Palo Alto minimum wage
Minimum wage in Palo Alto, California, in effect since January 1, 2026
$18.70 an hour
Palo Alto sets its own minimum wage, $1.80 above the California rate of $16.90. Employers in Palo Alto pay the higher local rate.
Next increase: $19.25 on January 1, 2027.
Standard rate
$18.70
since January 1, 2026
Tipped cash wage
$18.70
No tip credit allowed
Next change
$19.25
January 1, 2027
Federal minimum
$7.25
unchanged since 2009
Tipped employees
Palo Alto doesn't allow a tip credit. Tipped employees must get the full $18.70 an hour from the employer, and tips are on top.
Scheduled increases
| Effective date | Standard rate | Tipped cash wage | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 (current) | $18.70 | $18.70 | In effect |
| January 1, 2027 | $19.25 | $19.25 | Announced |
How future increases are set
Adjusted each January 1 by the Bay Area Consumer Price Index.
Other local minimum wages in California
- Alameda $17.76
- Belmont $18.95
- Berkeley $19.61
- Burlingame $17.86
- Cupertino $18.70
- Daly City $17.50
- East Palo Alto $17.90
- El Cerrito $18.82
- Emeryville $20.34
- Foster City $17.85
- Fremont $18.05
- Half Moon Bay $17.91
- Hayward $17.79
- Los Altos $18.70
- Los Angeles $18.42
- Los Angeles County (unincorporated) $18.47
- Malibu $17.91
- Menlo Park $17.55
- Milpitas $18.50
- Mountain View $19.70
- Novato $17.46
- Oakland $17.34
- Pasadena $18.57
- Petaluma $18.31
- Richmond $19.18
- San Carlos $17.75
- San Diego $17.75
- San Francisco $19.61
- San Jose $18.45
- San Mateo $18.60
- San Mateo County (unincorporated) $17.95
- Santa Clara $18.70
- Santa Monica $18.47
- Santa Rosa $18.21
- Sonoma $18.47
- South San Francisco $18.15
- Sunnyvale $19.50
- West Hollywood $20.25
Running payroll in Palo Alto?
Recent changes
Last verified against the official source on October 9, 2026.
No changes recorded since we started tracking this page.
Sources
- City of Palo Alto · data as of January 1, 2026 · last checked October 9, 2026
We copy figures from official sources and re-check them against the source before every update. See our methodology. This is general information, not legal advice.