San Diego minimum wage

$17.75 an hour since January 1, 2026, rising to $18.35 on January 1, 2027. That's $0.85 above the California rate of $16.90.

Who it covers: All employers, for employees (adult and minor) who perform at least two hours of work in a week within San Diego city limits, for hours worked in the city. Large hotels, four event centers and large amusement parks pay higher hospitality rates (see variants). The rest of San Diego County uses the state rate.

From	Hourly rate	Tipped cash wage	Official source
January 1, 2026	$17.75	$17.75 (no tip credit)	sandiego.gov checked 2026-10-26
January 1, 2027 scheduled	$18.35	$18.35 (no tip credit)	sandiego.gov checked 2026-10-26

Other rates in San Diego

Who	Now	Next change	Source
Hospitality workers: hotels and amusement parks Hospitality Minimum Wage Ordinance (SDMC Chapter 3, Article 12, Division 1), in effect July 1, 2026: employees who work at least two hours in a week in the city for a hotel with 150 or more guest rooms or a covered amusement park (at least 75 contiguous acres, operated under an agreement with the city), including contractors, vendors, tenants and service providers working on those grounds 30 or more days a year.	$19.00	$20.50 from July 1, 2027	docs.sandiego.gov checked 2026-10-26
Hospitality workers: event centers Hospitality Minimum Wage Ordinance, in effect July 1, 2026: employees who work at least two hours in a week at Petco Park, Pechanga Arena, the San Diego Convention Center or the Civic Theatre, including contractors, vendors, tenants and service providers working on those grounds 30 or more days a year.	$21.06	$22.00 from July 1, 2027	docs.sandiego.gov checked 2026-10-26

Changes not announced yet

January 1, 2028: General rate: annual cost of living adjustment (August to August U.S. city average CPI-W), rounded to the nearest five cents. The city announces the new rate by October 1. (sandiego.gov)
July 1, 2031: Hospitality rates: the ordinance sets them through July 1, 2030. From July 1, 2031 they rise each year by the U.S. city average CPI-W, rounded up to the nearest five cents, announced by April 1. (sandiego.gov)

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

Good to know

If the state or city general minimum wage rises above a hospitality rate, the hospitality rate rises to match it.
A separate Traffic Control Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance sets prevailing wage rates for traffic control work done under a City traffic control permit. It isn't modeled here: https://www.sandiego.gov/labor-and-wage/minimum-wage/traffic-control-worker
Tips don't count toward the minimum wage. California doesn't allow a tip credit, so tipped employees get the full rate.

Get an email when the San Diego 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 San Diego rate apply at an address?

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

Get the San Diego 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=San%20Diego" \
  -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 San Diego in 2027?

$18.35 an hour from January 1, 2027.

Who does the San Diego minimum wage cover?

All employers, for employees (adult and minor) who perform at least two hours of work in a week within San Diego city limits, for hours worked in the city. Large hotels, four event centers and large amusement parks pay higher hospitality rates (see variants). The rest of San Diego County uses the state rate.

When does the San Diego minimum wage go up next?

On January 1, 2027, to $18.35 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.