Hayward minimum wage

$17.79 an hour since January 1, 2026, rising to $18.39 on January 1, 2027. That's $0.89 above the California rate of $16.90.

Who it covers: Employers with 26 or more employees (counting employees inside and outside Hayward), for employees who work within Hayward city limits (two or more hours a week, per the city FAQ). Employers with 25 or fewer employees pay the state minimum wage (see the small employer variant).

From	Hourly rate	Tipped cash wage	Official source
January 1, 2026	$17.79	$17.79 (no tip credit)	hayward-ca.gov checked 2026-10-26
January 1, 2027 scheduled	$18.39	$18.39 (no tip credit)	hayward-ca.gov checked 2026-10-26

Other rates in Hayward

Who	Now	Next change	Source
Small employers (25 or fewer employees) Businesses with 25 or fewer full- or part-time employees, counting employees who work outside Hayward. Hayward sets this rate equal to the California minimum wage, so it changes whenever the state rate changes. The 2026 figure is cited from the state Department of Industrial Relations.	$16.90	$17.40 from January 1, 2027	dir.ca.gov checked 2026-10-26

Changes not announced yet

January 1, 2028: Large employers: annual January 1 increase by the regional CPI, capped at 5%; the city publishes a bulletin by October 1 or as soon as practicable. Small employers follow the state minimum wage. (hayward-ca.gov)

We add the amount as soon as it's published. The API returns these under pending_changes.

Good to know

Tips and gratuities may not be counted toward the minimum wage.
Non-profits are not exempt.
The city FAQ says the state fast food and health care minimum wages supersede the local rate for employers that meet those state definitions.
The official 2026 bulletin is still online: https://www.hayward-ca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/CMO-ED-minimum-wage-official-bulletin-English-Jan-2026-V2.pdf.

Get an email when the Hayward minimum wage changes

One email when a new rate is announced, and a reminder a week before it takes effect. Free, and you can stop it in one click.

Does the Hayward rate apply at an address?

Live API, free for 50 lookups a day without an account. US street addresses.

Get the Hayward rate by API

One call returns the federal, state, county and city rates that apply at an address, the one that governs, the tipped cash wage and the next change, each with its official source.

curl "https://bankday.dev/v1/minimum-wage?state=CA&city=Hayward" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BANKDAY_KEY"

API docs · Pricing · State rates are free. City and county rates by name start on the Developer plan, address lookups on the Business plan.

Questions

What is the minimum wage in Hayward in 2027?

$18.39 an hour from January 1, 2027.

Who does the Hayward minimum wage cover?

Employers with 26 or more employees (counting employees inside and outside Hayward), for employees who work within Hayward city limits (two or more hours a week, per the city FAQ). Employers with 25 or fewer employees pay the state minimum wage (see the small employer variant).

When does the Hayward minimum wage go up next?

On January 1, 2027, to $18.39 an hour.

Rates come from the official sources linked on this page, checked on the dates shown. This is data, not legal advice: confirm with the official source before relying on it. Found a mistake? Email hello@bankday.dev.