Hourly Minimum Wage in California

Alaska Alabama Arkansas Arizona Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Iowa Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Massachusetts Maryland Maine Michigan Minnesota Missouri Mississippi Montana North Carolina North Dakota Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico Nevada New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Vermont Washington Wisconsin West Virginia Wyoming

The state-wide minimum wage for California is $15.50 per hour as of January 01, 2023.

View all California minimum wage values

Hourly Minimum Wage for California and neighboring states in 2023

Alaska Alabama Arkansas Arizona Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Iowa Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Massachusetts Maryland Maine Michigan Minnesota Missouri Mississippi Montana North Carolina North Dakota Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico Nevada New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Vermont Washington Wisconsin West Virginia Wyoming
View table
California minimum wage rate is $15.50 per hour in 2023. Workers receive a higher minimum wage in California that exceeds the Federal Minimum Wage of $7.25. The California minimum wage applies to most employees, with limited exceptions, including certain tipped employees, students or part-time workers, and other exempt occupations. The top 5 minimum wage states in the U.S. are District of Columbia, Washington, California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour and has not increased since 2009. Demand for a living wage that is fair to workers is rising. In response to this rising demand, numerous states, cities, and other localities have already enacted or will change minimum wage levels. In the few states with no established minimum wage, the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour will continue to apply.
Based on local legislation, many states have already enacted minimum wage increases or approved increases due for implementation at a future date.
These ever-changing laws, effective dates, and methodologies result in minimum wages that may change at different times or differ dramatically within a state or region. Minimum wage changes can be triggered for a location when these pre-determined conditions change and require careful monitoring to ensure compliance to the latest wage levels.
Salary.com continuously tracks all these complex changes. We can help to keep you informed about future changes and stay up to date on the latest minimum wage levels in your essential locations. Show me more data to view U.S. state minimum wages for future years.

Browse Minimum Wage by Year, and Forecast Minimum Wage Increase Trends in California

The minimum wages in some states are higher than the federal minimum wage in 2023, including District of Columbia, Washington, California, Connecticut, and others. Many of the minimum wage increases were effective on January 01, 2023. Some states have effective dates occurring at different months of the year. Check the chart to stay up to date on the hourly minimum wage in California.
View upcoming minimum wage changes to be on top of future changes to the minimum wage in your location.
View table

Hourly Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees in California

View table
The tipped minimum wage is the lowest amount employers can pay an employee in occupations such as a bartender or server, that regularly receive more than $30 a month in tips. In some states, the tipped minimum wage may be lower than the non-tipped minimum wage because employers can claim a tip credit.
It is important to note that the tipped minimum wage can vary depending on where your business is and the size of the business. In some states, the tipped minimum wage is equal to the overall minimum wage for that state. In some locations, the federal tipped minimum wage applies. In other locations, the state-tipped minimum wage is set above the federal minimum. Tipped minimum wages may vary from state to state and can be frequently adjusted, making it essential to stay informed about the latest wage levels.
In California, the tipped minimum wage is the same as the state minimum wage. It may be subject to adjustment based on other criteria, such as the size of the business.
See tipped data learn more about tipped and non-tipped minimum wage in California.

Detailed Minimum Wage Data in California

Certain cities, counties, municipalities, or economic zones may have different minimum wage levels in California. Depending on the state, additional rules and factors may determine the minimum wage levels for a particular occupation or type of business.
The California minimum wage is higher than the federal minimum wage in 2023. According to our location-specific minimum wage data in California, many cities in CA have a minimum wage above the state minimum. Many California localities (city and county) have their own minimum wages. It could be higher or lower than the state level based on the cost of living, salary, job opportunities, and other factors.
Get city level data in your location to get pay right.
View more

What is the minimum wage in California in 2023?

California minimum wage in 2021: US$14 (effective January 1, 2021)

California minimum wage in 2020: US$13

California minimum wage in 2000: US$5.75 ($8.86 after inflation adjustment)

California minimum wage in 1980: US$2.90 ($9.72 after inflation adjustment)

People's Opinions on Minimum Wage in California

With an employee’s consent, an employer may furnish meals or lodging to an employee as compensation, and that may count that compensation toward satisfaction of California’s minimum wage law.?.

09/22/2021

The California Labor Commission's Officer enforces all labor laws, including local minimum wage ordinances, an may issue citations and penalties for violations on behalf of local jurisdictions.

09/19/2021

Many California cities have also enacted their own wage ordinances, including the City of Los Angeles, which increases the minimum wage according to the same schedule as Los Angeles County.

09/12/2021

San Diego’s minimum wage has been surpassed by the State of California’s rate for large employers (26 employees), however it is higher than the State’s rate for small employers (1-25 employees).

09/05/2021

The California Director of Finance is responsible for determining the change in minimum wage based on the calculations discussed above by August 1 of the year before the change will take place.

08/20/2021

The State of California Department of Industrial Relations states that although there are some exceptions, almost all employees in California must be paid the minimum wage as required by state law.

08/19/2021

California has established a higher minimum wage than the federal rate, so employers in California are required to pay the minimum wage that has been established by state law (unless an even.

08/17/2021

If a work location is not within the geographic boundaries of the City of San Diego, but within the County of San Diego, the California State minimum wage and earned sick leave laws apply.

07/24/2021

In addition to any California-specific minimum wage exemptions described above, the Federal Fair Labor Standards act defines special minimum wage rates applicable to certain types of workers.

07/10/2021

Because California requires that you be paid the minimum wage for each hour worked, an employer cannot average your hourly wages to determine whether you are making the required minimum wage.

07/05/2021

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst

Minimum Wage by State in 2023