Milpitas minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Milpitas is $18.50 an hour in 2026, $1.60 above the California rate of $16.90. Milpitas raises its wage each July 1 with Bay Area consumer prices, and the City of San José's Office of Equality Assurance enforces it on the city's behalf. There is no exemption for small businesses or nonprofits.
Contents10 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $18.50 an hour, since July 1, 2026134 |
|---|---|
| Next change | The next rate has not been announced yet. |
| Tipped employees | $18.50, the full minimum wage before tips236 |
| Full-time pay | $740 a week, $38,480 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | City of San José Office of Equality Assurance, 408-535-8430 |
What to know about the Milpitas minimum wage
Milpitas adopted Ordinance No. 292 on February 21, 2017, and its first city rate, $11.00, took effect July 1 that year.5 The wage reached $15.00 on July 1, 2019 and has since moved each July 1 with the Bay Area Consumer Price Index, most recently by $0.30 to $18.50 on July 1, 2026.3
The city writes to business license holders about each increase and supplies two notices that must be posted: the Official Notice and a Know Your Rights notice, both in six languages.4 Its 2026 FAQ answers questions specific to Milpitas, including that residential care facilities in the city must pay the local rate and that tips and benefits such as health insurance, vacation and sick leave cannot be credited toward it.2 Small businesses and nonprofits get no exemption.
Milpitas does not run its own enforcement office. The City of San José's Office of Equality Assurance investigates on its behalf and takes complaints at [email protected] or 408-535-8430.1 Fines are graduated: up to $100 per affected employee for a first violation, $200 for a second and $500 for each later one, imposed only after the employer has had at least 15 days to correct the problem.
Compared with California
When a local minimum wage, the state minimum wage and the federal minimum wage differ, the employer must pay the highest one that applies to the work. For most covered work in Milpitas, that is the local rate, but some jobs have a higher statewide minimum (see below the table).
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| Milpitas | Due July 1, 2027, amount not announced | $18.50 |
| California (state) | $17.40 on January 1, 2027 | $16.90 |
| Federal | None scheduled | $7.25 |
California also sets higher statewide minimums for some jobs, which apply in Milpitas when they exceed the local rate: Fast food restaurant employees ($20.00); Health care: large systems, dialysis clinics and large-county facilities ($25.00); Health care: community, rural and intermittent clinics ($22.00); Health care: other covered facilities ($23.00); Health care: safety net hospitals and small-county facilities ($19.28). See the California page for the rules.
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Not allowed: tips are on top of the full minimum wage |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $18.50 an hour236 |
Tips cannot be credited toward the Milpitas minimum, and neither can benefits such as health insurance, vacation or sick leave.
How the rate changes
The rate is adjusted each July 1 using the Bay Area Consumer Price Index published by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Rate history
Who is covered
Employers that hold or need a Milpitas business license, or have a facility in the city, must pay the city rate to adults and minors who work at least two hours a week in Milpitas, full- or part-time, whatever their residence or immigration status. The employer's parents, spouse, children and domestic partner are not covered, nor is work done outside the city.
- The citywide wage began at $11.00 on July 1, 2017 under Ordinance No. 292, adopted February 21, 2017, and reached $15.00 on July 1, 2019.
- Administrative fines run up to $100 per employee for a first violation, $200 for a second and $500 for later ones, after a correction period of at least 15 days.
- The city's FAQ states that residential care facilities in Milpitas must pay the local minimum wage.
- Employers must post the Official Notice and Know Your Rights notice (English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese), keep payroll records for four years and give new hires the employer's contact details in writing.
Other local rates in California
- Emeryville$20.34
- West Hollywood$20.25
- Mountain View$19.70
- Berkeley$19.61
- San Francisco$19.61
- Sunnyvale$19.50
- Richmond$19.18
- Belmont$18.95
- El Cerrito$18.82
- Cupertino$18.70
- Los Altos$18.70
- Palo Alto$18.70
- Santa Clara$18.70
- Redwood City$18.65
- San Mateo$18.60
- Pasadena$18.57
- Los Angeles County (unincorporated areas)$18.47
- Santa Monica$18.47
- Sonoma$18.47
- San Jose$18.45
- Los Angeles$18.42
- Petaluma$18.31
- Santa Rosa$18.21
- South San Francisco$18.15
- Fremont$18.05
- San Mateo County (unincorporated areas)$17.95
- Half Moon Bay$17.91
- Malibu$17.91
- East Palo Alto$17.90
- Burlingame$17.86
- Foster City$17.85
- Hayward$17.79
- Alameda$17.76
- San Carlos$17.75
- San Diego$17.75
- Novato$17.73
- Menlo Park$17.55
- Daly City$17.50
- Oakland$17.34
Everywhere else in California, the state rate applies.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | City of San José Office of Equality Assurance |
|---|---|
| Phone | 408-535-8430 |
| The law | Milpitas Ordinance No. 292 (adopted 2017-02-21); Milpitas Municipal Code (Municode) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 City of Milpitas, Finance Department, Minimum Wage Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 2 City of Milpitas, City of Milpitas – Minimum Wage Increase (FAQ, July 2026) Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 3 City of Milpitas, Official Notice – Minimum Wage Rate, effective July 1, 2026 Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 4 City of Milpitas, Letter to business license holders, minimum wage July 2026 Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 5 City of Milpitas, Minimum Wage Ordinance No. 292 (scanned PDF) Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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