Current Minimum Wage
Novato$17.73since January 1, 2026

City · California

Novato minimum wage

$17.73 an hour as of September 2, 2026. The California state rate is $16.90.

  • The Novato minimum wage is $17.73 an hour (very large businesses (100 or more employees)), effective .
  • That is $0.83 above the California state rate of $16.90 and $10.48 above the federal $7.25.
  • 3 tiers apply: very large businesses (100 or more employees) $17.73; large businesses (26-99 employees) $17.46; small businesses (1-25 employees) - state minimum applies $16.90.
  • The next change is : an indexed adjustment, amount to be announced.
  • Coverage: Each employee who performs more than two hours of work in a particular week within Novato city limits; tiers by employer size.

Rates and tiers

TierRateSince
very large businesses (100 or more employees)$17.73
large businesses (26-99 employees)$17.46
small businesses (1-25 employees) - state minimum applies$16.90

Indexing

Yes
CPI-W, San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward CMSA (or successor) adjusts January 1 (annual) announced City of Novato (notice with business license renewals) cap 3.5% 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

Novato Ordinance 1653 (adopted October 8, 2019)
Ordinance text · City of Novato

Scheduled increases

January 1, 20271 jurisdiction
CityTBA
Novato, CAbusinesses with 26+ employees · indexed-unannounced · CPI-W SF-Oakland-Hayward or 3.5%, whichever is less
TBAindexed, amount to be announced

Official page lists $17.73 (100+), $17.46 (26-99), $16.90 (1-25, state) effective January 1, 2026. Matches Berkeley inventory.

Common questions

What is the Novato minimum wage?

$17.73 an hour for very large businesses (100 or more employees), effective January 1, 2026.

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

Yes, by $0.83: $17.73 versus $16.90.

When does the Novato minimum wage change next?

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

Sources

  1. https://www.novato.gov/business/novato-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.