In just over a week, we’ll turn the page on the calendar and roll into 2026, a year bringing some pretty notable changes for the state, not just with new laws, but when it comes to people’s paychecks too.
Starting January 1, Californians will see the state minimum wage climb from $16.50 to $16.90 an hour, according to CalMatters. This annual adjustment, tied to inflation, continues a decade-long trend of incremental increases that began with the landmark $15 per hour milestone back in 2016.
But the story doesn’t stop at the state line, as any cities are pushing local minimum wages even higher. West Hollywood, for example, will start the year at $20.25 per hour, the highest in California. In L.A., momentum for a $30 per hour wage for hotel and airport employees is building, with unions and community groups gathering support for ballot measures to extend that rate to more workers.
According to the UC Berkeley Labor Center, local minimum wages in dozens of California municipalities will also rise. Here’s the full list of confirmed rates for January 1, 2026.
- Alameda: $17.46 (July 1, 2025)
- Belmont: $18.95
- Berkeley: $19.18 (July 1, 2025)
- Burlingame: $17.86
- Cupertino: $18.70
- Daly City: $17.50
- East Palo Alto: $17.90
- El Cerrito: $18.82
- Emeryville: $19.90 (July 1, 2025)
- Foster City: $17.85
- Fremont: $17.75 (July 1, 2025)
- Half Moon Bay: $17.91
- Hayward: $17.79 (small employers: $16.90)
- Los Altos: $18.70
- Los Angeles: $17.87 (July 1, 2025)
- Los Angeles County (unincorporated): $17.81 (July 1, 2025)
- Menlo Park: $17.55
- Milpitas: $18.20 (July 1, 2025)
- Mountain View: $19.70
- Novato: $17.46 (very large businesses: $17.73; small businesses: $16.90)
- Oakland: $17.34
- Palo Alto: $18.70
- Pasadena: $18.04 (July 1, 2025)
- Petaluma: $18.31
- Redwood City: $18.65
- Richmond: $19.18
- San Carlos: $17.75
- San Diego: $17.75
- San Francisco: $19.18 (July 1, 2025)
- San Jose: $18.45
- San Mateo: $18.60
- San Mateo County (unincorporated): $17.95
- Santa Clara: $18.70
- Santa Monica: $17.81 (July 1, 2025)
- Santa Rosa: $18.21
- Sonoma: $18.47 (small employers: $17.38)
- South San Francisco: $18.15
- Sunnyvale: $19.50
- West Hollywood: $20.25