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The Mandate Monitor

Georgia minimum wage: $7.25 an hour (the federal rate)

Checked November 8, 2026Source: Georgia Department of Labor

Short answer

Georgia has no state minimum wage above the federal one, so most employers there must pay at least $7.25 an hour under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Employers may pay tipped employees $2.13 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $7.25.

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On your payroll in Georgiaper hour
Minimum wage today
$7.25
Tipped employees, cash wage
$2.13
Full-time year at today’s rate (2,080 hours)
$15,080

We found no city or county in Georgia with its own higher minimum wage.

Georgia minimum wage by date

EffectiveMinimum wageTipped cash wageNote
July 24, 2009Current$7.25$2.13Federal rate governs. Georgia’s own law sets $5.15 an hour, but only for employers with 6 or more employees that are not covered by the FLSA, and it excludes tipped workers.source
July 24, 2008$6.55$2.13Federal rate.source

Other Georgia pay rules

Paydays
At least twice a month (semimonthly). Officials, superintendents and heads or subheads of departments may be paid monthly or less often.
Overtime
Follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. We found no separate state overtime rule.
Final paycheck
Fired: We found no state deadline. Federal law doesn’t require immediate payment; pay by the regular payday for the last pay period worked. Quit: We found no state deadline. Federal law doesn’t require immediate payment; pay by the regular payday for the last pay period worked.

From the Georgia Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables. All Georgia employer rules.

Minimum wage in states next to Georgia

If you hire across a state line, the worker’s state sets the rate.

StateTodayNext change
Georgia$7.25None scheduled
Florida$15.00Not yet announced
Alabama$7.25None scheduled
North Carolina$7.25None scheduled
South Carolina$7.25None scheduled
Tennessee$7.25None scheduled

Questions employers ask

What is the minimum wage in Georgia in 2026?

Georgia has no state minimum wage above the federal one, so most employers there must pay at least $7.25 an hour under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

What is the tipped minimum wage in Georgia?

Employers may pay tipped employees $2.13 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $7.25.

When does the Georgia minimum wage go up next?

No increase is scheduled under current Georgia law. Any change would need new legislation or a ballot measure.

Do cities in Georgia have a higher minimum wage?

We found no city or county minimum wage in Georgia.

Does Georgia require overtime pay?

Follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. We found no separate state overtime rule.

Compare every state’s minimum wage · Everything employers in Georgia must do

Sources

  1. Georgia Department of Labor
  2. State Minimum Wage Laws (updated November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 8, 2026)
  3. Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees (November 5, 2026 table), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 8, 2026)
  4. Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees, historical table (October 1, 2008), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)