Section 34-4-3. Amount of minimum wage to be paid by employers; employers and employees covered by chapter

   (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Code section, every employer, whether a person, firm, or corporation, shall pay to all covered employees a minimum wage which shall be not less than $5.15 per hour for each hour worked in the employment of such employer.

(b) This chapter shall not apply with respect to:

   (1) Any employer that has sales of $40,000.00 per year or less;

   (2) Any employer having five employees or less;

   (3) Any employer of domestic employees;

   (4) Any employer who is a farm owner, sharecropper, or land renter;

   (5) Any employee whose compensation consists wholly or partially of gratuities;

   (6) Any employee who is a high school or college student;

   (7) Any individual who is employed as a newspaper carrier; or

   (8) Any individual who is employed by a nonprofit child-caring institution or long-term care facility serving children or mentally disabled adults who are enrolled in such institution and reside in residential facilities of the institution, if such employee resides in such facilities, receives without cost board and lodging from such institution, and is compensated on a cash basis at an annual rate of not less than $10,000.00.

(c) This chapter shall not apply to any employer who is subject to the minimum wage provisions of any act of Congress as to employees covered thereby if such act of Congress provides for a minimum wage which is greater than the minimum wage which is provided for in this Code section.

Ga. L. 1970, p. 153, §§ 2, 6-8; Ga. L. 1984, p. 1324, § 1; Ga. L. 2001, p. 201, § 1.