California law mandates that all employees are paid the minimum wage. Effective January 1, 2023, the minimum wage is $15.50 per hour for all employers. Labor Code §1182.12.

The following local minimum wage laws also apply, current as of July 1, 2022:

• Alameda: $15.75 (annually adjusted beginning July 1, 2023, by the Consumer Price Index (CPI));
• Belmont: $16.20 (annual increases based on the lesser of 3.5 percent or a percentage amount equal to the August-to-August percentage change in the CPI for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area);
• Berkeley: $16.99 (annual increases based on the lesser of 3.5 percent or a percentage amount equal to the August-to-August percentage change in the CPI for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area);
• Cupertino: $16.40 (annual increases based on the calendar year percentage change in the CPI-U for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area, rounded to the nearest 5 cents);
• East Palo Alto: $15.60;
• El Cerrito: $16.37 (annual increases based on the August-to-August percentage change in the CPI-W for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area);
• Emeryville: $17.68 (annual increases based on the calendar year percentage change in the CPI-U for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area);
• City of Foster City: $15.75 (increase January 1st each year);
• Fremont: $16.00 (plus inflation adjustment for 2023);
• Hayward:
  • Businesses with 26 or more employees: $15.56 (plus CPI);
  • Businesses with 25 or fewer employees: $15.50;
• Los Altos: $16.40 (annual increases based on the calendar year percentage change in the CPI-U for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area, rounded to the nearest 5 cents);
• Los Angeles:
  • $16.04 (City);
  • $15.96 (County);
  • Hotel workers: $18.17 (hotel employers operating within the City of Los Angeles with 60 or more rooms, or those with 50 or more rooms operating in the Airport Hospitality Enhancement Zone);
• Malibu: $15.96 (annual increases based on the percentage change in the CPI-W for the Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County metropolitan area;
• Milpitas: $16.40 (annual increases based on the calendar year percentage change in the CPI-U for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area, rounded to the nearest 5 cents);
• Mountain View: $17.10 (annual increases based on the calendar year percentage change in the CPI-W for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area, rounded to the nearest 5 cents);
• Novato (annual increases of the lesser of 3.5 percent or the annual increase in the CPI-W for the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metropolitan area):
  • Businesses with 25 or fewer employees: $15.50;
  • Businesses with 26 to 99 employees: $15.53;
  • Businesses with 100 or more employees: $15.77;
• Oakland: $15.50 (annual increases based on the calendar year percentage change in the CPI-W for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area);
  • Hotel workers with health benefits: $16.38;
  • Hotel workers without health benefits: $21.84;
• Palo Alto: $16.45 (annual increases based on the August-to-August percentage change in the CPI-W, U.S. city average, rounded to nearest 5 cents);
• Pasadena: $16.11 (annual increases based on the percentage change in the CPI-W for the Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County metropolitan area);
• Petaluma: $17.06 (annual increases based on the calendar year percentage change in the CPI-W for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area);
• Redwood City: $16.20 (annual increases based on the August-to-August percentage change in the CPI for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area);
• Richmond: $15.54 (annual increases based on the calendar year percentage change in the CPI-W for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area);
• San Diego: $15.50 (annual increases beginning January 1, 2023, based on the August-to-August percentage change in the CPI-W, U.S. city average, rounded to the nearest 5 cents);
• San Francisco: $16.99 (annual increases based on the calendar year percentage change in the CPI-W for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area);
• South San Francisco: $15.80;
• San Jose: $16.20 (annual increases based on the August-to-August percentage change in the CPI-W for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area, rounded to the nearest 5 cents);
• San Leandro: $15.50 for all employees;
• San Mateo: $16.20 (annual increases based on the August-to-August percentage change in the CPI-W for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area);
• Santa Clara: $16.40 (annual increases based on the August-to-August percentage change in the CPI-W, U.S. city average, rounded to the nearest 5 cents);
• Santa Monica: $15.96 (annual increases based on the percentage change in the CPI-W for the Los Angeles metropolitan area, beginning July 1, 2022);
• Santa Rosa: $15.85 (annual increases based on the lesser of 3.5 percent or the annual percentage change in the CPI-W, U.S. city average, rounded to the nearest 10 cents);
• Sonoma: $17.00; and
• Sunnyvale: $17.10 (annual increases based on the August-to-August percentage change in the CPI-W for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area, rounded to the nearest 5 cents).

For purposes of computing back pay for noncompliance for previous years, the state minimum wage was set at $6.75 per hour beginning January 1, 2002; $7.50 per hour beginning January 1, 2007; $8.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2008; $9.00 per hour beginning July 1, 2014; and $10.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2016. For employers with more than 25 employees, the minimum wage was $10.50 per hour beginning January 1, 2017; $11.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2018; $12.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2019; $13.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2020; $14.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2021; and $15.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2022. See https://www.dir.ca.gov/iwc/MinimumWageHistory.htm.

If the federal minimum wage is increased above California’s minimum wage at any time in the future, the IWC must order a new minimum wage for California, with the same effective dates as the federal minimum wage. Labor Code §1182(b). On July 24, 2008, the federal minimum wage increased from $5.85 to $6.55 per hour. On July 24, 2009, it increased to $7.25 per hour. 29 USC §206(a)(1). It has not been raised since 2009.