San Diego minimum wage

Minimum wage in San Diego, California, in effect since January 1, 2026

$17.75 an hour

San Diego sets its own minimum wage, $0.85 above the California rate of $16.90. Employers in San Diego pay the higher local rate.

Next increase: $18.35 on January 1, 2027.

Standard rate

$17.75

since January 1, 2026

Tipped cash wage

$17.75

No tip credit allowed

Next change

$18.35

January 1, 2027

Federal minimum

$7.25

unchanged since 2009

Tipped employees

San Diego doesn't allow a tip credit. Tipped employees must get the full $17.75 an hour from the employer, and tips are on top.

Scheduled increases

Effective date	Standard rate	Tipped cash wage	Status
January 1, 2026 (current)	$17.75	$17.75	In effect
January 1, 2027	$18.35	$18.35	Announced

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
Palo Alto $18.70
Pasadena $18.57
Petaluma $18.31
Richmond $19.18
San Carlos $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 San Diego?

Recent changes

Last verified against the official source on October 9, 2026.

No changes recorded since we started tracking this page.

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Sources

City of San Diego, Minimum Wage Program · 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.