Georgia tip pooling laws & tipped minimum wage
In Georgia, employers can pay tipped workers $2.13/hr as long as tips bring them to the $7.25 minimum — here's how that works and who can legally share your tips.
| Regular minimum wage | $7.25/hr |
| Minimum cash wage for tipped workers | $2.13/hr |
| Maximum tip credit | $5.12/hr |
| Tips belong to | Employees — always |
A tip credit lets an employer count your tips toward the minimum wage it owes you. Rates reviewed July 2026. Rates change — confirm with the Georgia labor department. Not legal advice.
What's specific to Georgia
Georgia’s state minimum ($5.15) is below the federal rate, so the federal $7.25 / $2.13 structure governs nearly all tipped workers.
Georgia’s own minimum wage is below federal — so federal law governs your tips
Georgia sets its state minimum wage at $5.15 an hour, which is lower than the federal $7.25. Under Georgia Code Section 34-4-3, the state law does not apply to any employer already covered by a federal act that sets a higher minimum. Because the federal Fair Labor Standards Act covers most Georgia businesses, the effective floor for nearly all workers is the federal $7.25.
Georgia’s minimum wage statute also expressly excludes tipped workers — it does not apply to any employee whose pay consists wholly or partly of gratuities. In practice this means your tipped pay is set entirely by federal law: a cash wage of $2.13 an hour, with a tip credit of up to $5.12, as long as your tips bring you to at least $7.25.
If your tips do not reach $7.25, your employer owes the difference
The tip credit is not permission to pay you below the minimum wage. In any workweek where your $2.13 cash wage plus your tips do not average at least $7.25 an hour, your employer has to make up the shortfall in that paycheck.
Your employer also has to tell you before taking the tip credit. If they never gave you that notice, they generally owe you the full $7.25 an hour for the affected time.
How to recover unpaid or withheld tips in Georgia
Georgia has no tip law of its own, so the federal Fair Labor Standards Act controls. Minimum wage and tip enforcement in Georgia falls mainly to the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, where you can file a complaint for unpaid wages or withheld tips.
One rule never bends: managers, supervisors, and owners may not keep any part of your tips.
Tip pooling in Georgia
Georgia follows the federal baseline: employers may require tip pooling. If your employer takes the tip credit (pays $2.13/hr cash), the pool may only include customarily tipped workers — servers, bussers, bartenders, runners, hosts. Back-of-house can only be included if everyone is paid full minimum wage with no tip credit. Managers and supervisors are always excluded.
One federal rule applies everywhere: managers and supervisors can never take from a tip pool. Separately, credit card processing fees may only be deducted from tips where state law allows it.
What this means for your tip-out
Because part of your legal wage in Georgia comes from tips, the employer's tip credit assumes those tips reached you. Use the tip-out calculator to split a shift by your house's percentages or by hours, and see standard tip-out percentages to check whether your house's rates are typical.
Georgia tip law FAQs
What is the tipped minimum wage in Georgia?
Employers in Georgia may pay tipped employees a cash wage of $2.13/hr and claim a tip credit of up to $5.12/hr toward the $7.25 minimum wage. If tips don't close the gap in a workweek, the employer must make up the difference.
Is mandatory tip pooling legal in Georgia?
Georgia follows the federal baseline: employers may require tip pooling. If your employer takes the tip credit (pays $2.13/hr cash), the pool may only include customarily tipped workers — servers, bussers, bartenders, runners, hosts. Back-of-house can only be included if everyone is paid full minimum wage with no tip credit. Managers and supervisors are always excluded.
Can my manager take a share of the tip pool in Georgia?
No. Federal law prohibits managers, supervisors, and owners from keeping any portion of employee tips in every state, including Georgia. A manager may keep only tips they directly and solely earned (e.g., a table they personally served start to finish).
Why is Georgia’s minimum wage listed as $5.15 if I get paid $7.25?
Georgia’s state minimum is $5.15, but Georgia Code Section 34-4-3 says the state law does not apply where a federal act sets a higher wage. Since the federal Fair Labor Standards Act covers most employers at $7.25, that federal rate is what nearly all Georgia workers actually receive.
Does Georgia have its own tip-pooling law?
No. Georgia adds nothing beyond the federal FLSA, so federal tip-pooling rules apply: only customarily tipped staff can be in the pool when a tip credit is taken, and managers or owners can never keep tips from it.