Details
California has a statewide minimum wage, and dozens of California cities and counties set their own higher one. Where the two differ, the higher rate is the one your employer must pay.
The statewide rate
As of January 1, 2026, the California minimum wage is $16.90 per hour for employers not covered by a higher industry-specific or local rate, according to the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.
The old two-tier system is gone. Since January 1, 2023 the same minimum wage applies to all employers regardless of headcount, and the rate is adjusted annually for inflation.
Your city’s rate may be higher
The DLSE states the rule plainly: “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.” Employers must follow the stricter standard — the one most beneficial to the employee.
Dozens of California jurisdictions have their own ordinance, and many of them adjust on July 1 rather than January 1, so a local rate can change mid-year while the state rate does not. The DLSE points readers to the list of city and county minimum wages maintained by the UC Berkeley Labor Center.
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Which rate applies to you
Local minimum wage ordinances generally follow where the work is performed, not where the employer is headquartered or where you live. Working a shift inside a city with its own ordinance usually means that city’s rate for those hours, and some ordinances apply after only a small number of hours worked in the city in a week. Check the text of the specific ordinance.
Industry rates can be higher still
Some California workers are covered by an industry-specific minimum that sits above the general state figure. Where an industry rate, a local rate and the state rate all touch the same job, the highest applicable one governs.
If you are being paid below the applicable rate
Underpayment is a wage claim. The California Labor Commissioner’s Office accepts them, and many cities with their own ordinance also run a local enforcement office that can act on the local rate. Keep your pay stubs and a record of the hours and locations worked.
Minimum wage figures change at least annually and local rates often change on a different date from the state rate. Check the source above for the figure in effect on your date.