If you work in Contra Costa County, the minimum wage you’re owed in 2026 is at least $16.90 per hour under California law, with two exceptions inside the county: Richmond requires $19.18 and El Cerrito requires $18.82. What controls is where you physically perform the work, not where your employer is based or where you live. Fast food and healthcare jobs carry higher floors that override both the state and local rates.
The Statewide Rate of $16.90
Workers in unincorporated Contra Costa County and in cities that haven’t passed their own ordinance, including San Pablo, are covered by California’s statewide minimum of $16.90 per hour as of January 1, 2026.1Department of Industrial Relations. Minimum Wage Frequently Asked Questions The rate applies to every employer regardless of size. The old carve-out for businesses with 25 or fewer employees is gone.2California Legislative Information. California Code Labor Code 1182.12
California does not permit tip credits. Your employer cannot count gratuities toward the $16.90 floor; the full hourly rate is owed on top of whatever tips you take home.3Department of Industrial Relations. Tips and Gratuities Employers are also required to post the current wage order somewhere visible during work hours.
Richmond: $19.18 Per Hour
Richmond’s minimum wage under Municipal Code Chapter 7.108 sits at $19.18 per hour as of January 1, 2026. The city rate applies to any employee who performs at least two hours of work within Richmond city limits in a single calendar week. The employer’s headquarters location and your home address don’t matter. Richmond employers must post the city’s official minimum wage notice where workers can see it.4Richmond, CA – Official Website. Minimum Wage Ordinance
El Cerrito: $18.82 Per Hour
El Cerrito’s minimum wage under Municipal Code Chapter 6.95 is $18.82 per hour for 2026. The same two-hour-per-week trigger applies: if you perform at least two hours of work inside El Cerrito’s borders during a week, those hours must be paid at the local rate. El Cerrito adjusts annually using the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward CPI, so its rate moves independently of the state’s. Tips cannot offset this rate either.5City of El Cerrito. Minimum Wage Ordinance
If your workweek is split across multiple locations, the rate can vary hour by hour depending on where you were physically working.
Industry Rates That Override Location
Two industries carry statewide minimums that sit above every rate discussed so far. When the industry rate is higher than the state or local rate, the industry rate controls.
Fast Food
Employees of fast food restaurant chains with 60 or more locations nationwide earn at least $20.00 per hour.6Department of Industrial Relations. Minimum Wage That rate applies across the state, so a covered fast food worker earns $20.00 whether they’re in unincorporated Contra Costa County, Richmond, or El Cerrito. California’s Fast Food Council has authority to adjust the rate annually.
Healthcare
Covered healthcare facilities operate on their own wage schedule that varies by facility type. Through mid-2026, rates range from $18.63 per hour at certain safety-net and small-county facilities up to $24.00 per hour at large hospital systems and dialysis clinics, with most other covered facilities at $21.00 per hour or more. Rates step up further starting July 1, 2026.7State of California Department of Industrial Relations. Health Care Worker Minimum Wage Frequently Asked Questions Which category your facility falls into matters, so check the specific classification.
Salaried Exempt Employees
If you’re classified as salaried exempt (not eligible for overtime), your annual salary in California must be at least twice the statewide minimum for full-time work. For 2026, that comes out to $70,304 per year.8Department of Industrial Relations. Californias Minimum Wage Set to Increase to 16.90 per Hour Earning less than that likely means you should be non-exempt, entitled to overtime and to hourly minimum wage protections.
If You’re Being Paid Less
You can file a wage claim with the California Labor Commissioner’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. You have three years from the date each payment was due, so older underpayments drop off if you wait.
Pull together your pay stubs and any personal record of hours worked: timekeeping app data, handwritten logs, or schedule-related texts all help when they contradict the employer’s payroll records. You’ll also need the exact business name and address; if you’re not sure, the Labor Commissioner’s Office suggests checking pay stubs, mailing labels, or product labels.9Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. How to File a Wage Claim
The form is DLSE Form 1, the Initial Report or Claim.10Department of Industrial Relations – Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Initial Report or Claim Include the physical address where you actually worked, because that address determines whether Richmond’s or El Cerrito’s rate applies rather than the state rate. You can file online through the Labor Commissioner’s portal or mail the form to a district office; the closest one to Contra Costa County is in Oakland at 1515 Clay Street, Suite 801.11Department of Industrial Relations. DLSE BOFE Office Locator
What You Can Recover
- Back wages equal to the difference between what you were paid and what the correct rate required.
- Liquidated damages equal to the unpaid wages, effectively doubling the recovery. An employer can avoid this only by proving the underpayment was a genuine good-faith mistake.12California Legislative Information. California Code Labor Code 1194.2
- Civil penalties against the employer: $100 per underpaid worker per pay period for a first intentional violation, and $250 per worker per pay period for repeat violations regardless of intent.13California Legislative Information. California Code Labor Code 1197.1
- Waiting time penalties if final wages weren’t paid on separation: one day of pay for each calendar day the wages remain unpaid, up to 30 days including weekends and holidays.14Department of Industrial Relations. Waiting Time Penalty
Retaliation Is Illegal
Your employer cannot fire you, cut your hours, or otherwise punish you for filing a wage claim, complaining about unpaid wages, or cooperating with a Labor Commissioner investigation. The protection covers verbal complaints, not only formal filings. Retaliation exposes the employer to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation, on top of any other remedy you’re entitled to.15Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Laws that Prohibit Retaliation and Discrimination