The minimum wage in California is $16 an hour. Because this is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, employees in The Golden State must be paid at least $16 an hour.
As of April 1, 2024, fast food workers minimum wage is $20 per hour.
Quite a few local governments in California have passed ordinances establishing a higher minimum wage. If you work in one of these cities or counties, you are entitled to earn the higher local minimum wage amount.
Monterey County Minimum Wage
The minimum wage in Monterey County is $16 an hour, the state minimum wage. To find out if Monterey County has passed its own minimum wage law, visit https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/.
Salinas Minimum Wage
The minimum wage in Salinas is currently $16 an hour, the state minimum wage. However, cities in California are free to adopt their own higher minimum wage, and dozens of cities across the country have done so. To find out whether Salinas has passed its own minimum wage law since we last updated, visit the city’s website at https://www.cityofsalinas.org/.