California Minimum Wage 2026: State Floor vs. City vs. Fast Food vs. Healthcare
"What's the California minimum wage" has four possible answers depending on where you work and in what industry — here's how the layers actually stack.
The statewide minimum wage floor is $16.90/hour for every employer regardless of size. But that's the floor, not necessarily your actual wage: over 40 California cities and 2 counties set a higher local minimum, qualifying fast food chains pay $20.00/hour, and healthcare facility workers fall under a separate four-tier schedule running roughly $18.63–$25.00/hour depending on facility type.
Four layers, not one number
It helps to think of California's minimum wage as four separate rules that can each apply depending on your situation, not one number with local exceptions bolted on:
- State floor — $16.90/hour, applies everywhere by default.
- City/county ordinance — over 40 cities and 2 counties set their own, higher floor. A city can only raise the minimum above the state floor, never below it.
- Fast food — a flat $20.00/hour for limited-service chains with 60+ locations nationwide (with a standalone-bakery-cafe carve-out), regardless of city.
- Healthcare facility workers — a separate four-tier schedule under SB 525 running $18.63–$25.00/hour depending on facility type, phased in through the decade.
Why "highest of the three" isn't quite the right rule
For state vs. city, the rule really is simple: whichever is higher applies. But fast food and healthcare aren't additive layers on top of a city rate — they're separate, replacing schedules for a covered employer.
A fast food worker in a city with its own higher minimum wage doesn't get "city rate plus fast food rate" or even necessarily "whichever is higher" in every case; the fast food statute and a covered healthcare facility's SB 525 tier are designed to be the controlling number for that specific employment relationship.
Getting this distinction backwards is one of the more common mistakes in minimum-wage content aimed at employers.
Which cities set the highest local minimums
Local ordinances vary considerably. Some of the highest current city minimum wages include:
- Emeryville: $20.34/hour
- West Hollywood: $20.25/hour
- Mountain View: $19.70/hour
- Berkeley: $19.61/hour
- San Francisco: $19.61/hour
Most Bay Area and Los Angeles-area city ordinances update on July 1 each year; a few others update January 1 alongside the state floor — so a rate that was accurate in the spring can be outdated by fall.
Look up your exact rate
Rather than trying to layer these rules manually, use our California Minimum Wage Lookup by City & Industry — select your city and industry and it applies the correct rule automatically, including the fast food and healthcare carve-outs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the California minimum wage in 2026?
The statewide floor is $16.90/hour for all employers, regardless of size. Over 40 cities and 2 counties set a higher local minimum wage, and fast food and healthcare workers have their own separate, higher wage floors.
Which wage applies if my city, my industry, and the state all set different rates?
Whichever is highest for the employee applies, with one exception: fast food and healthcare wages don't just add on top of a city rate, they can fully replace it for a covered employer — so "highest of the three" isn't quite right for those two industries. See the calculator for how each interacts.
Does the fast food minimum wage apply to every restaurant?
No. It applies only to limited-service restaurant chains with 60 or more locations nationwide, with an exception for chains that produce and sell their own bread as a standalone item. Independent restaurants and small chains follow the regular state or local minimum wage instead.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Confirm your exact city and industry rate with the DIR or your city's labor standards office before running payroll.