Georgia Minimum Wage 2026: $7.25, Tipped Wage and Take-Home Pay
Tax year 2026 · Last updated · Sources listed at the end
Georgia has its own minimum wage law, but almost nobody is paid under it. Here is which rate applies to whom in 2026, what a minimum wage paycheck looks like after tax, and how tips are taxed under the new federal and Georgia rules.
The short answer
For most jobs in Georgia the minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the federal rate set by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Georgia's own minimum wage law sets $5.15 an hour for employers with six or more employees, but the state law excludes any employment covered by the FLSA when the federal rate is higher, which it is. The U.S. Department of Labor's state table, last updated July 1, 2026, states it plainly: employers subject to the FLSA must pay the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour (U.S. DOL state minimum wage table).
Georgia minimum wage rates at a glance (2026)
| Who | Minimum | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Most employees (FLSA-covered) | $7.25 | Federal minimum wage |
| Tipped employees | $2.13 cash wage | Tips must bring the total to at least $7.25 an hour; the employer makes up any shortfall. Maximum tip credit $5.12. |
| Workers under 20, first 90 days | $4.25 | Federal youth minimum wage, for the first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment only |
| Jobs not covered by the FLSA, employers with 6+ employees | $5.15 | Georgia state minimum wage law |
The tipped figures are from the Department of Labor's tipped-employee table, which lists Georgia with the federal $2.13 cash wage and notes that Georgia's state minimum wage law does not apply to tipped employees (U.S. DOL tipped minimum wage table). The Georgia Department of Labor describes the same tipped rule and the $4.25 youth rate (Georgia DOL individuals FAQ; Georgia DOL employers FAQ).
Take-home pay at $7.25 an hour in Georgia
Full time at the minimum wage (40 hours a week, 52 weeks) is $15,080 a year before tax. Here is what is left after 2026 withholding for a single filer paid weekly with no other deductions:
| Hours a week | Weekly gross | Weekly take-home | Yearly gross | Federal tax / yr | Georgia tax / yr | FICA / yr | Yearly take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | $145.00 | $133.91 | $7,540 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $576.81 | $6,963 |
| 25 | $181.25 | $167.38 | $9,425 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $721.01 | $8,704 |
| 30 | $217.50 | $200.86 | $11,310 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $865.22 | $10,445 |
| 35 | $253.75 | $234.34 | $13,195 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1,009.42 | $12,186 |
| 40 | $290.00 | $267.73 | $15,080 | $0.00 | $4.16 | $1,153.62 | $13,922 |
Almost nothing is withheld for income tax at this pay level. Federal withholding starts only once annualized wages pass $16,100 for a single filer with a standard W-4 (the $8,600 Worksheet 1A adjustment plus the $7,500 zero bracket in Publication 15-T). Georgia's $15,000 standard deduction covers nearly all of a full-time minimum wage salary: the $290 weekly paycheck minus the $288.46 weekly deduction leaves $1.54 taxed at 4.99%, about eight cents a week. Social Security and Medicare (7.65% together) are the main deduction, which is why full-time take-home is $13,922 a year, or $267.73 a week.
For rates above the minimum, see $8, $10, $12 and $15 an hour after taxes, or the full hourly index.
Tipped pay and taxes
A server paid the $2.13 cash wage relies on tips for the other $5.12 of the $7.25 minimum. If tips for a workweek do not average at least $5.12 an hour, the employer must pay the difference. Over 40 hours in a week, overtime is figured on the full $7.25 minimum, not the cash wage.
Tips you report to your employer are wages for tax purposes: they are subject to Social Security, Medicare and income tax withholding. Two new breaks apply:
- Federal: for 2025 through 2028, workers in occupations that customarily received tips before 2025 can deduct up to $25,000 of qualified tips on their federal return. Qualified tips are voluntary cash or charged tips; mandatory service charges do not count. You can reflect the expected deduction on your W-4 to get it in each paycheck, and tips stay subject to Social Security and Medicare (IRS Publication 15-T 2026).
- Georgia: for 2026 through 2028, HB 463 lets you exclude up to $1,750 of qualified cash tips from Georgia taxable income. For 2026 the DOR has told employers to keep withholding as before and report qualified tips on year-end W-2s, so the Georgia break arrives when you file your return (DOR Employer’s Withholding Tax Guide 2026; HB 463).
Overtime and breaks at minimum wage
Georgia has no separate overtime law; the FLSA requires 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek, which is $10.88 an hour at the $7.25 minimum. Neither Georgia law nor the FLSA requires meal or rest breaks. Details are in overtime pay in Georgia.
Where to report unpaid wages
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforces the federal minimum wage and overtime rules in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Labor points workers there and notes that unpaid wages can also be pursued in magistrate (small claims) court in the county where the employer is located (Georgia DOL).
Run your own numbers. The Georgia paycheck calculator applies everything on this page to your pay, W-4 and G-4.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, State Minimum Wage Laws
- U.S. Department of Labor, Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees (state table, updated July 1, 2026)
- Georgia Department of Labor, Individuals FAQs: Fair Labor Standards Act
- Georgia Department of Labor, Employers FAQs: Fair Labor Standards Act
- Georgia Department of Labor, Obtain Information About an Employment Issue
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- Georgia HB 463 (2026), Georgia Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act of 2026, as passed
- Georgia Department of Revenue, Employer’s Withholding Tax Guide 2026 (revised June 2026)
This guide explains general rules for estimating paycheck withholding. It is not tax or legal advice. See our disclaimer.