San Francisco's $19.61 Wage Line: What the Same Job Pays Next Door

Published: September 24, 2026 | By LocalJobPage Team

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Move the same cashier shift a few blocks south across the county line, and the Bay Area minimum wage can drop by more than $2.70 an hour. San Francisco's floor has been $19.61 since July 1. Head down 19th Avenue from Stonestown into Daly City, or ride BART to Tanforan in San Bruno, and the legal minimum is a different number entirely.

Where a job sits on the map decides its minimum pay, and around San Francisco the map has a lot of lines on it.

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💵 Bay Area Minimum Wage by City, 2026

General local minimums in force today, from each government's own notice:

City	Minimum wage
Emeryville	$20.34 (since July 1, 2026)
San Francisco	$19.61 (since July 1, 2026)
Berkeley	$19.61 (since July 1, 2026)
San Mateo	$18.60
South San Francisco	$18.15 (since January 1, 2026)
Daly City	$17.50 (since January 1, 2026)
Oakland	$17.34 (since January 1, 2026)
Brisbane, Colma, San Bruno, Millbrae, Pacifica	$16.90, the California rate (no local ordinance)

Sources: the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement, the County of San Mateo's 2026 reference chart, and the city notices from Oakland, Emeryville and Berkeley.

The Address of the Job Decides the Floor

Not where you live. Not where the company keeps its headquarters. The rule follows the place the work is actually done. San Francisco's ordinance covers anyone who works at least two hours a week inside the city, and South San Francisco, Daly City and Oakland use the same two-hour test on their own notices. Tips never count toward the minimum.

That makes the gaps real money. A full-time job at San Francisco's rate pays about $5,637 a year more than the same job in San Bruno at the state rate. Across the East Bay line, Emeryville's floor runs $3.00 an hour above Oakland's, roughly $6,240 a year for full-time work, even though IKEA and Bay Street sit minutes from downtown Oakland.

California also sets separate, higher statewide minimums for fast food and certain health care jobs. If you work in either, the highest applicable number wins.

What It Means If You Commute Across the Line

The Excelsior and Visitacion Valley sit right up against Daly City and Brisbane. South San Francisco's biotech campuses around Oyster Point hire from the whole Peninsula. A retail job at Serramonte and one at Stonestown can look identical on paper and still carry different legal minimums.

The floor is only the starting point. Many San Francisco employers post well above it, and California's pay transparency law requires employers with 15 or more workers to include a pay range in job postings. Read that range before you weigh a longer commute against a bigger check.

The Next Change Is on the Calendar

On Friday, January 1, 2027, the California minimum rises to $17.40, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations. That lifts every town still at the state rate, including Brisbane, Colma, San Bruno, Millbrae and Pacifica. It also passes Oakland's current $17.34. Oakland, Daly City and other cities that reset in January adjust for inflation, and their 2027 figures had not all been published as of this writing. Wherever two rates apply, the higher one wins.

San Francisco, Berkeley and Emeryville adjust each July 1, so today's numbers there hold through the end of June 2027.

🔎 Start Searching San Francisco Jobs

San Francisco's $19.61 floor is among the highest in the Bay Area, and the city's retail, hospitality and logistics employers are hiring into the fall and holiday season.

Start here:

Bay Area Minimum Wage FAQ

What is the minimum wage in San Francisco right now?

$19.61 an hour, effective July 1, 2026, for anyone working at least two hours a week in the city. A lower rate applies only to certain government-supported youth training and older-worker positions.

I live in San Francisco but work in Daly City. Which rate applies?

Daly City's, currently $17.50. The minimum follows the location where the work is performed, not your home address.

When does San Francisco's minimum wage change next?

San Francisco adjusts every July 1 based on inflation. The next rate has not been announced.

Where do I report unpaid minimum wage in San Francisco?

Contact the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement at (415) 554-6292. Retaliating against a worker for asserting minimum wage rights is illegal.

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