California minimum wage will increase to $12.00 per hour on January 1, 2019 for employers with 26 or more employees and $11.00 for smaller employers with 25 employees or less. Those rates will continue to increase annually until reaching $15 per hour in 2022 for larger employers and in 2023 for those with 25 or fewer employees. See California’s Gradual Increases in Minimum Wage, to Reach $15.00 Per Hour by January 1, 2022 (April, 2016).
California cities (and two counties) have implemented their own minimum wage ordinances. See also the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education listing for regular updates. California employers need to examine the rules for every jurisdiction in which they operate, not just the one or more where they might have offices.
For example, as different municipalities have different definitions of “covered employer” and/or “covered employee,” a delivery company with drivers routinely working in multiple cities or counties each week may well have separate minimum wage compliance issues for each simultaneously.
Below is a comprehensive list of California municipalities requiring minimum wage levels greater than the state standard as of January 1, 2019:
| City or County | Minimum Wage Rate |
| Belmont | $13.50 |
| Berkeley (effective from Oct. 1, 2018) | $15.00 |
| Cupertino | $15.00 |
| El Cerrito | $15.00 |
| Emeryville | $15.00 (55 or fewer employees) and
$15.69 (56 or more employees) |
| $15.00 | |
| Los Angeles City (effective from July 1, 2018) | $12.00 (25 or fewer employees) and
$13.25 (26 employees or more) |
| Los Angeles County (Unincorporated Areas) (effective from July 1, 2018) | $12.00 (25 or fewer employees)
and $13.25 (26 employees or more) |
| Malibu (effective from July 1, 2018) | $12.00 (25 or fewer employees)
and $13.25 (26 or more employees) |
| Milpitas (effective from July 1, 2018) | $13.50 |
| Mountain View | $15.65 |
| Oakland | $13.80 |
| Palo Alto | $15.00 |
| Pasadena (effective from July 1, 2018) | $12.00 (25 or fewer employees)
and $13.25 (26 employees or more) |
| Redwood City | $13.50 |
| Richmond | $15.00 |
| San Diego | $12.00 |
| San Francisco City and County
(effective from July 1, 2018) |
$15.00 |
| San Jose | $15.00 |
| San Leandro (effective from July 1, 2018) | $13.00 |
| San Mateo | $15.00 |
| Santa Clara | $15.00 |
| Santa Monica (effective from July 1, 2018)
|
$12.00 (25 or fewer employees)
and $13.25 (26 employees or more) |
| Sunnyvale | $15.65 |
Some cities have enacted separate minimum wage laws for hotels. For example, three Los Angeles County cities have their own hotel worker minimum wage. The current rate for each, effective July 1, 2018: Long Beach ($14.64); and Santa Monica and City of Los Angeles (both $16.10).
Non-profit charitable organizations should check for possibly slower implementation requirements under applicable local ordinances.
A covered employer must also conspicuously post an updated wage notice/bulletin for each applicable jurisdiction. Click the above city/county link(s) to download the most current notice.
See also:
- Mid-Year Changes, Many New Minimum Wage Rate Increases Effective July 1, 2018 (June, 2018)
- What’s New For 2018 – California Minimum Wage for 2018 (December, 2017)
- Location, Location, Location … Location (July, 2017)
- Minimum Wage in California (June, 2017)
- Location, Location, Location (May, 2017)
- Hot Off the Presses (December, 2016)
- California Increases Minimum Wage Rates for 2017 (December, 2016)
For more information, please contact one of our attorneys, Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.
Helena Kobrin
December 14, 2018