Novato Minimum Wage
$17.73 an hour for the largest employers · $0.83 above the state minimum · adjusts every January 1
The minimum wage in Novato is $17.73 for 100 or more employees; $17.46 for 26 to 99 employees; $16.90 for 1 to 25 employees (the state minimum), in effect since January 1, 2026. Novato's minimum wage rises to $18.25 for 100 or more employees; $17.97 for 26 to 99 employees; $17.40 for 1 to 25 employees (the state minimum) on January 1, 2027, a 2.9% increase that the city has already published.
What Novato's minimum wage pays
Gross pay before taxes
Want take-home pay? Use the California paycheck calculator with this hourly rate.
Novato minimum wage by year
| Effective | Rate | Change | State minimum then |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2027 (announced) | $18.25 · 100 or more employees $17.97 · 26 to 99 employees $17.40 · 1 to 25 employees |
+$0.52 (2.9%) | $17.40 |
| January 1, 2026 (current) | $17.73 · 100 or more employees $17.46 · 26 to 99 employees $16.90 · 1 to 25 employees |
— | $16.90 |
The rate adjusts every January 1 by the San Francisco-area CPI-W. At $17.73, a full-time job (2,080 hours) pays $36,878 a year before taxes, $1,726 more than the state minimum.
Who is covered
Employees for the hours they work inside the city limits, full- or part-time. Check the ordinance for any minimum-hours threshold.
- Businesses with 1 to 25 employees pay the state minimum wage.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage in Novato in 2026?
It is $17.73 for 100 or more employees; $17.46 for 26 to 99 employees; $16.90 for 1 to 25 employees (the state minimum), in effect since January 1, 2026. That is $0.83 an hour above California's $16.90 statewide minimum for the largest employers.
When does the Novato minimum wage go up next?
Novato's minimum wage rises to $18.25 for 100 or more employees; $17.97 for 26 to 99 employees; $17.40 for 1 to 25 employees (the state minimum) on January 1, 2027, a 2.9% increase that the city has already published.
Do small businesses in Novato pay less?
Yes. Novato sets different rates by employer size: $17.73 for 100 or more employees; $17.46 for 26 to 99 employees; $16.90 for 1 to 25 employees (the state minimum).
Do fast food workers in Novato 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 Novato's $17.73. Other restaurant workers get the local rate.
Who has to be paid the Novato minimum wage?
Employees for the hours they work inside the city limits, full- or part-time. Check the ordinance for any minimum-hours threshold.
Sources
- Novato official minimum wage page (checked: City of Novato minimum wage page, opened in a browser 2026-10-11)
- 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.