San Carlos minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in San Carlos is $17.75 an hour in 2026, $0.85 above the California rate of $16.90. It rises to $18.35 on January 1, 2027. San Carlos adopted its wage in 2020 and the first local rate applied January 1, 2021. Annual increases are capped at 3.5% and are not rounded, and questions and complaints go to the City Attorney's office.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $17.75 an hour, since January 1, 20261 |
|---|---|
| Next change | $18.35 on January 1, 2027 (announced)78 |
| Tipped employees | $17.75, the full minimum wage before tips6 |
| Full-time pay | $710 a week, $36,920 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | City of San Carlos, Office of the City Attorney, (650) 802-4133 |
What to know about the San Carlos minimum wage
San Carlos created its minimum wage in 2020 through Ordinances 1559 and 1561, which added Chapter 8.10 to the Municipal Code; the first local rate applied January 1, 2021.6
The adjustment formula is written precisely. Each January 1 the prior rate grows by the August-to-August change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, or by 3.5% if that is lower. The result is not rounded, and the rate never falls.6 The 2026 rate of $17.75 followed $17.32 in 2025.1 The city publishes the next rate by November 1; its 2027 official notice sets $18.35 from January 1, 2027.7
Coverage is tied to the city's business registration: an employer subject to it, or with a facility in San Carlos, must pay the city rate to anyone who works at least two hours in a calendar week in the city. Small businesses and nonprofits are included.6 Learners, as defined by the state wage order, may receive 85% of the rate for their first 160 hours, and the code expressly bars crediting tips against wages.6
In San Carlos the City Attorney's office, rather than a labor department, handles minimum wage questions and complaints, at [email protected] or 600 Elm Street.1 Violations can cost back wages, interest and $50 per employee per day. Employers must post the official notice in English, Spanish and Chinese and keep payroll records for three years.6
All 2026 rates
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Citywide rate | All employers, any size, including nonprofits$18.35 from January 1, 202778 | $17.751 |
| Learners | 85% of the city minimum wage for the first 160 hours of employment, for learners as defined in the state wage order (Industrial Welfare Commission Order 4-2001); the full rate after that. | See rule6 |
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 San Carlos, that is the local rate, but some jobs have a higher statewide minimum (see below the table).
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| San Carlos | $18.35 on January 1, 2027 | $17.75 |
| 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 San Carlos 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 | $17.75 an hour6 |
The San Carlos code expressly bars crediting tips against wages.
How the rate changes
Each January 1 the previous rate rises by the August-to-August change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, or by 3.5% if that is lower. The result is not rounded and the rate never falls. The city publishes the new rate by November 1.
Rate history
Who is covered
The city rate is owed to employees who work at least two hours in a calendar week in San Carlos for an employer that is subject to city business registration or has a facility in the city. Small businesses and nonprofits are not exempt.
- The law is Municipal Code Chapter 8.10, enacted by Ordinances 1559 and 1561.
- Penalties include back wages, interest and $50 per employee per day.
- Employers must post the official notice in English, Spanish and Chinese and keep payroll records for three years.
- Questions and complaints: [email protected] or the City Attorney, 600 Elm Street, San Carlos.
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
- 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 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 Carlos, Office of the City Attorney |
|---|---|
| Phone | (650) 802-4133 |
| The law | San Carlos Municipal Code Chapter 8.10 (Minimum Wage); Ordinances 1559 and 1561 (2020) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 City of San Carlos, Minimum Wage (archived copy) Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 2 City of San Carlos, Minimum Wage (archived copy of 2025-07-22) Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 3 City of San Carlos, Minimum Wage (archived copy of 2024-02-27) Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 4 City of San Carlos, Minimum Wage (archived copy of 2023-06-12) Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 5 City of San Carlos, Minimum Wage (archived copy of 2022-11-09) Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 6
- 7 City of San Carlos, 2027 Official Notice Checked Oct 28, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 8 City of San Carlos, Minimum Wage Checked Oct 28, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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