DeKalb County raises minimum wage to $19/hr., among highest in metro Atlanta

DECATUR, GA — DeKalb County employees will see an increase in their paychecks this spring as the county’s minimum wage rises from $17.68 to $19.00 per hour, an adjustment that takes effect April 11, 2026, and will appear in paychecks dated May 1.

Approved as part of the FY2026 Annual Budget, the new wage floor positions DeKalb County among the highest-paying public employers in the metro Atlanta region. Comparable jurisdictions surveyed in February 2026 came in below or just slightly above the new DeKalb rate: Cobb County at $17.34, the City of Atlanta at $17.50, Fulton County at $18.27, and Gwinnett County at $19.23.

Who Is Affected

The adjustment applies to regular-status employees, both full-time and part-time. Temporary employees are not included. In total, 1,428 DeKalb County employees will see an increase in their May 1 paycheck, structured in two parts.

First, any employee earning less than $19 per hour is being raised to the new countywide minimum. That accounts for 563 employees who will be moved directly to the $19 per hour rate, with the largest percentage increase landing at 7.466 percent for those moving from the previous $17.68 minimum.

Second, the county is applying compression adjustments to protect pay separation for employees who were already earning at or just above the old minimum. Workers earning between $17.68 and $22.68 per hour will receive a graduated raise to ensure their pay continues to reflect their experience and responsibilities relative to entry-level positions. The closer an employee was to the new $19minimum, the larger their compression adjustment. The adjustments phase out at $22.68 per hour. A total of 865 employees fall into this group, with the smallest increase coming in at 0.118 percent for an employee previously earning $22.67288 per hour.

Departments Receiving Adjustments

The increases reach across nearly every corner of county government, touching public safety, courts, infrastructure, community services, and administrative operations. Departments with employees receiving adjustments include Police, Fire & Rescue, E-911, the Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender, Solicitor, Superior Court, State Court, Probate Court, Child Advocate’s Office, Medical Examiner, Animal Services, Code Compliance, Watershed Management, Sanitation & Beautification, Public Works (Roads and Drainage & Stormwater), Facilities Management, Fleet Maintenance, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Purchasing, Finance, Human Resources, Property Appraisal and Assessment, Tax Commissioner, Registrar/Voter Registration/Elections, Planning & Sustainability, Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs, Library, Extension Service, Human Services, Citizen Help Center, DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, Community Development, and WorkSource Development. 

What Employees Should Expect

The new wage takes effect at the start of the biweekly pay period that runs April 11 through April 24, 2026. The first paycheck reflecting the adjustment will be issued on May 1, 2026. Eligible employees do not need to take any action. Adjustments will appear automatically in payroll.

Employees with questions about how the change applies to their specific position or pay rate are encouraged to contact their department’s HR liaison or the DeKalb County Human Resources Department.