Belmont Minimum Wage
$18.95 an hour · $2.05 above the state minimum · adjusts every January 1
The minimum wage in Belmont is $18.95 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026. The rate next adjusts on January 1, 2027, by the lesser of 3.5% or the prior year's rise in the regional (San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward) Consumer Price Index, with a catch-up rule added in 2023. The new figure has not been published yet.
What Belmont's minimum wage pays
Gross pay before taxes
Want take-home pay? Use the California paycheck calculator with this hourly rate.
Belmont minimum wage by year
| Effective | Rate | Change | State minimum then |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 (current) | $18.95 | +$0.65 (3.6%) | $16.90 |
| January 1, 2025 | $18.30 | — | $0.00 |
The rate adjusts every January 1 by the lesser of 3.5% or the prior year's rise in the regional (San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward) Consumer Price Index, with a catch-up rule added in 2023. At $18.95, a full-time job (2,080 hours) pays $39,416 a year before taxes, $4,264 more than the state minimum.
Who is covered
Employees who work at least 2 hours a week inside the city limits, full- or part-time, for the hours worked there.
Some workers are owed more than the local rate under state law: fast food workers at chains with more than 60 locations ($20.00 an hour) and health care facility workers (see the health care minimum wage checker). Salaried workers must earn at least $70,304 a year to be exempt from overtime; that threshold is based on the state minimum wage, not the local one.
Other local minimum wages in San Mateo County
| City or area | Rate |
|---|---|
| Burlingame | $17.86 |
| Daly City | $17.50 |
| East Palo Alto | $17.90 |
| Foster City | $17.85 |
| Half Moon Bay | $17.91 |
| Menlo Park | $17.55 |
| Redwood City | $18.65 |
| San Carlos | $17.75 |
| San Mateo | $18.60 |
| Unincorporated San Mateo County | $17.95 |
| South San Francisco | $18.15 |
A local rate applies to hours worked inside that city's limits. Anywhere else in the county, the state minimum of $16.90 applies unless another ordinance covers the area.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage in Belmont in 2026?
It is $18.95 an hour for every employer, in effect since January 1, 2026. That is $2.05 an hour above California's $16.90 statewide minimum.
When does the Belmont minimum wage go up next?
The rate next adjusts on January 1, 2027, by the lesser of 3.5% or the prior year's rise in the regional (San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward) Consumer Price Index, with a catch-up rule added in 2023. The new figure has not been published yet.
Does the Belmont minimum wage apply to small businesses?
Yes. The rate is the same for every employer, whatever its size.
Do fast food workers in Belmont get a higher wage?
Workers at limited-service restaurants in national chains with more than 60 locations earn California's fast food minimum of $20.00 an hour, which is higher than Belmont's $18.95. Other restaurant workers get the local rate.
Who has to be paid the Belmont minimum wage?
Employees who work at least 2 hours a week inside the city limits, full- or part-time, for the hours worked there.
Sources
- Belmont official minimum wage page (checked: City of Belmont minimum wage FAQ (Wayback snapshot 2026-08-14))
- UC Berkeley Labor Center inventory of local minimum wage ordinances
- California Labor Commissioner: minimum wage FAQ
Educational information only, not legal advice. Local ordinances have exemptions and details not listed here; the city's ordinance and official notice control. When local, state and federal rates differ, the employer must pay the highest one that applies.