Georgia minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Georgia is $7.25 an hour in 2026. Georgia's statute sets only $5.15 an hour in 2026, but any job covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the federal rate, and the state agency says the federal rate applies with limited exceptions. The state figure reaches a narrow group of jobs outside federal coverage.
Contents12 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $7.25 an hour, since July 24, 200914 |
|---|---|
| Next change | None scheduled. |
| Tipped employees | $2.13 cash wage, tip credit up to $5.1225 |
| Overtime | 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours a week (federal law only)46 · details |
| Full-time pay | $290 a week, $15,080 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
What to know about the Georgia minimum wage
Georgia's own minimum wage sits below the federal one. The Georgia Department of Labor lists the state rate as $5.15 an hour in 2026, then adds that with limited exceptions the federal rate applies.1 Wherever the federal Fair Labor Standards Act covers a job, its higher figure wins, so the great majority of Georgia paychecks are measured against $7.25, the federal rate since July 24, 2009.4
The state rate in O.C.G.A. 34-4-3 matters only for jobs the federal law does not reach, and even then only if the employer has more than five employees and more than $40,000 in annual sales.2 The statute then removes whole groups from its protection: domestic workers, farm workers, tipped employees, high school and college students, newspaper carriers, and some staff of nonprofit child-care and long-term care programs.2 A worker at a business outside federal coverage with five or fewer employees therefore has no minimum wage under either law. The state figure is written into the statute and has no inflation adjustment.
Because Georgia's law leaves tipped employees out, restaurant and bar employers covered by federal law follow the federal tip credit: a cash wage of $2.13 in 2026 for employees with more than $30 a month in tips.5 Local governments cannot change the picture. O.C.G.A. 34-4-3.1 bars counties and cities from requiring private employers to pay more than state or federal law, including through their contracts, though they may set pay for their own employees.3 The Georgia Department of Labor refers minimum wage questions to the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.
All 2026 rates
Most workers in Georgia are covered by the federal law and its higher rate. The state rate applies only to jobs outside federal coverage at employers with more than five employees and more than $40,000 in yearly sales, and it excludes several groups of workers entirely.
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Federal minimum wage | Jobs covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which includes most workers in Georgia | $7.2514 |
| Georgia state rate | Jobs outside federal coverage at employers with more than five employees and over $40,000 in annual sales | $5.1512 |
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $2.13 an hour25 |
| Maximum tip credit | $5.12 an hour |
Georgia's minimum wage law does not cover tipped employees, so federally covered employers use the federal rule: a $2.13 cash wage in 2026 for employees with more than $30 a month in tips.
An employer that takes a tip credit must make up the difference whenever wages plus tips fall short of the full minimum wage for the workweek. See the tipped minimum wage guide.
Overtime and salaried staff
| Weekly overtime | No state rule; employers covered by federal law pay 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours a week46 |
|---|---|
| Daily overtime | None in state law |
| Exempt salary | The federal level, $684 a week ($35,568 a year) |
Georgia has no general state overtime law. Employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek.
Overtime at the minimum wage of $7.25 is $10.875 an hour. Salaried managers, administrators and professionals are exempt from overtime only if they meet the duties tests and are paid at least the exempt salary. See overtime rules in every state or calculate pay with overtime.
How the rate changes
The state rate is fixed in O.C.G.A. 34-4-3 with no inflation index. The federal rate most workers receive, $7.25 since July 24, 2009, changes only if Congress raises it.
Indexed to inflation: no. State rate fixed at $5.15 in statute; the federal rate applies to most workers and changes only if Congress acts.4
Rate history
Who is covered
Employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the federal rate. The state rate covers other employers with more than five employees and more than $40,000 in annual sales, and excludes domestic and farm workers, tipped employees, high school and college students, newspaper carriers, and certain nonprofit child-care and long-term care staff.
- No Georgia city or county has a minimum wage for private employers; local governments may only set pay for their own employees.
Cities and counties
Cities and counties may not require private employers to pay more than state or federal law, directly or through contracts (O.C.G.A. 34-4-3.1). They may set wages for their own employees.
Largest cities in Georgia
- AtlantaFederal rate $7.25
Cities of Georgia among the 50 most populous in the US (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates for July 1, 2025). “Local” marks a city with its own minimum wage, “Regional” a state wage region, and “Federal rate” a city where the federal $7.25 is the rate that applies.
Neighboring states
If you live near a state line, the rate that applies is the one where you do the work, not where you live or where the employer is based.
| State | Per hour now |
|---|---|
| Florida | $15.00 |
| Alabama | $7.25 |
| North Carolina | $7.25 |
| South Carolina | $7.25 |
| Tennessee | $7.25 |
Compare every state on the ranked list and map.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1-866-487-9243 |
| The law | O.C.G.A. 34-4-3 (minimum wage); O.C.G.A. 34-4-3.1 (local preemption) |
Sources
- 1 Georgia Department of Labor, Minimum Wage Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 2 FindLaw (statute text), O.C.G.A. 34-4-3 (text via FindLaw) Secondary reference · Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 3 FindLaw (statute text), O.C.G.A. 34-4-3.1 (text via FindLaw) Secondary reference · Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 4
- 5
- 6 U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Overtime Pay Checked Oct 28, 2026 · Back to text ↑
Is a rate wrong or out of date? Report an error