The minimum wage in Novato is $17.46 an hour as of January 1, 2026 – $0.56 above California’s $16.90 state floor.
The rates in Novato
| Who | Per hour |
|---|---|
| Standard rate | $17.46 |
| Very large employers (100 or more employees) | $17.73 |
| Small employers | $16.90 (matches the California state minimum) |
| California state floor | $16.90 |
Novato does not use a single rate. The ordinance sets 3 different rates depending on employer size, so which one applies to you turns on the employee-count threshold written into the ordinance itself – not on how big the workplace looks.
The city publishes its own minimum wage page: official Novato minimum wage information. That is the authority for coverage questions specific to this ordinance.
This rate changes on 1 January
Novato 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therefore rise mid-year while the state figure stays put, and a rate quoted from the wrong side of 1 January will be out of date.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 Novato compares
Of the 40 California cities and counties that set their own minimum wage, Novato ranks #39. 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.
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Novato is the only Marin County jurisdiction with its own rate
No other city in Marin County appears in the statewide inventory of local minimum wage ordinances. Work performed elsewhere in the county is covered by the $16.90 California minimum unless an industry-specific rate applies.
It follows the work, not your address
Local ordinances generally apply based on where the work is performed. Shifts worked in Novato 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.