2022 Georgia Minimum Wage
The 2022 Georgia Minimum Wage is $5.15.
Effective 2022-01-01Source: Minimum Wage (Georgia Department of Labor)Verified 2026-08-29
Compared with 2021
Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2021.
| Item | 2021 | 2022 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $5.15 | $5.15 | +$0 (+0.0%) |
Who it applies to
Employers and workers in Georgia
What changed this year, and why
Georgia's state minimum wage for 2022
Common questions
- Is Georgia's minimum wage different from the federal minimum wage?
- Georgia's state minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. However, because the federal minimum wage is higher, most employers in Georgia must pay the federal rate instead.
- Are there workers who can be paid Georgia's minimum wage instead of the federal rate?
- A small number of workers not covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act may be paid the state rate of $5.15 per hour. Most employers are subject to the federal minimum wage, which is higher.
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
Georgia sets its own minimum wage at $5.15 per hour, which is below the federal floor established under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The document states that, with some limited exceptions, the federal minimum wage rate applies. In practice, this means that most employers in Georgia must pay their workers the higher federal rate rather than the lower state rate. The rule follows a standard principle in wage law: when both a state and the federal government set a minimum wage, the employee is entitled to whichever rate is greater. Because the federal floor exceeds Georgia's rate, the federal amount controls for the vast majority of workers. The limited exceptions referenced in the statute apply to certain categories of employees who may not be covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act and who therefore may be paid the state rate. Employers should review whether their workers fall into one of those narrow categories before relying on the lower state wage.
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