Effective January 1, 2023, the state-wide California minimum wage is $15.50 per hour due to a cost-of-living increase provision in the state’s minimum wage law. The Orange County minimum wage is the same as California’s minimum wage, $15.50 per hour.
The California minimum salary for employees who otherwise qualify to be exempt from overtime is $64,480 annually for employers of all sizes, effective January 1, 2023.
Annual CA Minimum Wage Increases
Minimum wage rates are adjusted annually for inflation based on the national Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). California’s minimum wage is part of a law enacted in 2016, Senate Bill No. 3.
Conditions for Increasing California’s minimum wage:
- The highest raise allowed in any one year is 3.5 percent.
- The first adjusted increases may be accelerated if the adjusted CPI-W exceeds seven percent in that first year.
- The minimum wage cannot be lowered, even if there is a negative CPI.
- The Governor can no longer pause a scheduled increase.
California Minimum Wage by County & City
- Federal Minimum Wage is $7.25 per hour effective January 1, 2009.
- CA Minimum Wage is $15.50 per hour effective January 1, 2023.
- CA Minimum Salary is $64,480 effective January 1, 2023.
- Orange County Minimum Wage is $15.50 per hour. A higher minimum wage than the State of California has not been established by Orange County nor any Orange County city.
Below are the cities and counties that have higher minimum wages than the state’s rate:
| City/County | Minimum Wage Rate Per Hour |
| Alameda, CA | $15.75 |
| Belmont, CA | $16.75 |
| Berkeley, CA | $16.99 |
| Burlingame, CA | $16.47 |
| Cupertino, CA | $17.20 |
| Daily City, CA | $16.07 |
| East Palo Alto, CA | $16.50 |
| El Cerrito, CA | $17.35 |
| Emeryville, CA | $17.68 |
| Foster City, CA | $16.50 |
| Freemont, CA | $16.00 |
| Half Moon Bay, CA | $16.45 |
| Hayward, CA (< 26 Employees) | $15.50 |
| Hayward, CA (26 + Employees) | $16.34 |
| Los Altos, CA | $17.20 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $16.04 |
| Los Angeles, CA-unincorporated county | $15.96 |
| Malibu, CA | $15.96 |
| Menlo Park, CA | $16.20 |
| Milpitas, CA | $16.40 |
| Mountain View, CA | $18.15 |
| Novato, CA (< 26 Employees) | $15.53 |
| Novato, CA (26-99 Employees) | $16.07 |
| Novato, CA (100 + Employees) | $16.32 |
| Oakland, CA | $15.97 |
| Palo Alto, CA | $17.25 |
| Pasadena, CA | $16.11 |
| Petaluma, CA | $17.06 |
| Redwood City, CA | $17.00 |
| Richmond, CA | $16.17 |
| San Carlos, CA | $16.32 |
| San Diego, CA | $16.30 |
| San Francisco, CA | $16.99 |
| San Jose, CA | $17.00 |
| San Mateo, CA | $16.75 |
| Santa Clara, CA | $17.20 |
| Santa Monica, CA | $15.96 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $17.06 |
| Sonoma, CA (< 26 Employees) | $16.00 |
| Sonoma, CA (26 + Employees) | $17.00 |
| South San Francisco, CA | $16.70 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | $17.95 |
| West Hollywood, CA (< 50 Employees) | $17.00 |
| West Hollywood, CA (50 + Employees) | $17.50 |
Related Articles
| California HUD Income Limits | California Income Tax Brackets |
| List of Counties and Cities in California | 10 New California Laws 2023 |
| Sales Tax in Orange County | California Capital Gains Tax |
Monique McArthur is a mother of two, writer, and creator of delicious recipes. In her spare time she enjoys exploring all that Orange County has to offer, traveling, shopping, running with her dogs and spending time with family.