Palo Alto minimum wage

$18.70 an hour since January 1, 2026, rising to $19.25 on January 1, 2027. That's $1.80 above the California rate of $16.90.

Who it covers: All employers, for each employee who performs two or more hours of work per week in Palo Alto, for hours worked in Palo Alto. No small business tier.

From	Hourly rate	Tipped cash wage	Official source
January 1, 2026	$18.70	$18.70 (no tip credit)	paloalto.gov checked 2026-10-26
January 1, 2027 scheduled	$19.25	$19.25 (no tip credit)	paloalto.gov checked 2026-10-26

Changes not announced yet

January 1, 2028: Annual adjustment by the regional CPI each January. The city usually posts the next year's rate in the fall (the 2027 rate was up by October 2026). (paloalto.gov)

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

Good to know

Enforced by the City of San Jose's Office of Equality Assurance under contract.
California doesn't allow a tip credit, so tipped employees get the full rate.

Get an email when the Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto rate apply at an address?

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

Get the Palo Alto 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=Palo%20Alto" \
  -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 Palo Alto in 2027?

$19.25 an hour from January 1, 2027.

Who does the Palo Alto minimum wage cover?

All employers, for each employee who performs two or more hours of work per week in Palo Alto, for hours worked in Palo Alto. No small business tier.

When does the Palo Alto minimum wage go up next?

On January 1, 2027, to $19.25 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.