The City of El Cerrito announced that minimum wage will increase in 2024 to $17.92 an hour—an increase of 57 cents per hour. The wage will adjust annually based on changes in the local Consumer Price Index.
On November 17, 2015, City Council adopted an ordinance to establish a local minimum wage in El Cerrito starting in 2016, with stepped increases to raise the rate to $15.00 an hour by 2019. This is higher than the State of California’s wage rate. Read more about the development of the ordinance on the Background Information page.
A number of other cities in the Bay Area also have local minimum wage standards, including Richmond, Berkeley, Emeryville, San Francisco, San Jose, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and Palo Alto.
According to the City, all employers are required to pay their employees at least the local minimum wage rate for the hours worked within the geographic limits of City of El Cerrito, regardless of the size of the employer or where the employer’s business is based.
The minimum wage requirements apply to any employee (part-time or full-time) who performs work within the City of El Cerrito, except employees who work less than 2 hours per week within El Cerrito.
- Tips may not be counted toward payment of the minimum wage.
- The minimum wage rate will be adjusted annually on January 1st.
- Under the Ordinance, employees who assert their rights to receive the City’s minimum wage are protected from retaliation.
- The City will attempt to resolve complaints informally with the cooperation of employers.
For more information and to view the El Cerrito Wage Bulletin, click here
Note – The official El Cerrito Wage Bulletin informs employees of the current local minimum wage rate and their rights. Employers must post the official El Cerrito Wage Bulletin at each work site in a conspicuous place. Additionally, if 10% or more of workforce at a worksite speaks a language other than English, the Wage Bulletin should also be posted in that language. Please contact us if you need it translated into another language.
Related Wage Stories:
- Sept. 28, 2023 – California Increases Minimum Wage to $20 Per Hour for Fast Food Workers
- Dec 14, 2022 – City of Richmond to Raise Minimum Wage to $16.17 in 2023
