Board of Supervisors boosts Sonoma County’s Living Wage to $23.15 per hour starting July 1

The increase, from $18.10 an hour, will take effect July 1. It applies to workers at private companies and nonprofits that contract with the County of Sonoma or operate a business on County property, provided they meet size, revenue and other standards defined in the Living Wage ordinance.

“While today’s increase is significant, it is only a step in the right direction when it comes to narrowing income gaps,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “Employers that generate revenues from the County should ensure their workers earn a wage that allows them to be self-sufficient and meet minimum basic needs. Increasing wages for the lowest-paid workers strengthens the health and resilience of our entire community.”

The Board of Supervisors adopted the Living Wage ordinance in 2016 to promote a viable wage for local residents whose jobs are tied to County contracts. It is unrelated to the state minimum wage, which increased to $16.50 an hour on Jan. 1, or state minimum wages for fast food workers and health care employees.

The following employers are covered by Sonoma County’s Living Wage ordinance:

• Private companies with six or more employees, if they supply $25,000 or more annually in contracted services to the County.
• Nonprofits that have 25 or more employees and supply more than $50,000 annually in services to the County.
• Companies and nonprofits that receive more than $100,000 annually in economic development assistance from the County.
• Lessees, concessionaires and other employers using County-owned property – including the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport and the County’s seven veterans memorial buildings – that generate more than $350,000 in annual gross receipts from all sources and employ more than 25 workers.

The wage requirements also apply to the County of Sonoma, the largest employer in Sonoma County with more than 4,200 full-time and part-time workers, and to temporary workers hired by Sonoma County Fair & Exposition Inc. Vendors and concessionaires at the Sonoma County Fair are exempt from the ordinance, an exception that will help the fairgrounds continue to attract traveling businesses to the summer fair.

All employers covered by the ordinance must give employees at least one hour of paid time off for every 20 hours worked, up to a maximum of 12 paid days off annually. Employers that contribute to workers’ health care benefits or retirement plan receive a credit of $1.50 off the hourly rate; employers that contribute to both types of benefits receive a credit of $3 off the hourly rate.

Today’s action is the result of a discretionary review by the Board of Supervisors that must take place at least once every four years under the ordinance. The review, which occurred Oct. 15, 2024, increased the hourly rate by $4.51 to align with the Living Wage in Santa Cruz County, one of several regional comparisons considered by the Board of Supervisors. In addition, the hourly wage was automatically increased an additional 2.4 percent, or 54 cents per hour, to match the October 2024 Consumer Price Index change for the San Francisco Bay Area, a yardstick for inflation.