The minimum wage that applies to nearly all Georgia workers is $7.25 per hour — the federal FLSA floor — because Georgia's statutory minimum of $5.15/hr (O.C.G.A. Title 34, Chapter 4) is below the federal minimum and does not apply to FLSA-covered employers. — Source
Georgia's statutory minimum of $5.15/hr (O.C.G.A. Title 34, Chapter 4) is below the federal FLSA floor of $7.25/hr. Because the state law excludes FLSA-covered employment, nearly all Georgia workers receive the federal rate. This calculator uses $7.25/hr — the governing rate for most workers.
This calculator uses the $7.25/hr federal FLSA floor — the rate that applies to nearly all Georgia workers.
Georgia's statutory minimum wage of $5.15 per hour is set by O.C.G.A. Title 34, Chapter 4. However, that statute explicitly excludes FLSA-covered employment from its scope. Because the FLSA requires at least $7.25/hr and covers the overwhelming majority of private employers and public agencies, the $5.15 state rate reaches only non-FLSA-covered employers with six or more employees.
Georgia is one of only two states (with Wyoming) where the state minimum wage is below the federal floor. The Georgia Department of Labor's own webpage (dol.georgia.gov/minimum-wage) states: "Georgia's minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, however, with some limited exceptions, the federal minimum wage rate applies."
Statute: O.C.G.A. Title 34, Chapter 4 (state minimum wage $5.15/hr for non-FLSA-covered employers with 6+ employees); 29 U.S.C. § 207 (FLSA sets $7.25/hr governing rate for nearly all Georgia workers).
Wage-claim agency: Georgia Department of Labor. File a wage claim at dol.georgia.gov. Filing deadline: GAP — specific deadline not confirmed from primary source.
Regional comparison: Neighboring Florida has a constitutional minimum wage ($14.00/hr in 2025-2026, rising to $15.00 on September 30, 2026); Georgia is one of only two states (with Wyoming) where the state minimum wage is below the federal floor of $7.25.
Georgia's $5.15/hr state minimum wage was verified from the Georgia Department of Labor's official minimum wage page (dol.georgia.gov/minimum-wage), which states the rate and cites O.C.G.A. Title 34, Chapter 4. The same page confirms the federal $7.25/hr floor applies to most Georgia workers. Re-confirmed on 2026-08-13. See the site's methodology.
For nearly all Georgia workers, the effective minimum wage is $7.25 per hour — the federal FLSA floor. Georgia's state statute (O.C.G.A. Title 34, Chapter 4) sets $5.15/hr, but that rate applies only to non-FLSA-covered employers with six or more employees. Confirmed from dol.georgia.gov.
Georgia's $5.15/hr state minimum pre-dates the 2009 federal increase and was never updated. Because the state law excludes FLSA-covered employment, the federal $7.25 floor supersedes it for most employers. Georgia is one of only two states (with Wyoming) in this position.
Almost certainly not. If your employer is covered by the FLSA — which applies to virtually all private employers with revenues above $500,000, plus hospitals, schools, and government agencies — $7.25/hr is the minimum. The $5.15 state rate applies only to the narrow set of non-FLSA-covered employers.
Federal FLSA enforcement falls to the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (dol.gov/agencies/whd). Georgia's state minimum wage for non-FLSA employers is overseen by the Georgia Department of Labor (dol.georgia.gov). File with the appropriate agency depending on FLSA coverage status.