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Georgia Minimum Wage 2025: Federal Minimum of $7.25/Hour

Georgia has a state minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, but this rarely applies because the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour covers most Georgia employers. As a practical matter, Georgia’s effective minimum wage is $7.25/hour—the federal minimum, unchanged since 2009.

This puts Georgia among the lowest-wage states in the nation. Unlike neighboring states like Florida ($12.00 and rising) or states with indexed wages (Washington $16.28, Illinois $15.00), Georgia has not enacted legislation to raise its minimum wage above the federal floor.

Understanding your wage rights in Georgia—including which minimum wage applies to you, tip credit rules, and what to do if your employer violates wage laws—is critical to ensuring you’re paid fairly.

Georgia Minimum Wage Rates (2025)

Federal Minimum Wage Applies: $7.25/Hour

Effective Georgia minimum wage: $7.25 per hour (federal minimum)

Why federal minimum applies: Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers engaged in interstate commerce or with $500,000+ annual gross revenue to pay federal minimum wage. This covers most Georgia employers.

Georgia state minimum: $5.15/hour (set in 2001, lower than federal)

When Georgia’s $5.15 applies: Only to employers NOT covered by federal FLSA (very rare):

  • Employers with less than $500,000 annual gross revenue
  • AND not engaged in interstate commerce
  • Typically very small family businesses

Example: You work at a large retailer in Atlanta with $50 million annual revenue. Federal minimum wage applies: $7.25/hour. Georgia’s $5.15 state minimum does NOT apply because employer is covered by federal law.

Example (rare): You work at a tiny 2-person local business with $200,000 annual revenue that does no interstate commerce. Employer is not covered by federal FLSA. Georgia state minimum of $5.15/hour could apply. However, this is extremely rare—most businesses engage in some interstate commerce (use internet, phone services, accept credit cards, purchase from out-of-state suppliers).

Practical reality: $7.25/hour federal minimum applies to the vast majority of Georgia workers.

History:

  • 2009-2025: $7.25/hour (federal minimum, unchanged for 16 years)
  • 2001: Georgia set state minimum at $5.15/hour (never raised)
  • 1997-2009: Various federal increases

Comparison to other states:

  • Georgia: $7.25/hour (federal)
  • Washington: $16.28/hour ✅ ($9.03 higher, indexed)
  • California: $16.00/hour ✅ ($8.75 higher)
  • Illinois: $15.00/hour ✅ ($7.75 higher)
  • Florida: $12.00/hour ✅ ($4.75 higher, rising to $15 by 2026)
  • North Carolina: $7.25/hour (federal)
  • Texas: $7.25/hour (federal)
  • Pennsylvania: $7.25/hour (federal)
  • Ohio: $10.45/hour ✅ ($3.20 higher, indexed)

Georgia is tied for lowest with 20+ states at federal minimum.

Atlanta: NO Local Minimum Wage

Atlanta has NO higher local minimum wage

Unlike cities that have enacted local minimum wage ordinances (Seattle $19.97, Los Angeles $16.78, Chicago $16.20), Atlanta follows Georgia’s federal minimum of $7.25/hour.

Georgia law prohibits local governments from setting minimum wages higher than state/federal law.

Example: You work at a restaurant in Atlanta. Minimum wage is $7.25/hour (same as rest of Georgia). There is no higher Atlanta-specific minimum wage.

Tipped Minimum Wage: $2.13/Hour

Georgia allows maximum tip credit under federal law for tipped employees:

Tipped employee definition: Receives more than $30/month in tips

Tipped minimum wage: $2.13/hour (cash wage) – the lowest allowed under federal law

Maximum tip credit: $5.12/hour (difference between $7.25 and $2.13)

Employer’s obligation: If tips don’t bring total compensation to $7.25/hour, employer must make up the difference

Georgia uses federal tipped minimum ($2.13), which is the absolute lowest allowed.

Contrast with no-tip-credit states:

Georgia (tip credit state):

  • Server works 40 hours, earns $200 in tips
  • Cash wage: $2.13 × 40 = $85.20
  • Tips: $200
  • Total: $285.20 ($85.20 wages + $200 tips)

Washington (no tip credit):

  • Server works 40 hours, earns $200 in tips
  • Cash wage: $16.28 × 40 = $651.20 (full minimum wage)
  • Tips: $200
  • Total: $851.20 ($651.20 wages + $200 tips)

Difference: Washington server earns $566 more for the same work and tips.

Only 7 states prohibit tip credits: California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Montana, Minnesota, Alaska. Georgia is NOT one of them—tipped workers in Georgia receive only $2.13/hour base wage.

If tips don’t reach minimum wage: Employer must make up the difference

Example: You’re a server working 40 hours. Employer pays you $2.13/hour = $85.20. You earn only $100 in tips (slow week).

  • Cash wage: $85.20
  • Tips: $100
  • Total: $185.20
  • Hourly average: $185.20 ÷ 40 = $4.63/hour
  • Below minimum wage of $7.25/hour

Employer owes additional: ($7.25 × 40) – $185.20 = $290 – $185.20 = $104.80 to bring you to minimum wage.

Youth Minimum Wage

Georgia does NOT have a separate youth minimum wage

Federal law allows: Under 20 can be paid $4.25/hour for first 90 consecutive days (rarely used)

After 90 days: Must be paid full minimum wage ($7.25)

Georgia Overtime Law

Overtime Rate: 1.5× Regular Rate

Georgia has NO state overtime law beyond federal requirements

Federal FLSA requires:

  • Time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek
  • Applies to non-exempt employees

Example: You earn $10/hour and work 50 hours in a week.

  • Regular time: 40 hours × $10 = $400
  • Overtime: 10 hours × $15 (1.5 × $10) = $150
  • Total owed: $550

Minimum wage workers:

  • $7.25/hour × 1.5 = $10.88/hour for overtime

Tipped employees and overtime: Overtime rate calculated on full minimum wage ($7.25), not tipped minimum wage ($2.13). Employer can take tip credit on overtime hours if tips sufficient.

Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Employees

Not everyone gets overtime:

Exempt employees (no overtime required):

  • Executive, administrative, professional employees meeting specific tests
  • Must earn at least $844/week ($43,888/year) as of 2024 federal threshold
  • Must perform primarily exempt duties

Common misclassification: Employers sometimes incorrectly classify employees as “exempt” to avoid paying overtime. If misclassified, you’re entitled to back overtime pay.

Example: You’re classified as “shift supervisor” at fast food restaurant and paid $35,000/year salary. You work 55 hours/week regularly, no overtime. Employer claims you’re “salaried exempt.” However, you spend 85% of time doing same tasks as hourly employees (cooking, cashier, cleaning). You’re likely misclassified—you should receive overtime for hours over 40.

Meal and Rest Breaks

Georgia Does NOT Require Breaks

Georgia has NO state law requiring meal or rest breaks for employees of any age

This is unlike many states that require breaks:

  • Washington: 30-minute meal break + 10-minute paid rest breaks every 4 hours
  • California: 30-minute meal break + 10-minute rest breaks
  • Illinois: 20-minute meal break for 7.5+ hour shifts

If employer provides breaks: Federal law requires breaks under 20 minutes be paid

Example: You work 10-hour shift in Georgia with no breaks. This is legal under Georgia law (though employer may choose to provide breaks as matter of policy).

Georgia is more employer-friendly on break requirements than states mandating breaks.

Common Minimum Wage Violations

Paying Below Minimum Wage

Illegal: Paying less than $7.25/hour (federal minimum)

Common violations:

  • Paying “under the table” below minimum
  • Misclassifying employees as independent contractors to avoid minimum wage
  • Failing to include all hours worked in minimum wage calculation
  • Paying Georgia’s $5.15 state minimum when federal $7.25 applies

Example: Employer pays you $6/hour cash “under the table.” This is below federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour and violates federal law.

Illegal Deductions

Federal law prohibits deductions that reduce wages below minimum wage:

Illegal:

  • Deducting for broken dishes, cash register shortages, customer walk-outs if it brings wage below minimum
  • Requiring employee to pay for uniforms if it reduces wage below minimum
  • Charging for tools or equipment if it reduces below minimum

Legal (if doesn’t reduce below minimum):

  • Tax withholding
  • Court-ordered garnishments
  • Employee-authorized deductions (401k, health insurance)

Example: You earn $8/hour and work 40 hours = $320. Employer deducts $60 for cash register shortage. Net = $260 ÷ 40 = $6.50/hour, below minimum wage of $7.25. This deduction is illegal.

Unpaid Off-the-Clock Work

All hours worked must be paid at least minimum wage:

Violations:

  • Requiring work before clocking in or after clocking out
  • Unpaid prep time or closing duties
  • Automatic meal break deductions when employee works through break
  • Mandatory unpaid meetings or training
  • Required travel time between work sites (not home to work)

Example: You’re required to arrive 20 minutes early each day for unpaid “opening duties” and stay 20 minutes after shift for unpaid “closing tasks.” That’s 40 minutes/day × 5 days/week = 3.33 hours/week of unpaid work. This violates federal minimum wage and overtime laws.

Tipped Worker Violations

Common tip credit violations:

  • Paying tipped minimum ($2.13) when tips don’t bring total to $7.25
  • Taking tip credit for hours spent on non-tipped duties (more than 20% of time)
  • Keeping portion of tips (illegal tip pooling with management)
  • Requiring tips to cover business expenses
  • Not informing employees about tip credit

80/20 rule: Tipped employees can only be paid tipped minimum ($2.13) for time spent on tip-producing work. If more than 20% of time spent on non-tipped duties (prep, cleaning), those hours must be paid full minimum wage ($7.25).

Example: Restaurant pays servers $2.13/hour for all hours worked. Server spends 30% of shift doing non-tipped prep work (cutting vegetables, cleaning, stocking). Employer must pay full minimum wage ($7.25) for prep time, not tipped minimum ($2.13). This violation is common in Georgia restaurants.

Filing Wage Claim in Georgia

Georgia Department of Labor – NO Minimum Wage Enforcement

Georgia Department of Labor does NOT enforce minimum wage laws

Unlike most states with wage and hour enforcement divisions, Georgia DOL does not handle minimum wage complaints. You must file with federal Department of Labor.

Federal Department of Labor

U.S. Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division:

Atlanta Office: 404-893-4600
Savannah Office: 912-652-4221
National: 1-866-487-9243
Website: dol.gov/agencies/whd

What to file:

  • Complaint about unpaid minimum wage
  • Unpaid overtime
  • Illegal deductions
  • Tipped minimum wage violations
  • Final paycheck issues

Deadline: Generally 2 years to file wage claim (3 years if willful violation)

Process:

  1. Contact DOL or file online complaint
  2. DOL investigates
  3. DOL contacts employer
  4. DOL calculates unpaid wages
  5. DOL may order employer to pay back wages

Private Lawsuit

You can file lawsuit in Georgia state or federal court to recover unpaid wages:

Damages:

  • Unpaid wages (difference between what you should have been paid and what you were paid)
  • Liquidated damages (can double unpaid wages under federal FLSA if willful)
  • Attorney’s fees if you prevail

Statute of limitations: 2 years from wage violation (3 years if willful)

Example: Employer owes you $6,000 in unpaid minimum wages over 18 months. You file lawsuit and prove willful violation. You recover:

  • $6,000 unpaid wages
  • $6,000 liquidated damages (doubling)
  • Attorney’s fees
  • Total: $12,000+ (plus fees)

Consult employment attorney to evaluate whether lawsuit makes sense for your situation.

Georgia vs. Neighboring States Comparison

State Minimum Wage Higher than GA?
Georgia $7.25 Baseline
Florida $12.00 (rising to $15 by 2026) ✅ +$4.75
North Carolina $7.25 Same as GA
South Carolina $7.25 Same as GA
Tennessee $7.25 Same as GA
Alabama $7.25 Same as GA

All of Georgia’s neighboring states are at federal minimum ($7.25), except Florida which has enacted annual increases toward $15/hour by 2026.

Georgia is among the most employer-friendly states for minimum wage, with no state law advantages beyond federal minimums.

Legislative Efforts to Raise Georgia Minimum Wage

No Recent Legislative Success

Georgia has seen limited legislative efforts to raise the state minimum wage above federal $7.25, and none have advanced significantly:

Challenges:

  • Republican-controlled state legislature generally opposes minimum wage increases
  • Business lobby opposition citing job loss concerns
  • Georgia’s political climate favors limited labor regulation

Georgia’s $5.15 state minimum (set in 2001) has never been raised and is lower than federal minimum—making it essentially meaningless since federal law preempts it.

Comparison to states that have raised minimum wage:

  • Florida: Voter-approved constitutional amendment raising minimum wage to $15 by 2026 (currently $12.00)
  • Illinois: $15/hour
  • California: $16/hour
  • Washington: $16.28/hour (indexed)
  • New York: $15/hour

Georgia has not followed this trend and remains at federal floor.

Atlanta Cannot Enact Local Minimum Wage

Georgia law prohibits municipalities from setting their own minimum wages

State preemption: Georgia is one of ~25 states that prohibit local governments from enacting higher minimum wages

Result: Atlanta, despite being a major metropolitan area with high cost of living, cannot raise its local minimum wage above $7.25

Contrast: Cities in states without preemption have enacted much higher local minimums:

  • Seattle: $19.97/hour
  • Los Angeles: $16.78/hour
  • Chicago: $16.20/hour
  • New York City: $16.00/hour

Common Questions

Is Georgia’s minimum wage $5.15 or $7.25?

$7.25 for most workers. Georgia state minimum is $5.15, but federal minimum wage of $7.25 applies to most employers (those with $500,000+ annual revenue or engaged in interstate commerce). The vast majority of Georgia employers must pay federal $7.25.

Can my employer pay me less than minimum wage during training?

No (for adults). Georgia/federal law does not allow “training wage” below minimum wage for adults.

Exception: Workers under 20 can be paid federal “youth minimum wage” of $4.25/hour for first 90 consecutive days (rarely used).

What if I’m paid salary—does minimum wage apply?

Yes. Even salaried employees must receive at least minimum wage.

Calculate hourly rate: Divide weekly salary by hours worked. If below minimum wage, employer violates law.

Example: You’re “salaried” at $250/week and work 45 hours/week. Hourly rate = $250 ÷ 45 = $5.56/hour, below federal minimum wage of $7.25. This violates federal law (and you’re likely also entitled to overtime for hours over 40).

Can my employer deduct for uniforms or cash register shortages?

Only if it doesn’t bring wage below minimum.

Example: You earn $9/hour, work 40 hours = $360. Employer deducts $30 for uniform. Net = $330 ÷ 40 = $8.25/hour, still above minimum. Legal.

But if you earn $8/hour, work 40 hours = $320, and employer deducts $50, net = $270 ÷ 40 = $6.75/hour, below minimum wage. Illegal.

Do I get paid for breaks in Georgia?

Depends on employer policy and break length:

  • Georgia has NO law requiring breaks
  • If employer provides breaks under 20 minutes: Must be paid (federal law)
  • Meal breaks 30+ minutes: Can be unpaid if completely relieved of duties

What’s Georgia’s minimum wage for servers and bartenders?

$2.13/hour cash wage (tipped minimum) – the lowest allowed under federal law.

Total compensation (cash wage + tips) must equal at least $7.25/hour. If tips don’t bring you to $7.25/hour, employer must make up the difference.

Why is Georgia’s minimum wage so low?

Political choice: Georgia has not enacted legislation to raise minimum wage above federal floor. Georgia’s business-friendly, low-regulation political climate prioritizes employer interests.

No indexing: Unlike states like Ohio, Washington, or Illinois that index minimum wage to inflation (automatic annual increases), Georgia’s wage is static at federal $7.25.

Does Georgia require overtime pay?

Yes, under federal law (FLSA). Georgia has no state overtime law, but federal law requires time-and-a-half for hours over 40 per week for non-exempt employees.

Resources for Georgia Workers

Federal Agency

U.S. Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division:

Georgia Department of Labor

Georgia DOL (does NOT enforce minimum wage, but handles other employment issues):

Free Legal Assistance

Atlanta Legal Aid Society:

Georgia Legal Services Program:

  • Phone: 1-800-498-9469
  • Website: glsp.org

State Bar of Georgia Lawyer Referral:

  • Phone: 404-527-8700 or 1-800-237-2629
  • Website: gabar.org

Related Topics

Get Help with Unpaid Wages

Think your employer is paying you less than Georgia’s minimum wage? Get a free consultation from an employment law expert who understands federal wage laws.

Georgia’s effective minimum wage is $7.25/hour (federal minimum, unchanged since 2009), among the lowest in the nation. Tipped workers receive only $2.13/hour cash wage—the lowest allowed under federal law. Total compensation (wages + tips) must reach $7.25/hour. Understanding your rights and the 2-year statute of limitations for wage claims (3 years if willful) is critical to recovering unpaid wages.

Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Federal wage laws are subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult with a licensed employment attorney in Georgia. Employment Law Aid is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation.