California’s minimum wage will increase to $16 per hour on Jan. 1, 2024, but employees in select cities and counties across the Golden State will make more money due to local ordinances.
In cities where the local minimum wage exceeds the state’s requirements, “the employer must follow the stricter standard; that is, the one that is the most beneficial to the employee,” according to the state Department of Industrial Relations.
“Similarly, if a local entity (city or county) has adopted a higher minimum wage, employees must be paid the local wage where it is higher than the state or federal minimum wage rates.”
These California cities and counties have minimum wages higher than the state’s requirement, according to a report from UC Berkeley’s Labor Center
- Alameda: $16.52 as of 7/1/2023
- Belmont: $17.35 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Berkeley: $18.07 as of 7/1/2023
- Burlingame: $17.03 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Cupertino: $17.75 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Daly City: $16.62 beginning on 1/1/2024
- East Palo Alto: $17 starting on 1/1/2024
- El Cerrito: $17.92 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Emeryville: $18.67 as of 7/1/2023
- Foster City: $17 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Fremont: $16.80 as of 7/1/2023 $16.80
- Half Moon Bay: $17.01 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Hayward: $16.90 for large corporations and $16 for small employers beginning on 1/1/2024
- Los Altos: $17.75 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Los Angeles: $16.78 as of 7/1/2023
- Los Angeles County (unincorporated): $16.90 as of 7/1/2023
- Malibu: $16.90 as of 7/1/2023
- Menlo Park: $16.70 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Milpitas: $17.20 as of 7/1/2023
- Mountain View: $18.75 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Novato: $16.60 for large businesses, $16.04 for small employers and $16.86 for huge companies beginning on 1/1/2024
- Oakland: $16.50 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Palo Alto: $17.80 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Pasadena: $16.93 as of 7/1/2023
- Petaluma: $17.45 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Redwood City: $17.70 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Richmond: $17.20 as of 1/1/2023
- San Carlos: $16.87 beginning on 1/1/2024
- San Diego: $16.85 starting on 1/1/2024
- San Francisco: $18.07 as of 7/1/2023
- San Jose: $17.55 beginning on 1/1/2024
- San Mateo: $17.35 beginning on1/1/2024
- San Mateo County (unincorporated): $17.06 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Santa Clara: $17.75 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Santa Monica: $16.90 as of7/1/2023
- Santa Rosa: $17.45 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Sonoma: $17.60 and $16.56 for small businesses starting on 1/1/2024
- South San Francisco: $17.25 beginning on 1/1/2024
- Sunnyvale: $18.55 beginning on 1/1/2024
- West Hollywood: $19.08 as of 7/1/2023
West Hollywood has the nation’s highest minimum wage and the rate is expected to increase again on July 1, 2024.
The updated hourly total will be posted on the city’s website.