San Diego Minimum Wage (2026)
Local pay and leave rules for people who work in San Diego, California, with the official city source for each — plus the state rules that still apply.
Short answer: $17.75 per hour, effective January 1, 2026. Scheduled increase: $18.35 per hour on January 1, 2027. Applies to adult and minor employees who work 2 or more hours in a week within the city; tips do not count toward the minimum wage. San Diego Earned Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Ordinance, San Diego Mun. Code ch. 3, art. 9, div. 1; Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement historical rate table
| Local minimum wage | $17.75 per hour, effective January 1, 2026. Scheduled increase: $18.35 per hour on January 1, 2027. Applies to adult and minor employees who work 2 or more hours in a week within the city; tips do not count toward the minimum wage. |
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| California state minimum wage | $16.90 per hour for all employers, effective January 1, 2026. Higher minimum wages apply to fast food workers and certain health care workers, and many cities and counties have their own higher local minimum wage; employers must pay whichever rate is highest. Scheduled increase: the statewide minimum wage rises to $17.40 per hour on January 1, 2027 (DIR News Release 2026-66: https://www.dir.ca.gov/DIRNews/2026/2026-66.html). The rate is adjusted each year for inflation, capped at 3.5% per year, and cannot go down. |
| Paid sick leave (local law) | San Diego's Earned Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Ordinance requires employers to provide earned sick leave to employees who work 2 or more hours in a week in the city, by accrual or front-loading. Employers may limit use to 40 hours in a benefit year. |
California labor laws · Minimum wage by state · Overtime calculator
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.