Resources
Free local help for finding work and for hiring well in Sonoma, Marin and Napa.
Want to learn a new skill or change careers?
See job training, apprenticeships and free classes across Sonoma, Marin and Napa.
See job trainingFor job seekers
Free career help close to home, and what to know about pay.
Sonoma County Job Link
Free help with job searching, career planning, resumes, interview practice and job skills training, plus a computer lab. Programs for youth ages 14 to 24 are offered separately.
2227 Capricorn Way, Suite 100, Santa Rosa
707-565-5550
Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm
Source County of Sonoma Job Link page
CareerPoint Marin
Help with training, building skills and connecting with jobs, through the Workforce Alliance of the North Bay.
College of Marin Indian Valley Campus, 1800 Ignacio Blvd, Building 27, Novato
415-966-0860
Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm
Source Workforce Alliance of the North Bay contact page
CareerPoint Napa
Help with training, building skills and connecting with jobs, through the Workforce Alliance of the North Bay.
2751 Napa Valley Corporate Dr, Napa
707-253-4134
Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Source Workforce Alliance of the North Bay contact page
Know your pay
California minimum wage is $16.90 an hour in 2026. Some North Bay cities set a higher local minimum. In 2026 it is $18.21 in Santa Rosa and $18.31 in Petaluma. In the city of Sonoma it is $18.47 at employers with 26 or more people and $17.38 at smaller ones.
Employers with 15 or more employees must list a pay range in their job posts, and must share the pay range for a job when an applicant reasonably asks.
Source California Labor Code 432.3, CalChamber, Davis Wright Tremaine 2026 rate summary
Help finding child care
Each county has a free child care resource and referral agency that helps families find child care.
Sonoma County. Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County (4Cs), 131-A Stony Circle, Suite 300, Santa Rosa, 707-544-3077. River to Coast Children's Services, 16300 1st Street, Guerneville, 707-869-3613.
Marin County. Marin Child Care Council, 555 Northgate Drive, Suite 105, San Rafael, 415-472-1092.
Napa County. Community Resources for Children, 3299 Claremont Way, Suite 1, Napa, 707-253-0376.
See the state list of referral agencies
Source California Department of Education resource and referral pages
Housing help
Where to ask about rent help, housing vouchers and your rights as a renter.
Call or text 211
211 connects you with local programs for rent help, utility bills and housing. It is free and open around the clock.
Dial 2-1-1, or text your ZIP code to 898211.
Source 211.org, Partnership HealthPlan resource list (checked April 2026)
Sonoma County Housing Authority
Housing Choice Vouchers and other rental help in Sonoma County. People who live in Santa Rosa can also ask the Santa Rosa Housing Authority. The voucher waitlist opens from time to time, so join their email list to hear when it does.
141 Stony Circle, Suite 210, Santa Rosa
707-565-7500
Source County of Sonoma apply for housing page, HUD housing authority contact list
Santa Rosa Housing Authority
Housing Choice Vouchers for people who live in the City of Santa Rosa.
90 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa
707-543-3300
Source HUD housing authority contact list
Marin Housing Authority
Rental help through public housing and leased housing programs, plus home repair help and below market rate homes for sale.
4020 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael
415-491-2525
Visit the Marin Housing Authority
Source County of Marin housing authority page
Housing Authority of the City of Napa
Housing Choice Vouchers and other rental help in Napa.
1115 Seminary Street, Napa
707-257-9543
Source HUD housing authority contact list
Know your rights as a renter
California explains the rules for renters and landlords in plain words, including deposits, repairs, rent increases and moving out.
See the renter and landlord guide
Source California Department of Real Estate
For employers
Hiring rules in plain words, and where to find free help.
Pay ranges in job posts
Under California Labor Code 432.3, employers with 15 or more employees must include the pay scale in every job posting. The pay scale is a good faith estimate of the salary or hourly range you reasonably expect to pay when you hire. If you post through a third party like a job board, you must give them the pay scale to include.
Every North Bay Compass post shows a pay range, whatever your size.
Source California Labor Code 432.3
Local minimum wages
California minimum wage is $16.90 an hour in 2026. Several North Bay cities set their own higher rate. In 2026 it is $18.21 in Santa Rosa, $18.31 in Petaluma, $18.47 in Sonoma for employers with 26 or more employees ($17.38 for 25 or fewer), and in Novato $17.73 for 100 or more employees, $17.46 for 26 to 99, and $16.90 for 25 or fewer. Check your city before you post.
Source Davis Wright Tremaine 2026 minimum wage summary, CalChamber
Free hiring help
Sonoma County Job Link offers employer services. Call 707-565-8079. In Marin, Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties, the Workforce Alliance of the North Bay helps businesses with job postings, job fairs and employee training.
Source County of Sonoma Job Link page, Workforce Alliance of the North Bay
Writing a post people answer
Lead with what the job is and who it serves. Give the real schedule. Be specific about pay, benefits and time off, because those are the first things people look for. Describe the job in plain words, the way you would describe it to a friend.