- The Georgia minimum wage is $7.25 an hour: the state rate is $5.15, so the federal floor governs for covered employers.
- No increase is currently scheduled in Georgia.
- Tipped employees must be paid at least $2.13 in cash, with a tip credit of up to $5.12.
- At $7.25 an hour, full-time work (2,080 hours) pays $15,080 a year before taxes.
- Georgia law bars cities and counties from setting their own minimum wage.
Tipped cash wage
Youth / training
Next change
Local rates
Rate tiers
| Tier | Rate | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| employers with 5 or fewer employees or $40,000 or less in annual sales | n/a | Exempt from the Georgia $5.15 minimum wage; federal $7.25 applies if FLSA-covered. |
Coverage, exemptions, and history
Who is covered. employers with 6 or more employees and more than $40,000 annual sales that are not covered by the FLSA; FLSA-covered employers must pay $7.25.
Tipped employees. State law excludes tipped employees from the $5.15 minimum entirely; FLSA-covered employers follow the federal $2.13 cash wage / $5.12 tip credit.
Recent history. State rate has been $5.15 since 2001; the effective rate for nearly all workers is the federal $7.25 (since 2009-07-24).
DOL: 'Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.' Georgia DOL's site shows only the federal $7.25.
Statute. O.C.G.A. 34-4-3 (rate); 34-4-3.1 (local preemption).
Common questions
What is the minimum wage in Georgia?
$7.25 an hour as of September 2, 2026; the federal rate governs because the state rate of $5.15 is lower.
When does the Georgia minimum wage go up next?
No increase is scheduled.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Georgia?
$2.13 in cash plus tips; the employer must make up any shortfall to $7.25.
Do any cities in Georgia have a higher minimum wage?
No. State law preempts local minimum wage ordinances.
Sources
- https://dol.georgia.gov/ official
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state official
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped official
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/32-minimum-wage-youth official
- https://codes.findlaw.com/ga/title-34-labor-and-industrial-relations/ga-code-sect-34-4-3.html
- https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wages
- https://codes.findlaw.com/ga/title-34-labor-and-industrial-relations/ga-code-sect-34-4-3-1.html
- https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/inventory-of-us-city-and-county-minimum-wage-ordinances/
Checked 2026-09-02 against Georgia Department of Labor...; researcher confidence 0.85.