Redwood City minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Redwood City is $18.65 an hour in 2026, $1.75 above the California rate of $16.90. It rises to $19.30 on January 1, 2027. Redwood City's ordinance, approved in 2018 and in force since January 1, 2019, has no exemption for small businesses or nonprofits. The city answers general questions, but wage complaints go to the San Mateo County Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $18.65 an hour, since January 1, 20261 |
|---|---|
| Next change | $19.30 on January 1, 2027 (announced)31 |
| Tipped employees | $18.65, the full minimum wage before tips2 |
| Full-time pay | $746 a week, $38,792 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | San Mateo County Office of Labor Standards Enforcement, 1-866-870-7725 |
What to know about the Redwood City minimum wage
Redwood City's City Council approved its minimum wage ordinance on March 26, 2018, and it took effect January 1, 2019.1 It applies to any business located in the city or with a physical site there, with no carve-out for small businesses or nonprofits.2
The rate changes every January 1 using the previous year's August-to-August change in the Consumer Price Index, and a drop in prices never lowers it.1 It rose from $18.20 in 2025 to $18.65 in 2026.
Enforcement is handled by the county. The San Mateo County Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement takes wage theft reports through its Labor Advice Hotline, 1-866-870-7725, by email at [email protected], or in person at 500 County Center, Floor 5, in Redwood City.1 The City Manager's Office answers general questions about the ordinance.
A learner with no prior experience in an occupation may be paid 85% of the city rate, $15.85 in 2026, for the first 160 hours, but this cannot be used to pay less than a higher state industry minimum.2 Fast food workers and certain health care workers have higher state minimum wages.1 Tips cannot offset any part of the hourly wage.2
All 2026 rates
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Citywide rate | All employers, any size, including nonprofits$19.30 from January 1, 202731 | $18.651 |
| Learners | 85% of the Redwood City rate for the first 160 hours in an occupation where the worker has no similar prior experience. It cannot be used to pay less than a higher state industry minimum. | $15.852 |
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 Redwood City, that is the local rate, but some jobs have a higher statewide minimum (see below the table).
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| Redwood City | $19.30 on January 1, 2027 | $18.65 |
| 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 Redwood City 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 | $18.65 an hour2 |
Tips may not be used to offset any part of the hourly wage.
How the rate changes
The rate rises each January 1 by the August-to-August change in the Consumer Price Index. A fall in prices does not lower it.
Rate history
Who is covered
Businesses located in Redwood City or with a physical site there must pay the city rate for every hour an employee works in the city, once that employee works two or more hours there in a week.
- Wage theft reports go to the county office at [email protected] or 500 County Center, Floor 5, Redwood City.
- General questions go to the City Manager's Office at (650) 780-7300 or [email protected].
- The state minimum wages for fast food and health care workers apply when they are higher than the city rate.
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
- 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
- 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 | San Mateo County Office of Labor Standards Enforcement |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1-866-870-7725 |
| The law | Redwood City Minimum Wage Ordinance (approved 2018, effective January 1, 2019) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 City of Redwood City, Minimum Wage Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 2 City of Redwood City, Minimum Wage and Wage Theft: Employers Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 3 City of Redwood City, Minimum Wage Letter to Businesses 2027 (English) Checked Oct 28, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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