Employers in Georgia don’t just need to know the federal minimum wage; they also need to familiarize themselves with the Georgia minimum wage. Minimum wage in Georgia is a bit lower than the federal minimum wage, and when any state’s minimum wage is different from the federal rate, employers are generally required to pay whichever rate is higher. For Georgia employers, this means that the state minimum wage actually doesn’t apply to most or all of their employees. Regardless, it’s important for employers to correctly classify and pay their employees. That’s why we walk our clients through the ins and outs of minimum wage in Georgia, so they can be confident that their businesses are compliant with both federal and state regulations.
The minimum wage in Georgia is currently $5.15 per hour, and it applies to non-exempt employees, as well as employers that aren’t regulated by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In plain English, this means that even though Georgia’s minimum wage is $5.15/hour, the majority of employees are either paid the federal minimum wage, or are exempt from both federal and state minimum wage laws.
What about the circumstances in which Georgia minimum wage law doesn’t apply? These include:
Georgia minimum wage in 2025 was the same as in 2026 - $5.15 per hour. Some states update their minimum wage rates regularly, while others (including Georgia) use federal minimum wage laws as the default. Even though there have been recent attempts to raise the minimum wage in Georgia to $15.00/hour and $22.00/hour, so far the proposed legislation hasn’t been enacted.
Employees in Georgia who are not exempted from minimum wage laws could be paid one of three rates:
Minimum wage in Georgia for agricultural workers follows FLSA regulations, so typically the rate is $7.25/hour or more. There are some exceptions to this, most of which are designed to benefit smaller agricultural operations. For example, some hand-harvest workers are exempt from Georgia minimum wage laws, as well as agricultural workers who are part of the employer’s immediate family.
Minimum wage in Georgia is usually paid entirely by the employer, but one of the main exceptions is when part of an employee’s pay comes from tips or gratuities. In that case, employers are subject to FLSA regulations, so they must pay employees a minimum wage of $2.13 per hour. If a tipped employee’s average hourly rate during a pay period is below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, their employer is obligated to make up the difference.
According to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), tips earned by eligible employees from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028 can be deducted from taxed income. There’s an annual deduction limit of $25,000, and self-employed individuals may also be eligible, provided the tip tax deduction doesn’t exceed the rest of their net income.
The FLSA specifies that tipped employees are people who work in an occupation where they “customarily and regularly” get more than $30 in tips per month. So how can you know which workers qualify as tipped employees? In order to properly calculate tipped employee wages, employers should confirm that the employee’s role is consistent with the IRS list of tipped occupations. Even though this list doesn’t include every job that could include regular tips, it’s meant to exclude well-paid occupations like law, consulting, financial services, etc.
Georgia minimum wage laws are complicated, and the costs of non-compliance can be heavy. Knowing how to answer the question “what is the minimum wage in Georgia?” is a start, but employers need to do a lot more than just pay their employees minimum wage in order to stay compliant. For example, employers must classify each employee correctly – should they be paid federal or state minimum wage, or do exceptions apply? Employers also have to maintain payroll records for at least three years, including each employee’s name, social security number, pay rate, hours worked, gross wages, deductions, and more. Plus, employees have to be informed of their rights under federal and state labor laws – if an employer doesn’t put up posters informing workers of their rights under the FLSA and Georgia labor laws, the business would be in violation of both federal and state regulations.
What happens if a Georgia business isn’t fully compliant with minimum wage laws? If an audit or an employee complaint reveals labor law violations, the employer could face an investigation, penalties, or lawsuits from employees. Fortunately, you don’t have to be personally familiar with complex minimum wage laws in order to stay compliant. We recommend enlisting the help of experts to maintain full compliance, giving you peace of mind while you focus on the big picture.
Whether it’s on purpose or by accident, employers sometimes under-pay employees that are entitled to minimum wage in Georgia. When this happens, employees can file a minimum wage complaint with the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD). The WHD encourages employees to gather as much supporting information as possible, and maintains a phone line and an online contact form for anyone who wants to file a minimum wage complaint.
Georgia’s minimum wage has stayed the same since 2002, and has only been increased twice since being implemented in 1972. Here’s what minimum wage in Georgia has looked like historically:
That being said, most employers in Georgia are subject to the FLSA, which means they’re obligated to pay at least the federal minimum wage.
Even though two pieces of legislation aimed at increasing Georgia minimum wage were introduced in the state’s 2025-2026 legislative session, they ultimately didn’t get passed into law. It’s uncertain when Georgia might see another minimum wage increase, but there’s still an interest in making that happen.
There are a few key categories of workers who are exempt from being paid minimum wage in Georgia:
While the definition of what makes a good hourly wage is highly subjective, in general it would need to cover a person’s cost of living, plus some extra that lets them save money, make discretionary purchases, or cover emergency expenses. In Georgia, a living wage – one that adequately covers the state’s average cost of living – is $24.21 per hour for one adult with no children. This could be a decent income for someone with below-average living expenses, but in general, a good hourly wage would be above the average cost of living.
Since 2009, the federal minimum wage for covered non-exempt employees has been $7.25 per hour. The FLSA explains related provisions for minimum wage law, and the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division oversees the administration and enforcement of federal minimum wage rates.