California Minimum Wage 2026
California’s statewide minimum wage is $16.90/hour in 2026, but covered fast-food and health-care workers and employees in some cities or counties can have higher rates. Use the checker only after selecting the category that actually applies.
On this page: Compliance checker · 2026 rates by industry · City & county rates · California overtime rules · Tipped workers · If you're underpaid · FAQ
Related calculators: Minimum Wage Underpayment Calculator · California Minimum Salary 2026 · California Overtime Calculator · Meal Break Penalty Calculator
California Minimum Wage Compliance Checker
Choose the statewide or sector rate that applies, then enter your wage and a typical work schedule. Health-care minimum wages changed on July 1, 2026 and vary by facility category; verify the facility tier in the table below before using a health-care option.
California Minimum Wage Rates 2026 by Worker Category
The statewide rate is $16.90/hour in 2026. Covered fast-food and health-care work can have higher sector rates. If you are looking for the separate salary floor used in California overtime-exemption analysis, see California Minimum Salary 2026.
| Worker / facility category | Rate in effect Aug. 19, 2026 | Key note |
|---|---|---|
| Standard statewide rate | $16.90/hr | Effective Jan. 1, 2026; higher local or sector rules may apply |
| Covered fast-food workers | $20.00/hr | Sector minimum for covered fast-food restaurant employees |
| Health care — $25 tier | $25.00/hr | Includes covered large health systems/hospitals in the highest tier, dialysis clinics, and large-county facilities |
| Health care — $23 tier | $23.00/hr | Includes other covered facilities and medium-county facilities in this schedule |
| Health care — $22 tier | $22.00/hr | Includes covered intermittent/community/rural-health clinics and associated urgent-care clinics, subject to facility coverage and possible waiver rules |
| Health care — $19.28 tier | $19.28/hr | Includes specified safety-net/rural categories and small-county facilities |
| Tipped workers | Full applicable minimum | California does not allow an employer tip credit against minimum wage |
Health-care warning: SB 525 coverage is facility-specific. Approved clinic waivers can delay a clinic's schedule, and some skilled-nursing situations have separate conditions. If you are unsure of the facility category, do not select a health-care tier just because you work in health care. Verify with California DIR's Health Care Worker Minimum Wage FAQ.
Official references: California DIR — Minimum Wage · Health Care Worker Minimum Wage FAQ.
California City & County Minimum Wages 2026
Many California cities and counties set minimum wages above the state rate. If you work in one of these jurisdictions, the higher local rate applies — not the state rate. Your employer must pay whichever is higher.
| City / County | 2026 rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $19.61/hr | Effective 7/1/2026; adjusts annually each July 1 based on CPI |
| Berkeley | $19.61/hr | Effective 7/1/2026; adjusts annually each July 1 |
| San Jose | $18.45/hr | Effective 1/1/2026; adjusts annually each January 1 |
| Los Angeles (city) | $18.42/hr | Effective 7/1/2026. Separate higher rate applies to hotel and airport workers |
| Los Angeles County (unincorporated) | $18.47/hr | Effective 7/1/2026. Applies to unincorporated county areas only |
| Pasadena | $18.57/hr | Effective 7/1/2026; adjusts annually each July 1 |
| Santa Monica | $18.47/hr | Effective 7/1/2026. Higher rate for hotel workers |
| Emeryville | $20.34/hr | Effective 7/1/2026; one of the highest city minimums in California |
| West Hollywood | $20.25/hr | Effective 1/1/2026; adjusts annually each January 1 |
| Alameda | $17.76/hr | Effective 7/1/2026; adjusts annually each July 1 |
Local rates can change on January 1 or July 1 and may have separate rules for hotels or other industries. Verify the workplace address and current local ordinance before using a local rate. California DIR maintains a link to a statewide city/county minimum-wage list from its minimum-wage page.
California Overtime Rules: Daily and Weekly Thresholds
Want the actual overtime calculation? Enter a full workweek in the California Overtime Calculator to separate regular, 1.5× overtime, and 2× double-time hours.
For many nonexempt employees, California generally requires 1.5× the regular rate for hours worked over 8 through 12 in a workday and for the first 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek, and 2× after 12 hours in a workday or after 8 hours on that seventh consecutive day. Weekly overtime also generally applies after 40 hours worked in a workweek.
| General situation | Rate |
|---|---|
| First 8 hours in a workday | Regular rate (1×) |
| Over 8 through 12 hours in a workday | 1.5× |
| Over 12 hours in a workday | 2× |
| First 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day in a workweek | 1.5× |
| Over 8 hours on that 7th consecutive day | 2× |
| Over 40 hours in a workweek, subject to rules preventing double counting | 1.5× |
Important: valid alternative workweek schedules and other exemptions or industry-specific rules can change the daily-overtime calculation.
Do not enter an entire week's hours into the standalone Overtime Pay Calculator and simply change its threshold to 8. That tool uses one threshold for the total hours entered. For California daily overtime, calculate each day separately when using that simple tool, then separately account for any weekly rule that remains applicable.
Official references: California DIR — Overtime FAQ · Exceptions to General Overtime Law.
California Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers
California does not allow an employer to use tips as a credit toward its minimum-wage obligation. Tipped employees must receive the full applicable minimum wage from the employer, with tips on top.
- Use $16.90/hour only when the statewide standard rate is the applicable minimum; a higher local or sector rate can apply.
- Employers and their agents may not take or receive employees' tips except as allowed by California tip-pooling rules.
- Managers and supervisors should not be treated as ordinary tip-pool participants merely because they also perform some service work; tip rules are fact-specific.
Official reference: California DIR — Tips and Gratuities FAQ.
Paid Below California Minimum Wage? Recovery Basics
If the applicable minimum wage was not paid, the base shortage can be estimated with the Minimum Wage Underpayment Calculator. Legal remedies can go beyond the base shortage, but they should not be added mechanically.
- Wage-claim deadline: California's Labor Commissioner lists a three-year deadline for claims involving minimum wage, overtime, unpaid meal/rest-period premiums, and some other statutory wage claims.
- Waiting-time penalties: final-pay violations can create separate penalties in qualifying situations, up to 30 days of wages.
- PAGA: PAGA civil penalties are a separate process. Current rules include cure procedures and penalty reductions in some circumstances; a universal $100/$200-per-pay-period estimate is not reliable.
Workers can review California Labor Commissioner wage-claim information and filing options without assuming a lawsuit is required.
Official references: California DIR — File a Wage Claim · Filing Deadlines · PAGA FAQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage in California in 2026?
The statewide California minimum wage is $16.90 per hour in 2026. Higher local rates and sector-specific minimums can apply, including a $20 fast-food minimum for covered workers and facility-specific health-care minimums.
What are California health-care minimum wages in August 2026?
For covered health-care employees, rates in effect after July 1, 2026 vary by facility category. Common statutory tiers are $25, $23, $22, and $19.28 per hour. Facility coverage, county category, clinic waivers, and some skilled-nursing rules can change which schedule applies.
Does California have daily overtime?
Generally yes for covered nonexempt employees: 1.5× applies to hours over 8 through 12 in a workday and 2× after 12, with additional seventh-consecutive-day rules. Alternative workweek schedules and other exceptions can change the result.
Can California cities set a higher minimum wage than the state?
Yes. Some California cities and counties set higher local minimum wages. Use the rate that applies to the actual work location and verify current local rules.
Is there a California tip credit?
No. California employers cannot count employee tips as a credit toward the employer's minimum-wage obligation. Tipped workers must receive the full applicable minimum wage from the employer, with tips on top.
What happens if my employer pays below California minimum wage?
A worker may have a claim for the wage shortfall and, depending on the facts, other remedies. California filing deadlines and penalties vary by claim type. PAGA is a separate civil-penalty process and should not be estimated with a universal per-pay-period multiplier.
What is California's minimum wage for fast-food workers?
California DIR lists a $20.00-per-hour minimum for covered fast-food restaurant employees. Coverage depends on the statutory fast-food definition.
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