California Minimum Wage 2019 Rates and Changes

California's minimum wage rates have been steadily increasing over the years. As of January 1, 2019, the minimum wage for employers with 26 or more employees was $12 per hour.

In 2019, the minimum wage for employers with 25 or fewer employees was $11 per hour. This rate applied to small businesses and exempted them from the higher minimum wage rate for larger employers.

On July 1, 2019, the minimum wage for all employers in California increased to $12.50 per hour. This change applied to both large and small businesses.

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California's minimum wage rates have undergone significant changes in recent years. As of January 1, 2019, the state minimum wage increased to $12.00 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees and $11.00 for smaller employers with 25 employees or less.

Many California cities have implemented their own minimum wage ordinances, which can be higher than the state standard. For example, Berkeley's minimum wage is $15.00, and Emeryville's minimum wage is $15.69 for employers with 56 or more employees.

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Some cities have enacted separate minimum wage laws for hotels. For example, Long Beach's hotel worker minimum wage is $14.64, and Santa Monica's hotel worker minimum wage is $16.10.

Here's a list of some California cities with minimum wage rates greater than the state standard as of January 1, 2019:

It's worth noting that some cities have implemented different minimum wage rates for employees with benefits versus those without benefits. For example, in Oakland, hotel workers without benefits are entitled to a minimum wage of $20.00, while those with benefits are entitled to $15.00.

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California's minimum wage has increased to $12.00 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees, and to $11.00 per hour for employers with 25 or fewer employees, effective January 1, 2019.

This change was enacted by Senate Bill (SB) 3, which also requires annual increases until reaching $15 per hour in 2022 for larger employers and in 2023 for smaller employers.

Some cities have implemented their own minimum wage ordinances, with rates higher than the state standard.

For example, the city of Berkeley has a minimum wage of $15.00, effective from October 1, 2018.

Other cities with higher minimum wage rates include Cupertino, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Los Altos, Los Angeles City, Los Angeles County (Unincorporated Areas), Malibu, Milpitas, Mountain View, Oakland, Palo Alto, Pasadena, Redwood City, Richmond, San Diego, San Francisco City and County, San Jose, San Leandro, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Monica, and Sunnyvale.

Some cities have separate minimum wage laws for hotels, with rates ranging from $14.64 in Long Beach to $16.10 in the City of Los Angeles and Santa Monica.

Here is a list of cities with higher minimum wage rates:

Note that some cities have separate minimum wage laws for hotels, with rates ranging from $14.64 in Long Beach to $16.10 in the City of Los Angeles and Santa Monica.