Current Minimum Wage
Hayward$17.79since January 1, 2026

City · California

Hayward minimum wage

$17.79 an hour as of September 2, 2026. The California state rate is $16.90.

  • The Hayward minimum wage is $17.79 an hour (large employers (26 or more employees)), effective .
  • That is $0.89 above the California state rate of $16.90 and $10.54 above the federal $7.25.
  • 2 tiers apply: large employers (26 or more employees) $17.79; small employers (25 or fewer employees) - state minimum applies $16.90.
  • The next change is : an indexed adjustment, amount to be announced.
  • Coverage: Employees working in Hayward; small employers (25 or fewer) follow the state minimum wage (page does not state an hours threshold).

Rates and tiers

TierRateSince
large employers (26 or more employees)$17.79
small employers (25 or fewer employees) - state minimum applies$16.90

Indexing

Yes
CPI, San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (large employers only) adjusts January 1 (annual) announced City of Hayward (bulletin by October 1) cap 5% per year

Tipped

Same as minimum
no tip credit under California law (confirmed: DIR FAQ states an employer may not use an employee's tips as a credit toward its obligation to pay the minimum wage)

Ordinance

Hayward Local Minimum Wage Ordinance
Ordinance text · City of Hayward

Scheduled increases

January 1, 20271 jurisdiction
CityTBA
Hayward, CAlarge employers (26 or more employees) · indexed-unannounced · CPI SF-Oakland-Hayward, max 5%; bulletin by October 1
TBAindexed, amount to be announced

Official page: 'Beginning January 1, 2026, large employers with 26 or more employees are subject to a $17.79/hour minimum wage' and small employers $16.90 per state law. Matches Berkeley inventory.

Common questions

What is the Hayward minimum wage?

$17.79 an hour for large employers (26 or more employees), effective January 1, 2026.

Is the Hayward minimum wage higher than the California state minimum wage?

Yes, by $0.89: $17.79 versus $16.90.

When does the Hayward minimum wage change next?

On January 1, 2027, by an indexed amount to be announced.

Sources

  1. https://www.hayward-ca.gov/local-minimum-wage official
  2. https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_minimumwage.htm official
  3. https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/inventory-of-us-city-and-county-minimum-wage-ordinances/

Checked 2026-09-02; researcher confidence 0.95.