2018 Georgia Minimum Wage
The 2018 Georgia Minimum Wage is $5.15.
Effective 2018-01-01Source: Minimum Wage (Georgia Department of Labor)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2017
Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2017.
| Item | 2017 | 2018 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $5.15 | $5.15 | +$0 (+0.0%) |
Who it applies to
Employers and employees in Georgia subject to the state minimum wage law
What changed this year, and why
Georgia's state minimum wage rate for 2018
Common questions
- What is Georgia's minimum wage?
- Georgia's state minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. However, with some limited exceptions, the federal minimum wage rate applies, which is higher than the state rate.
- Where is Georgia's minimum wage law found?
- It is codified in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated and in the Fair Labor Standards Act. See the Georgia Department of Labor website for details.
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
The source document published by the Georgia Department of Labor about the 2018 minimum wage does not name a specific office, phone number, or address where a Georgia worker should file a wage complaint about not being paid at least the required rate. The page mentions the Georgia Department of Labor as the publishing agency and refers readers to the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division and the Fair Labor Standards Act for more information, but it does not contain a sentence directing workers to consult a state labor office or explaining the complaint process. This topic should be filled from a different source that lists the enforcement contact for wage claims in Georgia.
Access Georgia Code, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Wage and Hour Division, or the Fair Labor Standards Act for specific information.
Minimum Wage (Georgia Department of Labor)
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
When a state sets its own minimum wage below the federal floor, employers must generally pay workers the higher federal rate instead. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the federal minimum wage preempts any lower state rate. In Georgia, the state minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, however, with some limited exceptions, the federal minimum wage rate applies. This means that most covered, nonexempt employees in the state are entitled to earn at least the federal hourly rate, because the federal level is higher than the state amount. The limited exceptions may apply to very small employers or specific categories of workers not covered by federal law, but for the vast majority of businesses and employees, the federal rate controls. Workers and employers can consult the Fair Labor Standards Act or the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division for details on which exceptions might apply to a particular situation.
Georgia's minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, however, with some limited exceptions, the federal minimum wage rate applies.
Minimum Wage (Georgia Department of Labor)
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.
Minimum Wage (Georgia Department of Labor)
- Hourly
Georgia's minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, however, with some limited exceptions, the federal minimum wage rate applies.
Other years
Every Georgia Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state