Overview
- The statewide floor stays $16.50 through December 2025 before rising to $16.90 on January 1, 2026 for most workers.
- Sector-specific rules remain higher, including $20 per hour for fast-food employees and $23 for health-care workers that began on October 16, 2024.
- Multiple cities exceed the state rate, led by Emeryville at $19.90, West Hollywood at $19.65, and Mountain View at $19.20.
- Other municipalities with higher local minima include San Francisco and Berkeley at $19.18, Sunnyvale at $19, El Cerrito at $18.34, Belmont at $18.30, and Santa Clara and Redwood City at $18.20.
- The change follows a statutory formula that links adjustments to the CPI-W, bars any reductions, and limits yearly increases to 3.5%, in a state where Latino and immigrant workers disproportionately earn below the overall average.