Wage-and-hour ground rules for hotel and hospitality employers in Georgia — minimum wage, tipped-employee rules, overtime, breaks, premium pay, and the hotel-specific obligations that apply on top. Figures below were last reviewed on June 12, 2026; most rates adjust annually.
Verified as of June 12, 2026 — every figure on this page was checked against the official sources listed at the bottom on that date. How we verify →
Minimum wage#
The Georgia minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, effective July 24, 2009. Georgia's statutory minimum wage is $5.15 (O.C.G.A. §34-4-3) but applies only to the narrow band of employers with 6+ employees who are outside FLSA coverage; for virtually all hotel employers the federal $7.25 controls.
Preemption Georgia preempts local minimum wage ordinances — cities and counties cannot set their own general wage floors.
Tipped employees & tip pooling#
Georgia allows a tip credit: employers may pay tipped employees a cash wage of $2.13 and claim up to $5.12 per hour in tips toward the minimum wage. Federal FLSA rules: more than $30/month in tips, §3(m) notice, tips bring total to $7.25/hour. Georgia's state minimum wage law expressly does not apply to tipped employees. O.C.G.A. §34-4-3(b)(3) excludes employees who receive gratuities from the state wage floor, leaving federal law as the only protection.
Tip pooling#
Federal rules only: no employers/managers/supervisors in pools; tip-credit pools limited to customarily tipped employees; full-cash-wage pools may include back-of-house. (29 U.S.C. §203(m)(2)(B); 29 C.F.R. §531.54)
See the federal baseline rules in our tip credit and tip pooling briefs — the stricter of federal or Georgia law controls.
Overtime#
Overtime is due after 40 hours in a workweek. No state overtime statute; FLSA governs.
Run the math — including the tipped-overtime trap — with the tipped overtime calculator.
Meal & rest breaks#
Meal breaks: Not required by Georgia law for adult employees — No state meal or rest break requirement for any age group.. Federal law requires only that breaks under 20 minutes, if offered, be paid.
Rest breaks: Not required by Georgia law.
Scheduling & premium pay#
- Reporting-time pay: None required by state law.
- Split-shift premium: None.
- Spread of hours: None.
Service charges & gratuities#
Georgia has no service-charge-specific statute — the federal tip/service-charge line (and IRS treatment) controls. Background: service charges, auto-gratuities & resort fees.
Pay administration#
- Pay frequency: Semimonthly paydays required for most employers (O.C.G.A. §34-7-2); exceptions for certain industries and officials/supervisors.
- Wage statements: No state wage statement requirement; FLSA recordkeeping standards apply.
- Exempt salary floor: $684.00/week (federal) — No state EAP salary floor; federal $684/week applies (DOL's 2024 increase was vacated and DOL reverted).
- Lodging credit: Federal FLSA §3(m) reasonable-cost board/lodging credit applies; no separate state rule.
O.C.G.A. §34-4-3.1 preempts local minimum wages and other local employment mandates, so Atlanta and Savannah hospitality remain at federal rates. Tipped-wage exposure is entirely federal (FLSA 80/20 rule, tip-credit notice).
Official sources#
- Georgia Department of Labor
- US DOL Wage and Hour Division (enforces FLSA in GA)
- US DOL consolidated state minimum wage table (accessed 2026-06-12)
- US DOL minimum wages for tipped employees table (accessed 2026-06-12)
- Paycom minimum wage rate by state (2026) cross-check (accessed 2026-06-12)