California’s minimum wage goes up again in 2025, and it’s even higher in these cities
On Jan. 1, California’s minimum wage will increase to $16.50. That’s a 50-cent increase in 2025 over the 2024 minimum wage.
The minimum wage has risen by $6 since 2017, when employers with more than 25 employees were required to pay $10.50 an hour, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations.
In November, voters rejected a ballot measure to raise the minimum wage even higher — to $18 an hour — 51% to 49%.
A few industries, and several California cities, have an even higher minimum wage.
Employees of the fast food industry now make a minimum wage of $20 an hour, while certain health care workers make a minimum wage that ranges from $18 to $23.
The following California cities also offer a higher minimum wage than the state, as of Jan. 1, according to the UC Berkeley Labor Center:
▪ Alameda ($17)
▪ Belmont ($18.30)
▪ Berkeley ($18.67)
▪ Burlingame ($17.43)
▪ Cupertino ($18.20)
▪ Daly City ($17.07)
▪ East Palo Alto ($17.45)
▪ El Cerrito ($18.34)
▪ Emeryville (($19.36)
▪ Foster City ($17.39)
▪ Fremont ($17.30)
▪ Half Moon Bay ($17.47)
▪ Hayward ($16.50 to $17.36)
▪ Los Altos ($18.20)
▪ Los Angeles ($17.28)
▪ Los Angeles County (Unincorporated) ($17.27)
▪ Malibu ($17.27)
▪ Menlo Park ($17.10)
▪ Milpitas ($17.70)
▪ Mountain View ($19.20)
▪ Novato ($16.50 to $17.27)
▪ Oakland ($16.89)
▪ Palo Alto ($18.20)
▪ Pasadena ($17.50)
▪ Petaluma ($17.97)
▪ Redwood City ($18.20)
▪ Richmond ($17.77)
▪ San Carlos ($17.32)
▪ San Diego ($17.25)
▪ San Francisco ($18.67)
▪ San Jose ($17.95)
▪ San Mateo ($17.95)
▪ San Mateo County (Unincorporated) ($17.46)
▪ Santa Clara ($18.20)
▪ Santa Monica ($17.27)
▪ Santa Rosa ($17.87)
▪ Sonoma ($16.96 to $18.02)
▪ South San Francisco ($17.70)
▪ Sunnyvale ($19)
▪ West Hollywood ($19.65)
This story was originally published December 27, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "California’s minimum wage goes up again in 2025, and it’s even higher in these cities."