Berkeley adopted its own Minimum Wage Ordinance in 2014 with annual indexing, and the local rate reached $18.07 per hour in 2025, applying to nearly every employee performing at least two hours of work weekly within city limits.
BMC Chapter 13.99 creates a Berkeley minimum wage that exceeds California Labor Code section 1182.12 and indexes annually to the Bay Area consumer price index. Coverage extends to any employee who performs at least two hours of work in Berkeley in a given workweek, regardless of where the employer is headquartered. The ordinance requires written notice in English and Spanish, paystub disclosures, and posting of the current rate. Retaliation protections, anti-waiver rules, and private rights of action match California state-law standards. Enforcement is shared between the Berkeley Office of Labor Standards Enforcement and the City Attorney.
Underpayment exposes employers to back wages, liquidated damages, civil penalties, and attorney fees, plus potential business license consequences for repeat or willful violators.
Berkeley, CA
Berkeley supplements California paid sick leave with a stronger local accrual cap, broader family definitions, and tighter coverage for small employers, all ...
Berkeley, CA
Hotels and city contractors operating in Berkeley must pay the Living Wage set under BMC Chapter 13.27, which exceeds the state minimum and adjusts annually ...
See how other cities in Alameda County handle minimum wage preemption.
See how Berkeley's minimum wage preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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