2025 California Minimum Wage
The 2025 California Minimum Wage is $16.50.
Effective 2025-01-01Source: Official Notice: California Minimum Wage MW-2025 (California Department of Industrial Relations)Verified 2026-08-29
Compared with 2024
| Item | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $16 | $16.50 | +$0.50 (+3.1%) |
Who it applies to
All employees in California, regardless of employer size, and all employers in California.
What changed this year, and why
California's statewide minimum wage increased to $16.50 per hour.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in California for 2025?
- Effective January 1, 2025, the minimum wage in California is $16.50 per hour for all employers, regardless of the number of employees.
- Does the minimum wage differ by employer size?
- No. California's minimum wage is the same for all employers regardless of size. For 2025, the rate is $16.50 per hour for every employer.
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
If you have questions about California's minimum wage rate or need to file a wage complaint, there are specific resources available. The full text of the Industrial Welfare Commission's amended wage orders can be obtained by downloading them online or by contacting your local Division of Labor Standards Enforcement office. The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement is the state agency responsible for enforcing wage and hour laws, including minimum wage requirements. Local offices can provide guidance on whether the current rate applies to your situation, help you understand your rights under the wage orders, and assist with filing a claim if you believe you have not been paid the required minimum wage. Employers are required to make the summary of the minimum wage order available to employees, and copies of the full wage order text should be accessible upon request. If you encounter issues with nonpayment of wages, retaliation for asserting your rights, or other violations, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement can investigate and take enforcement action. Contact information for local offices is available through the Department of Industrial Relations website.
Copies of the full text of the amended wage orders may be obtained by downloading online at https://www.dir.ca.gov/iwc/WageOrderIndustries.htm or by contacting your local Division of Labor Standards Enforcement office.
Official Notice: California Minimum Wage MW-2025 (California Department of Industrial Relations)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
California's minimum wage order allows employers to count the value of meals or lodging they furnish as part of an employee's wages, but only when strict conditions are met. The employee must voluntarily agree in writing to the credit; without that written agreement, no portion of the minimum wage can be satisfied through meals or lodging. Even with a valid agreement, the credit is capped at specific maximum amounts published in the order's credit table. Those caps vary by the type of benefit: a private room, a shared room, an apartment, meals provided individually (breakfast, lunch, or dinner), or housing provided to a couple both employed by the same employer. The order lists maximum weekly or monthly credit amounts for each category. The employer may not credit more than the published maximum for the applicable effective date, even if the actual cost or fair market value of the benefit is higher. The total compensation - cash wages plus any credited meal or lodging value - must still bring the employee's effective hourly rate to at least $16.50. Tips are not addressed in this credit table and are separate from the employer's minimum wage obligation.
Meals or lodging may not be credited against the minimum wage without a voluntary written agreement between the employer and the employee. When credit for meals or lodging is used to meet part of the employer's minimum wage obligation, the amounts so credited may not be more than the amounts stated in the table above.
Official Notice: California Minimum Wage MW-2025 (California Department of Industrial Relations)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
Official Notice: California Minimum Wage MW-2025 (California Department of Industrial Relations)
- Hourly
Effective January 1, 2025, Minimum Wage: $16.50 per hour *See Sec. 2 below
Other years
Every California Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state