Some California gas prices are above the federal minimum wage

Gas prices in California are so high that some gas stations are charging more than the federal minimum wage per gallon.

Several gas stations located throughout the state, including the Bay Area, Southern California and the Yosemite area, charge at least $7.25 for a gallon of fuel, according to the Gas Buddy website.

The consumer site listed gas stations in several locations, including Los Angeles, Menlo Park, Bridgeport, and Lee Venning, where the fuel exceeded the standard.

The federal minimum hourly wage of $7.25 has not changed since 2009, when it was raised from $6.55 an hour.

Californians are subject to state law that sets a minimum wage of $14 an hour.

As of Tuesday, Californians were paying the highest gas prices in the country, according to the AAA.

The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the Golden State was $6.07 — well above the national average of $4.60.

Gas became so expensive in California that Sacramento police offered gift cards worth $50 for fuel as part of a “gas for guns” buy-back program that generated an overwhelming response from the public.

The Sacramento Police Department announced on its Facebook page that it was able to take 134 rifles off the streets on Saturday as it offered residents the opportunity to turn in the guns “without any questions asked or identification.”

More than 100 people received $50 gas gift cards as part of a “gas-for-guns buy-back” plan—a welcome treat for motorists in the Golden State, where the average price for an unleaded gallon was $6.07.

The police department ran out of gas gift cards within 45 minutes of an event that was originally scheduled to last about five hours, KTXL-TV reported.

The lack of supply coupled with the increasing demand has led to a sharp rise in energy prices in recent months.

Demand is expected to increase even more as Americans take to the roads during the warm weather seasons.

An estimated 34.9 million Americans are expected to drive 50 miles or more this coming Memorial Day weekend — an increase of 4.6% over last year.

The price of benchmark US crude oil was $109.66 a barrel on Tuesday morning. Soaring fuel costs are a key factor driving decades of high inflation, which reached 8.3% in April, according to consumer price index data.

JPMorgan analysts have warned that the national average could reach $6 a gallon by the end of the summer unless conditions improve. It is said that American families spend an average of $5,000 a year just to fill their gas tanks.