As part of an ongoing effort to provide a livable wage for workers, the City of San Diego’s minimum wage is set to increase in the new year. Effective Jan. 1, 2026, employees who perform at least two hours of work in one or more calendar weeks of the year within the geographic boundaries of the city will receive a minimum wage increase from $17.25 to $17.75 an hour.   

The change is in accordance with the City’s Earned Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Ordinance, approved by voters in 2016. The City’s minimum wage is higher than California’s minimum wage, which will increase to $16.90 per hour on Jan. 1, 2026.   

The minimum wage in San Diego has gone up annually since 2019 by an amount corresponding to the prior year’s increase in the cost of living as determined by the Consumer Price Index. The Minimum Wage Ordinance applies to all industries and businesses, and there are no exceptions. Tips and gratuities do not count toward the payment of minimum wage.   

In accordance with the ordinance, employees will also continue to earn sick leave, either by the accrual or “front load” method. Earned sick leave can be used for all of the reasons described in the ordinance, including but not limited to time for one's own medical care or for the medical care of a family member. Employers may limit an employee’s use of earned sick leave to forty hours in a benefit year.   

Updated notices for posting at the workplace are available on the City’s Minimum Wage Program webpage. Every employer must post these notices in a conspicuous place at any workplace or job site.   

Contact the City’s Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement Minimum Wage Program at SDMinWage@sandiego.gov or 619-235-5912 for any questions or to file a complaint.