Use our calculator to discover the California Minimum Wage. The California Minimum Wage is the ,oney hourly rate that any employee in California can expect by law. There are legal minimum wages set by the federal government and the state government of California. The law states that whichever is the higher applies to employers in that state. California is one of the states that has a minimum wage rule and ensures that their employers pay it. There are five states that do not. The minimum wage in California means that a full-time worker can expect to earn the following sums as a minimum before tax.