The minimum wages in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale will rise once again when the clock strikes midnight on the new year. Both cities have minimum wage ordinances that rise with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and as such, those minimum wages will go up on Jan. 1, 2026.
In Santa Clara, the minimum wage will go up to $18.70 per hour. That means that any employee within city limits who works at least two hours per week will be paid at least $18.70 per hour.
Employers must post a notice in the workplace of the current and prospective minimum wage rates and the employees’ rights under Santa Clara’s Minimum Wage Ordinance. The 2026 Minimum Wage Posters for the workplace are available on the city’s website at SantaClaraCA.gov/MinimumWage.
Sunnyvale’s Minimum Wage Rises 50 Cents per Hour
In Sunnyvale, the city’s minimum wage is expected to jump 50 cents per hour on Jan. 1. According to the city’s website, workers will be paid $19.50 per hour in the new year…