California Minimum Wage 2026: $16.90 an Hour, Local Rates and Take-Home Pay
The California minimum wage is $16.90 an hour since January 1, 2026 (source). It rises to $17.40 on January 1, 2027 (source). Full time, that is $35,152 a year before tax and $30,066 after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare and California income tax for a single filer.
Rates checked against official sources on November 4, 2026
California minimum wage by year
| Effective | Hourly rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2024 | $16.00 | source |
| January 1, 2025 | $16.50 | source |
| January 1, 2026 | $16.90 | source |
| January 1, 2027 (scheduled) | $17.40 | source |
Other California rates in 2026
| Who | Hourly rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fast food restaurant employees (AB 1228, national chains) (from April 1, 2024) | $20.00 | source |
| Health care: hospitals/integrated systems with 10,000+ FTE, dialysis clinics, facilities run by large counties (>5M pop.) (from July 1, 2026) | $25.00 | source |
| Health care: all other covered facilities not run by counties; facilities run by medium counties (250k-5M) (from July 1, 2026) | $23.00 | source |
| Health care: intermittent/community/rural/urgent-care clinics (from July 1, 2026) | $22.00 | source |
| Health care: safety-net hospitals; facilities run by small counties (<250k) (from July 1, 2026) | $19.28 | source |
Tipped workers: no tip credit — employers pay the full $16.90 an hour before tips (source).
One statewide rate for all employer sizes, adjusted each January 1 for inflation (CPI-W, capped at 3.5%).
City and county minimum wages in California
Some local governments set a higher minimum for work done within their limits. The rates below are the ones published by the state or the local government (retrieved November 4, 2026).
| Place | 2026 rate | Since | Announced next | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles (city) (Citywide hotel workers (60+ rooms): $25.00 + $8.15/hr health benefit from 2026-07-01) | $18.42 | July 1, 2026 | — | source |
| Los Angeles County (unincorporated areas) | $18.47 | July 1, 2026 | — | source |
| San Francisco | $19.61 | July 1, 2026 | — | source |
| San Diego (city) | $17.75 | January 1, 2026 | $18.35 | source |
| San Jose | $18.45 | January 1, 2026 | — | source |
| Oakland | $17.34 | January 1, 2026 | — | source |
| Berkeley (2027-07-01 rate = $19.61 + CPI-W, not yet set) | $19.61 | July 1, 2026 | — | source |
| Emeryville | $20.34 | July 1, 2026 | — | source |
| West Hollywood (Hotel employees: $20.87 from 2026-07-01) | $20.25 | January 1, 2026 | — | source |
| Pasadena | $18.57 | July 1, 2026 | — | source |
| Santa Monica | $18.47 | July 1, 2026 | — | source |
| Mountain View | $19.70 | January 1, 2026 | — | source |
| Sunnyvale | $19.50 | January 1, 2026 | — | source |
| Long Beach (hotel workers only) (No general city minimum wage; other workers get the state rate. Airport/convention-center concessionaire workers also $26.50 from 2026-07-01) | $26.50 | July 1, 2026 | — | source |
Take-home pay on the California minimum wage
| Pay before tax, a year | $35,152 |
| Federal income tax | $2,041 |
| Social Security and Medicare (7.65%) | $2,689 |
| California income tax | $356 |
| Take-home pay, a year | $30,066 |
| … a month | $2,505 |
| … an hour | $14.45 |
Your pay at $16.90 an hour, after tax
Tax figures: QuantCalc’s tax engine (federal 2.6.0, state 1.26.0), 2026 tax year, a single filer aged 30 with wages from one job, no dependents and the standard deduction. Local income taxes are not taken off, except the county income tax in Indiana and Maryland, which the state engine adds at a typical county rate; state payroll taxes (disability or paid-leave insurance) are not taken off either. Not tax or legal advice: an employer’s size, industry or location can set a different minimum, so check with the state labor department. How each tax line is computed, with its source: federal, state.
Overtime and salaried workers
Hours over 40 in a workweek are paid at one and a half times the regular rate under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor); for 2026 the federal return deducts the premium half of that pay (no tax on overtime calculator).
Federal law: an exempt executive, administrative or professional employee must be paid at least $684 a week ($35,568 a year) on a salary basis (U.S. Department of Labor). California sets a higher floor for exempt employees: $1,352.00 a week, $70,304 a year (two times the state minimum wage for full-time work; $72,384 a year from January 1, 2027) (source).
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in California in 2026?
- The California minimum wage is $16.90 an hour since January 1, 2026 (source).
- Will the California minimum wage go up in 2027?
- Yes: $17.40 an hour from January 1, 2027 (source).
- How much is the California minimum wage a year?
- At $16.90 an hour for 40 hours a week and 52 weeks, $35,152 before tax. After 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare and California income tax, a single filer keeps $30,066, $2,505 a month.
- What is the tipped minimum wage in California?
- California does not allow a tip credit: tipped workers get the full $16.90 an hour before tips (source).
- What is the minimum wage in Sacramento in 2026?
- Sacramento is not among the California cities with their own minimum wage in the table above, so the state rate of $16.90 an hour applies there (California Department of Industrial Relations).