Current Minimum Wage
Los Altos$18.70since January 1, 2026

City · California

Los Altos minimum wage

$18.70 an hour as of September 2, 2026. The California state rate is $16.90.

  • The Los Altos minimum wage is $18.70 an hour, effective .
  • That is $1.80 above the California state rate of $16.90 and $11.45 above the federal $7.25.
  • The next change is : an indexed adjustment, amount to be announced.
  • Coverage: Employees working in Los Altos under Ordinance 2016-424 (hours threshold not on the fetched page).

Rates and tiers

TierRateSince
all employers$18.70

Indexing

Yes
Bay Area CPI adjusts January 1 (annual) announced City of Los Altos (official notices posted)

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

Los Altos Ordinance No. 2016-424
Ordinance text · City of Los Altos

Scheduled increases

January 1, 20271 jurisdiction
CityTBA
Los Altos, CAall employers · indexed-unannounced · Adjusted by Bay Area CPI each January 1 per Ordinance 2016-424
TBAindexed, amount to be announced

Official page: 'As of January 1, 2026, the minimum wage in the city of Los Altos will be $18.70 per hour.' Matches Berkeley inventory.

Common questions

What is the Los Altos minimum wage?

$18.70 an hour for all employers, effective January 1, 2026.

Is the Los Altos minimum wage higher than the California state minimum wage?

Yes, by $1.80: $18.70 versus $16.90.

When does the Los Altos minimum wage change next?

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

Sources

  1. https://www.losaltosca.gov/511/Minimum-Wage official
  2. https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/inventory-of-us-city-and-county-minimum-wage-ordinances/

Checked 2026-09-02; researcher confidence 0.95.