oakland | $14.36 |
| Palo Alto | $15.65 |
| Pasadena | $15.00 (effective July 1, 2021) |
| Petaluma | $15.20 |
| Redwood City | $15.62 |
| Richmond | $15.21 |
| San Carlos | $15.24 |
| San Diego | $14.00 |
| San Francisco City and County | $16.32 (effective July 1, 2021) |
| San Jose | $15.45 |
| San Leandro | $15.00 |
| San Mateo | $15.62 |
| Santa Clara | $15.65 |
| Santa Monica | $15.00 (effective July 1, 2021) |
| Santa Rosa | $15.20 |
| Sonoma | $14.00 (25 or fewer employees) and |
| $15.00 (26+ employees) | |
| South San Francisco | $15.25 |
| Sunnyvale | $16.30 |
Employers must review the information for their location(s) and conspicuously post the current wage notice for each applicable jurisdiction, which can be downloaded through the links above.
Companies whose employees work in more than one location also need to be aware that different minimums may apply. A company with workers in two or more locations may find it simplest to apply the highest required minimum to all employees.
Some cities have different minimum wage laws for hotels. Effective July 1, those rates will be: Long Beach ($15.69); Santa Monica ($17.64) and City of Los Angeles ($17.64).
The UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education publishes regular updates.
See also:
- Good Workplace Policy Is Boss – Our Template Handbook & Forms for 2021 (May 28, 2021)
- Minimus Maximus – A Brief History of Minimum Wage (April 2, 2021)
- What’s New In 2021: California Minimum Wage Rate Increases (December 23, 2020)
For more information, please contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.
Helena Kobrin
June 10, 2021