Wage and Hour Laws in Georgia (video)

This video will help you understand the minimum wage and overtime hour laws in Georgia.

There are federal and state minimum wage laws. These laws apply to most employees but do not apply to independent contractors.

In 2022, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. This applies to all employers who have to follow the Fair Labor Standards Act. That includes employers:

• Whose annual sales are $500,000 or more, or 
• Who are engaged in interstate commerce. Most employers are “engaged in interstate commerce” in some way.

This law also applies to some domestic service workers such as housekeepers, cooks, or full-time babysitters.

Tipped employees, like waiters, must be paid at least $2.13 an hour by their employer. Your tips and wages combined must meet the federal minimum wage. If it is under, your employer must make up the difference.

You can learn more about who is covered on the Department of Labor website at dol.gov

If you are not covered by the federal minimum wage, you may still be covered under Georgia’s minimum wage law. Georgia’s minimum wage is $5.15/hour. That applies to all employers in Georgia, except: 

• Employers with sales of $40,000/year or less;
• Employers with less than five employees,
• Employers of domestic workers, and 
• Employers who are farm owners, sharecroppers, or land renters.

The Fair Labor Standards Act also sets 40 hours per week as a standard workweek. If you are an hourly worker, many employers are required to pay you higher wages for all hours worked over 40 hours in a week.

Overtime pay is 1.5 times your regular hourly wage. 

Most employees who get a regular salary are not paid for overtime. 

If you are not being paid the correct amount, you have the right to either sue your employer or file a complaint. It is your responsibility to start these actions within the time limit.

Learn more at GeorgiaLegalAid.org