What pays what here
These cover Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell at all experience levels (BLS OEWS, May 2025). They are not offers.
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| Occupation | Jobs in metro | 10th percentile | Median here | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand laborers and material movers | 78,460 | $15.13 | $18.76 | $19.35 |
| Stockers and order fillers | 50,970 | $14.83 | $17.39 | $17.95 |
| Forklift and industrial truck operators | 28,750 | $17.66 | $21.49 | $22.32 |
| Light truck drivers | 15,350 | $13.51 | $21.61 | $21.57 |
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | 41,830 | $19.66 | $28.41 | $28.19 |
| Retail salespersons | 84,970 | $11.17 | $15.79 | $17.03 |
| Cashiers | 51,180 | $11.42 | $14.43 | $15.81 |
| Customer service representatives | 59,990 | $14.53 | $20.54 | $21.53 |
| Home health and personal care aides | 29,400 | $12.54 | $14.39 | $17.21 |
| Nursing assistants | 23,260 | $16.15 | $18.92 | $20.32 |
| Medical assistants | 16,910 | $17.47 | $22.15 | $21.97 |
| Construction laborers | 16,460 | $13.60 | $20.20 | $22.66 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | 15,300 | $14.52 | $18.51 | $18.82 |
| Helpers, electricians | 1,630 | $17.42 | $19.34 | $20.51 |
| Electricians | 13,430 | $17.97 | $28.20 | $30.38 |
| HVAC mechanics and installers | 7,060 | $18.42 | $28.35 | $29.33 |
Atlanta runs under the U.S. median in most rows, but truck drivers ($28.41) and medical assistants ($22.15) edge above it. Warehouse skills pay off fast: a forklift operator at $21.49 grosses $859.60 for 40 hours, and a cashier at $14.43 grosses $577.20. That is $282.40 a week before taxes. Georgia and federal taxes come out of both. To move up, see forklift certification. Other cities: pay benchmarks.
Local pay rules
- Minimum wage. Georgia's labor department says the state rate is $5.15 but that, with limited exceptions, the federal rate applies (Georgia DOL, read October 31, 2026). That federal rate is $7.25, with no January 2027 change listed (U.S. DOL, updated July 1, 2026; minimum wage by state).
- Tipped cash wage: $2.13, if tips reach the minimum (U.S. DOL tipped table, read October 31, 2026).
- Payday: U.S. DOL's table marks semi-monthly for Georgia (revised January 1, 2023; pay frequency laws).
- No city raise. Georgia law bars any county, city or authority from requiring a private employer to pay a wage rate or give benefits beyond state or federal law (O.C.G.A. 34-4-3.1, as amended by HB 243, 2017). Atlanta cannot set a higher private-sector minimum. Bills to repeal this have been filed, such as HB 499 in 2021. JobPin found none that passed.
Local rights: what Georgia does and does not give you
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| Topic | The rule in Georgia | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Paid sick leave | Neither state nor federal law requires vacation, sick or personal leave | Georgia DOL FLSA FAQ, read October 31, 2026 |
| City sick leave rule | Barred. The state law names sick leave and vacation as benefits cities cannot require | O.C.G.A. 34-4-3.1 |
| Fair workweek | Barred for cities. The same law names "additional pay based on schedule changes" | HB 243, as passed, 2017 |
| Meal and rest breaks | Neither federal nor Georgia law requires them | Georgia DOL Breaks and Meals, read October 31, 2026 |
| Asking about a record | No statewide private-employer limit | Ban the box laws |
Short breaks an employer does give must be paid under federal law, and a meal you work through counts as work (break laws). So ask for the leave and break policy in writing before day one.
Where complaints go, and the catch. Georgia has no state wage claim office like Texas or Arizona. Georgia DOL points workers to U.S. DOL's Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243, and warns its enforcement "may be slow." The other route is small claims in Magistrate Court in the employer's county. You pay a filing fee, which you can recover if you win (Georgia DOL, read October 31, 2026). Steps and scripts: unpaid wages.
Free local help
WorkSource Atlanta serves city residents at 818 Pollard Blvd. SW, Atlanta 30315, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM, 404-546-3000 (WorkSource Metro Atlanta, read October 31, 2026). It also supports young adults ages 16 to 24.
Outside city limits, your center depends on your county. Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Clayton and five others each have one. Pick yours at atlworks.org.
Training money. WorkSource says eligible people can "train for a new job at no cost" through federal WIOA funds. The money can pay for a certification, a license, an associate degree, or the last 2 years of a bachelor's. Programs must be in demand occupations, and the board names advanced manufacturing, healthcare, IT, skilled trades, and transportation and logistics. The catch: you must apply and qualify first, and a center decides. Read free job help for what to bring and say.
Getting there on MARTA
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| Fare | Price |
|---|---|
| One trip, with up to 4 free transfers in 3 hours | $2.50 |
| 7-day pass | $23.75 |
| 30-day pass | $95 |
| 20-trip pack | $42.50 |
| Reduced Fare trip | $1.00 |
Prices: MARTA, read October 31, 2026. For 22 workdays, 44 trips at $2.50 cost $110, so the $95 pass saves $15. It equals 5.1 hours of pay at the $18.76 laborer median. Trip packs tie the pass on a full month: two 20-trip packs plus 4 single trips also cost $95, and you pay only for rides you take.
Reduced Fare has limits. It is for people 65 or older, people with disabilities, and Medicare holders. There is no reduced 30-day pass, and no income category on MARTA's page. A full month at $1 a trip costs $44. Apply at MARTA headquarters, 2424 Piedmont Road NE, Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 5, or call 404-848-5112.
MARTA also names a HOPE Program and a Transportation Assistance Program for the Homeless, with no details JobPin could open. Ask at 404-848-5000 or at your WorkSource center. JobPin could not confirm a bus line to Pollard Blvd. on MARTA's pages, so use its trip planner or ask at 404-546-3000.
Who employs people here
Metro counts, with September preliminary (BLS Economy at a Glance, extracted October 30, 2026). Unemployment was 3.5%.
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| Sector | Jobs, September 2026 | Change over 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 3,101,900 | -0.1% |
| Trade, transportation and utilities | 646,100 | +0.0% |
| Professional and business services | 560,800 | -0.8% |
| Education and health services | 478,200 | +2.8% |
| Government | 359,100 | -0.4% |
| Leisure and hospitality | 311,300 | -1.0% |
| Manufacturing | 176,700 | -0.1% |
| Construction | 154,700 | -2.3% |
Total jobs slipped 0.1% in a year. Education and health added 2.8%, while construction lost 2.3%, so a first construction job may take longer to find. Hartsfield-Jackson calls itself the state's largest employer, with more than 63,000 airline, concession, security, government and tenant workers (ATL fact sheet, undated, read October 31, 2026).
Job fairs and hiring events
JobPin's Atlanta job fair hub shows no confirmed upcoming event on October 31, 2026. The last listed was October 22. Do not wait for one.
WorkSource's calendar lists free help: Getting Hired workshop on Mondays at 10 AM, one-on-one resume help on Tuesdays from 8:30 AM to 1 PM, Application Assistance Day on Wednesdays from 9 AM to 3 PM, and Job Winning Resumes on Thursdays at 10 AM, through November (atlworks.org, read October 31, 2026). Check which county hosts each one before you travel.
A plan for this week
- Monday, November 2: call 404-546-3000. Ask, "Am I eligible for WIOA training, and what do I bring?" Then attend the Getting Hired workshop if it is in your county.
- Tuesday: take your resume to the one-on-one session. Enter your stop and the center's address in MARTA's planner first.
- Wednesday: use Application Assistance Day to file five applications. Start with warehouse jobs in Atlanta, where the 10th percentile for hand laborers is $15.13.
- Thursday: price your commute. Pass, trip pack or Reduced Fare? Do this before you accept a shift.
- Friday: ask each employer in writing about sick days and breaks. No Georgia rule fills that gap.
Current openings
Next steps on JobPin: warehouse jobs in Atlanta and customer service jobs in Atlanta. Those are the two Atlanta category pages today.
Source-linked openings
Current source-linked listings could not be confirmed in this sample. Check the category search and each original posting for availability.
How to verify a listing
Each Atlanta opening on JobPin links out to its source. Read the posting's county and street address, since a metro job may be far from MARTA. Then confirm the job on the employer's own careers page. Fees and "starter kits" are scam signs. More: how JobPin verifies listings.
How JobPin dates and sources listings: How JobPin verifies listings and events. Report a listing.