- The San Jose minimum wage is $18.45 an hour, effective .
- That is $1.55 above the California state rate of $16.90 and $11.20 above the federal $7.25.
- The next change is : an indexed adjustment, amount to be announced.
- Coverage: Workers who perform two or more hours of work per week in San Jose.
Rates and tiers
| Tier | Rate | Since |
|---|---|---|
| all employers | $18.45 |
Indexing
Yes
CPI (details not in fetched material) adjusts January 1 (annual) announced City of San Jose, Office of Equality Assurance
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
San Jose Minimum Wage Ordinance (Ord. 29829)
Scheduled increases
January 1, 20271 jurisdiction
CityTBA
San Jose, CAall employers · indexed-unannounced · Annual CPI adjustment each January 1
TBAindexed, amount to be announced
Rate from the city's 2026 Official Minimum Wage Bulletin PDF: 'Effective January 1, 2026 the San Jose minimum wage rate is $18.45 per hour.' Matches Berkeley inventory. The HTML page's history table stops at 2025.
Common questions
What is the San Jose minimum wage?
$18.45 an hour for all employers, effective January 1, 2026.
Is the San Jose minimum wage higher than the California state minimum wage?
Yes, by $1.55: $18.45 versus $16.90.
When does the San Jose minimum wage change next?
On January 1, 2027, by an indexed amount to be announced.
Sources
- https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/public-works/labor-compliance/minimum-wage-ordinance official
- https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/125072/638949248001170000 official
- https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/inventory-of-us-city-and-county-minimum-wage-ordinances/
Checked 2026-09-02; researcher confidence 0.93.