The minimum wage in Cupertino is $18.70 an hour as of January 1, 2026 – $1.80 above California’s $16.90 state floor.
The rates in Cupertino
| Who | Per hour |
|---|---|
| Standard rate | $18.70 |
| California state floor | $16.90 |
Cupertino sets one rate for all employers. There is no reduced small-business tier here, so employer size does not change what you are owed.
The city publishes its own minimum wage page: official Cupertino minimum wage information. That is the authority for coverage questions specific to this ordinance.
This rate changes on 1 January
Cupertino adjusts on 1 January, while the California state minimum changes on 1 January. A local rate can therefore rise mid-year while the state figure stays put, and a rate quoted from the wrong side of 1 January will be out of date.
How Cupertino compares
Of the 40 California cities and counties that set their own minimum wage, Cupertino ranks #10. The highest is Emeryville at $20.34; the lowest local rate is Oakland at $17.34. The statewide floor, which applies anywhere without a local ordinance, is $16.90.
Other Santa Clara County cities with their own rate
Neighbouring cities in Santa Clara County do not share one number. If you work shifts in more than one of these, each one’s rate applies to the hours worked there:
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| City | Rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain View | $19.70 | January 1, 2026 |
| Sunnyvale | $19.50 | January 1, 2026 |
| Los Altos | $18.70 | January 1, 2026 |
| Palo Alto | $18.70 | January 1, 2026 |
| Santa Clara | $18.70 | January 1, 2026 |
| Milpitas | $18.50 | July 1, 2026 |
| San Jose | $18.45 | January 1, 2026 |
Anywhere else in Santa Clara County without its own ordinance falls back to the $16.90 state minimum.
$18.70 is not unique to Cupertino — Los Altos, Palo Alto, Santa Clara currently set the same rate, though their ordinances and adjustment dates are separate and can diverge next cycle.
It follows the work, not your address
Local ordinances generally apply based on where the work is performed. Shifts worked in Cupertino are usually covered even if you live and your employer is based elsewhere, and some ordinances bite after only a few hours in the jurisdiction per week – a threshold set by the ordinance, not by the state.
If you are paid less than this
That is a wage claim. The California Labor Commissioner’s Office accepts them, and cities that set their own minimum often run a local enforcement office that can act on the ordinance directly. Keep pay stubs and a record of hours and locations worked. Compare any California city with the minimum wage checker.
Rate from the UC Berkeley Labor Center inventory of local minimum wage ordinances, the list the California DLSE directs workers to. Verified 25 August 2026. Not legal advice.