Berkeley Minimum Wage in 2026: $19.61 an hour

Sources

The 17 pages this page's facts come from. The date beside each is our last check of the facts taken from it (the oldest, when they differ). The numbers beside the figures above link here.

1. City of Berkeley berkeleyca.gov/doing-business/operating-berkeley/employer-requirements/workforce-standards-and-enforcement“$19.61/hour: Effective July 1, 2026” “The minimum wage standard applies to all employees who work at least two hours in the geographical limits of Berkeley, regardless of where the employer is located or where the employee lives. The standard applies to both for-profit and non-profit employers.”
2. City of Berkeley berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2026-04/MinimumWagePublicNotice-July2026-English-ADA_0.pdf“Future increases: On July 1 of each year, the Minimum Wage will increase by the prior calendar year's increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward area.” “Tips and/or gratuities cannot be used to achieve the Minimum Wage rate.” “$19.18 $19.61 $19.61 + CPI-W”
3. California Department of Industrial Relations dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_minimumwage.htm“Effective January 1, 2026, the minimum wage is $16.90 per hour for all employers, not otherwise covered by a higher minimum wage specific to an industry or a locality.”
4. City of Berkeley (Berkeley Municipal Code) berkeley.municipal.codes/BMC/13.99“October 1, 2016 $12.53 October 1, 2017 $13.75 October 1, 2018 $15.00”
5. City of Berkeley berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2019-09-10%20Item%2017%20Berkeley%20Minimum%20Wage%20Increases.pdf“The City of Berkeley Minimum Wage increased July 1, 2019 to $15.59 hourly.”
6. City of Berkeley berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2022-07-26%20Item%2028%20Resolution%20Supporting%20the%20Living.pdf“Given that Berkeley’s current minimum wage is $16.99 per hour”
7. City of Berkeley berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Fair%20Workweek%20FAQ_Rev.08.23.24.pdf“twice the current Berkeley minimum wage, which is $18.07 in Fiscal Year 2024.”
8. City of Berkeley berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Berkeley-Minimum-Wage-Poster-English.pdf“$18.67 $19.18 $19.18 + CPI-W”
9. Internal Revenue Service IRS Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide“For 2026, the social security tax rate is 6.2% (amount withheld) each for the employer and employee (12.4% total).”
10. Social Security Administration ssa.gov/oact/cola/cbb.html“Tax rates under the HI program are 1.45 percent for employees and employers, each, and 2.90 percent for self-employed persons.”
11. Internal Revenue Service Topic no. 759, Form 940 – FUTA tax (IRS)“If you're entitled to the maximum 5.4% credit, the FUTA tax rate after credit is 0.6%.” “FUTA tax rate: The FUTA tax rate is 6.0%. The tax applies to the first $7,000 you paid to each employee as wages during the year.”
12. U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/docs/potential_credit_states_2026.xlsx“Potential 2026 Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) Credit Reductions … California … Credit Reduction Due to … Outstanding Advance … California … 1.5%”
13. California Employment Development Department edd.ca.gov/en/payroll_taxes/rates_and_withholding“New employers are assigned a 3.4 percent UI rate for two to three years.” “The ETT rate for 2026 is 0.1 percent. The ETT taxable wage limit is $7,000 per employee, per calendar year.”
14. U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/content/sigpros/2020-2029/January2026.pdf“CA … $7,000”
15. Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services oregon.gov/DCBS/DCBSPubs/reports/general/prem-rpt/24-2083.pdf“index rate, expressed in terms of dollars per $100 of payroll. … Table 1. Workers’ compensation premium rate ranking … rank State Index rate Percent of study median Effective date … 4 3 California 1.86 170% Sept. 1, 2023”
16. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (MEPS-IC) meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/summ_tables/insr/state/series_2/2025/ic25_iia_f.pdf“Table II.C.1 Average total single premium (in dollars) per enrolled employee … Division and State Total … California 9,162 7,843 9,730 9,066 8,879 9,330 9,149 9,164” “Table II.C.2 Average total employee contribution (in dollars) per enrolled employee for single coverage … Division and State Total … California 1,515 1,290 * 2,325 1,262 1,734 1,397 1,602 1,499”
17. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division Changes in Basic Minimum Wages in Non-Farm Employment Under State Law: Selected Years 1968 to 2024“California 1.65(b) 1.65(b) 1.65(b) 2.00 2.90 2.90 3.35 … California 3.35 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.75 5.15 … California 5.75 6.25 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 … California 7.50 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 … California 9.00 9.00 10.00 10.00 11.00 12.00 … California 12.00 13.00 14.00 15.50 16.00”