Richmond, El Cerrito Minimum Wage Set to Increase

by CC News 12/27/2025

written by CC News 12/27/2025

Two Contra Costa County Cities announced their 2026 minimum wage standards that are set to go into effect on January 1, 2026.

Effective January 1, 2026 the Richmond Minimum Wage will be: $19.18 per hour (see notice)
Effective January 1, 2026 the El Cerrito Minimum Wage will be $18.82 per hour. (see notice)

In California, the minimum wage in California, effective January 1, 2026, is $16.90/hour for all employers.

Starting April 1, 2024, all “fast food restaurant employees” who are covered by the new law must be paid at least $20.00 per hour
Starting October 16, 2024, certain health care workers must be paid a higher minimum wage

Per City of El Cerrito:

Beginning January 1, 2026, an employee who performs at least two (2) hours of work in a particular workweek within the geographic limits of the City of El Cerrito must be paid wages of not less than $18.82 per hour. This minimum wage rate applies equally to all employees, regardless of the size of the employer.

The minimum wage requirements set forth in the El Cerrito Minimum Wage Standards Ordinance, El Cerrito Municipal Code Chapter 6.95, apply to any employee (part-time or full-time) who performs work within the City of El Cerrito (tips may not be counted toward payment of the minimum wage). Starting in January 2020, the City will adjust the rate annually based on the Consumer Price Index. — more info

Per City of Richmond

According to their ordinance, the cost of living in the City of Richmond was estimated at 20% greater than the overall national average when the City of Richmond Minimum Wage Ordinance was originally adopted and has since increased to 27% greater than the overall national average.

The original ordinance dates back to 2014 when Richmond raised the minimum wage to $12.30 an hour by 2017. At the time, California minimum wage was just $8 and Richmond raised the standard to $9.60.

For a transition period beginning on January 1, 2015 and ending on December 31, 2015, the Minimum Wage shall be an hourly rate of nine dollars and sixty cents ($9.60). For a transition period beginning on January 1, 2016 and ending on December 31, 2016, the Minimum Wage shall be an hourly rate of eleven dollars and fifty-two cents ($11.52). For a transition period beginning on January 1, 2017 and ending on December 31, 2017, the Minimum Wage shall be an hourly rate of twelve dollars and thirty cents ($12.30).

Within the ordinance, to prevent inflation from eroding its value, beginning on January 1, 2019, and each year thereafter, the Minimum Wage shall increase by an amount corresponding to the prior year’s increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA metropolitan statistical area, or any successor index as published by the U.S. Department of Labor or its successor agency.

Employers shall pay Employees no less than the Minimum Wage set forth in this Ordinance for each hour worked within the geographic boundaries of the City of Richmond.

Effective Date	Minimum Wage Rate
January 1, 2016	$11.52 per hour
January 1, 2017	$12.30 per hour
January 1, 2018	$13.41 per hour (Amended)
January 1, 2019	$15.00 per hour
January 1, 2020	$15.00 per hour
January 1, 2021	$15.21 per hour
January 1, 2022	$15.54 per hour
January 1, 2023	$16.17 per hour
January 1, 2024	$17.20 per hour