California Restaurant Minimum Wage 2024. Some half a million workers in california are getting a big bump up in pay. Beginning april 1, 2024, california's minimum wage for fast food employees will increase to $20 per hour.

In california, voters will choose whether to raise the hourly minimum wage from $16 to $18 by 2026 in what would be the highest statewide minimum wage in the country. While many cities in california, including san francisco and oakland, already have minimum wages higher than the statewide minimum of $16, the new law bumps that figure up to $20 an hour for.