California Minimum Wage 2026: $16.90/hr Calculator
Calculate weekly, monthly, and annual gross pay at California's 2026 minimum wage. Includes tipped worker earnings.
How California Minimum Wage Compares to the Federal Rate
California's 2026 minimum wage of $16.90 per hour is $9.65 above the $7.25 federal minimum. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour has not changed since 2009, meaning workers in states like California rely on state law for meaningful wage floors.
At $16.90/hr working full-time (40 hours/week, 52 weeks/year), a California worker earns $35,152.00 gross annually. That equals $676.00 per week and roughly $2,929.33 per month.
These figures are gross (before taxes). Your take-home pay will be lower after federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) deductions. Use our California Income Tax Calculator for a net-pay estimate.
Last updated: August 2026. Rate effective January 1, 2026. Rates verified against the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.
Tipped Workers in California
The tipped minimum wage in California is $16.90 per hour in 2026. This is the same as the regular minimum wage — California does not allow a tipped credit.
Tipped workers covered by California law include restaurant servers, bartenders, valets, and other service workers who regularly receive tips. Always check your pay stub to ensure your employer is meeting the full minimum wage requirement.
Note: California allows no tip credit. Many cities set higher local floors, so check your city ordinance.
California Minimum Wage 2027: $17.40 per Hour
California's next statewide increase is already confirmed. On July 31, 2026 the Governor's office announced that the statewide minimum wage rises to $17.40 per hour on January 1, 2027 — a 50-cent step up from the current $16.90. The increase is automatic: state law reindexes the wage each year to inflation, so it does not need a new bill. At $17.40/hr, full-time gross pay becomes $36,192 a year, $696 a week, and about $3,016 a month — roughly $1,040 a year more than the 2026 rate. Overtime at the 2027 rate is $26.10/hr and double time is $34.80/hr. Source: Office of the Governor of California, July 31, 2026.
California Wage Increase Schedule
The 2026 minimum wage for California is $16.90/hr, rising to $17.40/hr on January 1, 2027. California allows no tip credit. Many cities set higher local floors, so check your city ordinance.
Employers must post the current California minimum wage notice at their place of business. Violations can result in back-pay orders and civil penalties. Workers who believe they are being underpaid can file a complaint with the California Department of Labor or the U.S. Department of Labor.
Bookmark this page — we update California wage data each time the state announces a new rate, including CPI-indexed adjustments.
California Daily Overtime Rules at Minimum Wage
California is one of the few states with daily overtime, so a weekly calculation understates many workers' pay. State law requires 1.5x after 8 hours in a day and after 40 hours in a week, double time after 12 hours in a day, 1.5x for the first 8 hours of a seventh consecutive workday, and double time beyond that. At the 2026 rate of $16.90, an overtime hour pays $25.35 and a double-time hour pays $33.80. The calculator above applies the 40-hour weekly rule; if you regularly work more than 8 hours a day, check your daily entitlement with the California Department of Industrial Relations.
Industry Minimum Wages Above $16.90 — Fast Food and Health Care
The $16.90 statewide floor is the lowest legal rate in California, not the rate most workers in two large sectors are owed. Two industry minimum wages sit well above it, and your employer must pay whichever rate is highest — federal, state, local ordinance, or industry:
- Fast food restaurant employees — $20.00/hr since April 1, 2024. This covers employees of limited-service restaurant chains with 60+ locations nationwide. That is $3.10/hr above the state floor, worth about $6,448 a year at full-time hours.
- Health care workers, large systems — $25.00/hr from July 1, 2026. Applies to covered facilities with 10,000+ full-time-equivalent employees or that are part of an integrated system that size. The rate stepped $23 → $24 → $25 across 2024–2026.
- Health care workers, covered clinics — $22.00/hr from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, rising to $25.00/hr on July 1, 2027.
- Health care workers, all other covered facilities — $21.00/hr through June 30, 2026.
On top of these, dozens of California cities and counties set their own higher floors that reindex each July 1 — West Hollywood, Emeryville, Mountain View, San Francisco and Berkeley all sit above the state rate. The calculator above uses the $16.90 statewide figure by default; if you are covered by an industry or local rate, enter that hourly rate instead to get an accurate weekly, monthly and annual total. Rates per the California Department of Industrial Relations minimum wage FAQ and its fast food and health care worker supplements.