Georgia Minimum Wage 2026
Current year
The 2026 Georgia Minimum Wage is $5.15.
Effective 2026-01-01Source: State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2025
Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2025.
| Item | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $5.15 | $5.15 | +$0 (+0.0%) |
Who it applies to
Employers and employees in Georgia reached by the state minimum wage law, which the Department of Labor's table limits to employers above a stated headcount. Because the same entry excludes from state coverage any employment that is subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act while the federal rate is the greater one, the state figure on this page reaches a narrow set of employment. The table does not display subminimum rates for minors, students or trainees.
What changed this year, and why
The U.S. Department of Labor's table of state minimum wage laws, updated July 1, 2026, lists Georgia's basic minimum rate as $5.15 per hour, under a coverage line limiting it to employers above a stated headcount. The entry adds that the State law excludes from coverage any employment subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act when the federal rate is greater than the State rate, and that employers subject to that Act must pay the current federal minimum wage, which the table records as the greater amount. No earlier year of this record is published here, so this page states no year-over-year change.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Georgia in 2026?
- The state rate is $5.15 per hour. That is the basic minimum rate the U.S. Department of Labor lists for Georgia in its State Minimum Wage Laws table, updated July 1, 2026. The same entry states that employers subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current federal minimum wage, which the table records as the greater of the two amounts.
- Why is Georgia's minimum wage lower than the federal minimum wage?
- The Department of Labor's table records the state figure without explaining why it sits below the federal one. What the entry does say is that the State law excludes from coverage any employment that is subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act when the federal rate is greater than the State rate, so employment reached by that Act follows the federal figure instead.
- Which employers actually pay the Georgia state minimum wage?
- The Department of Labor's table opens Georgia's entry with a coverage line limiting the rate to employers above a stated headcount, so the smallest employers fall outside it. The entry then removes from state coverage any employment subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act while the federal rate is greater. The table does not list the further exemptions written into the state law itself.
- Does Georgia's minimum wage rise each year?
- The Department of Labor's table states an annual adjustment inside the entry for several jurisdictions, naming a formula and sometimes a date. Georgia's entry contains no such statement. This page therefore publishes the rate as the table listed it on July 1, 2026, and makes no claim about how or when the state rate is recalculated, because the source does not say.
- Does Georgia law require overtime pay after a set number of hours?
- Georgia's entry in the Department of Labor's table records no premium pay after designated hours, daily or weekly, where the entries for many other jurisdictions do record a weekly threshold. The absence of that line is what this source says about the state law; the same entry points employment covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act to that Act instead.
- Is there a tipped minimum wage in Georgia?
- The Department of Labor's table lists one basic minimum rate per hour for Georgia and no separate cash wage for tipped employees, so this page does not publish one. The table itself states that differential provisions are not displayed in it, naming subminimum rates for minors and students and training wages for new hires as its examples.
- Do cities in Georgia set their own minimum wage?
- The Department of Labor's table does not answer that. It notes that some local governments set minimum wage rates higher than their respective state minimum wage, and that such differential provisions are not displayed in the table. The $5.15 per hour figure here is the state-level basic rate the table records, so any local ordinance sits outside what this source shows.
- Where does the $5.15 figure on this page come from?
- From the Wage and Hour Division's State Minimum Wage Laws table at dol.gov, in the snapshot captured for this record, where the Georgia entry gives the basic minimum rate per hour as $5.15 beneath a coverage line for employers above a stated headcount. The division notes on the same page that individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information.
Every amount on this page is a published figure rather than yours. The Minimum wage pay calculator takes the number you enter and works it out against them, showing which published figure it used.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
Employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay at least the federal minimum wage, but certain workers may be paid less under specific circumstances. Minors, students, and new hires may qualify for subminimum wage rates depending on state law. Some states establish reduced hourly rates for young workers or students, while others provide a training wage for newly hired employees during an initial employment period. Some states also exempt these categories of workers from minimum wage coverage entirely. These special wage provisions vary significantly by state and are not reflected in the federal rate shown on this page. Workers and employers should check their state's specific rules to determine whether a subminimum wage, training wage, or exemption applies to a particular situation.
Some states set subminimum rates for minors and/or students or exempt them from coverage or have a training wage for new hires.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
When a city or county sets a higher minimum wage
In addition to the federal and state minimum wages, many cities and counties have enacted their own minimum wage ordinances that set a higher hourly rate than what the state requires. When a local government establishes a higher minimum wage, employers in that jurisdiction must pay the local rate rather than the state rate. These local wage floors can differ significantly from one municipality to another, even within the same state. Because local minimum wage laws are not captured in this table, employers and employees should verify whether their city or county has adopted a higher rate that would apply to their workplace.
Some local governments set minimum wage rates higher than their respective state minimum wage.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
Because state and local minimum wage laws vary and may differ from the federal rate, individuals who need authoritative information about the wage that applies to them should consult the relevant state labor office. The state labor office is the best resource for confirming the current minimum wage, any subminimum or training wages, local ordinances, and overtime rules that apply in a particular jurisdiction. Workers who believe they have not been paid the correct wage can file a wage complaint with their state labor office or with the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. The Wage and Hour Division enforces the Fair Labor Standards Act at the federal level and can assist with questions about federal minimum wage and overtime requirements.
individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate
In Georgia, the state minimum wage is $5.15 per hour and applies to employers of 6 or more employees. However, Georgia's law works together with federal law in a specific way: the state law excludes from coverage any employment that is subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act when the federal rate is greater than the state rate. This means that most workers in Georgia are actually covered by federal law rather than state law, because the federal minimum wage is higher than Georgia's state rate. Employers who are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, not the lower Georgia rate of $5.15. For Georgia workers, this means you are entitled to at least $7.25 per hour if your employer is covered by federal law, which includes most businesses engaged in interstate commerce. The $5.15 state rate only applies in the rare case where your job is not covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
Georgia Applicable to employers of 6 or more employees Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $5.15 The State law excludes from coverage any employment that is subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act when the federal rate is greater than the State rate. Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
Georgia sets its own minimum at $5.15 an hour, and most people working in Georgia are not paid that. The state law steps out of the way for any employment the Fair Labor Standards Act covers when the federal rate is the greater of the two, and the federal minimum of $7.25 is greater. So for an FLSA-covered job the answer is $7.25, and the $5.15 figure applies only where the federal act does not reach - a narrow set of employers, small and wholly local. Read the state number as the floor beneath the floor rather than as what your employer may pay you. If you are unsure which side of the line your job falls on, the federal test is about the business rather than about you: its annual volume, and whether it does interstate work.
The State law excludes from coverage any employment that is subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act when the federal rate is greater than the State rate. Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
- Hourly
Georgia Applicable to employers of 6 or more employees Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $5.15
By year
Every published year
12 years on record, 2026 back to 2015. Each year links to its own page, its own document and its own verification date.