Petaluma minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Petaluma is $18.31 an hour in 2026, $1.41 above the California rate of $16.90. It rises to $18.93 on January 1, 2027. Petaluma has applied a single citywide rate since 2021 under an ordinance the City Council adopted in August 2019. Each January it rises by Bay Area inflation measured in June of the year before; the increase for 2027 is 3.4%.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $18.31 an hour, since January 1, 20261 |
|---|---|
| Next change | $18.93 on January 1, 2027 (announced)1 |
| Tipped employees | $18.31, the full minimum wage before tips2 |
| Full-time pay | $732 a week, $38,085 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | City of Petaluma Economic Development Division, (707) 778-4345 |
What to know about the Petaluma minimum wage
Petaluma's City Council unanimously adopted a local minimum wage on August 5, 2019. The ordinance used two tiers during its first year, 2020, and moved to one citywide rate from 2021, with an annual cost-of-living adjustment tied to regional prices.1
Each new rate comes from the Bay Area Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for June of the prior year. That produced a 1.9% rise to $18.31 for 2026 and a 3.4% rise to $18.93 for January 1, 2027.1
Teenagers have their own rule. Workers aged 14 to 17 in their first 160 hours of employment may be paid a learner's wage of 85% of the city rate: $15.56 in 2026 and $16.10 from January 1, 2027.1 Tips and benefits never count toward the Petaluma wage.2
The rate applies to hours worked inside city limits by anyone who works at least two hours a week there; only federal, state and county agencies are exempt. Employers must post the annual notice in English and Spanish, and workers can file a complaint through the city's online intake form or by email to [email protected].1
All 2026 rates
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Citywide rate | All employers except federal, state and county agencies$18.93 from January 1, 20271 | $18.311 |
| Learners aged 14 to 17 (2026) | Learner's wage for the first 160 hours in a new occupation, set at 85% of the city minimum wage. | $15.561 |
| Learners aged 14 to 17 (from January 1, 2027) | 85% of the 2027 city minimum wage, rounded to the nearest five cents, for the first 160 hours in a new occupation. | $16.101 |
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 Petaluma, that is the local rate, but some jobs have a higher statewide minimum (see below the table).
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| Petaluma | $18.93 on January 1, 2027 | $18.31 |
| 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 Petaluma 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 | $18.31 an hour2 |
The city states that tips and benefits cannot count toward the Petaluma minimum wage.
How the rate changes
A cost-of-living increase takes effect each January 1, based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the Bay Area as of June of the prior year. The increase on January 1, 2027 is 3.4%.
Rate history
Who is covered
Employees who work at least two hours a week inside Petaluma and are entitled to the state minimum wage are covered, for the hours they work in the city. Every employer is covered except federal, state and county agencies.
- The ordinance is Petaluma Municipal Code Chapter 8.35, adopted August 5, 2019.
- Complaints are filed through the city's online intake form or by email to [email protected].
- The Petaluma Living Wage is a separate law for city contractors, not a minimum wage for employers in general.
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
- Milpitas$18.50
- Los Angeles County (unincorporated areas)$18.47
- Santa Monica$18.47
- Sonoma$18.47
- San Jose$18.45
- Los Angeles$18.42
- 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 Petaluma Economic Development Division |
|---|---|
| Phone | (707) 778-4345 |
| The law | Petaluma Municipal Code Chapter 8.35 (Minimum Wage) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 City of Petaluma, Petaluma Minimum Wage Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 2 City of Petaluma, Petaluma Minimum Wage FAQs Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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