Thousands of DeKalb County government workers are getting a bump in pay, with the county’s minimum wage for its own employees now set at $19 an hour. The raise, up from roughly $17.68, will show up in county paychecks dated May 1 and was approved as part of DeKalb’s fiscal year 2026 budget. County leaders have called a press conference for Monday, May 4 to walk through the details.
Budget amendment and cost
The higher pay floor is baked into an amendment to DeKalb County’s FY2026 executive budget that links the wage move to broader workforce and housing efforts. County documents estimate the minimum wage change will cost about $2 million across county funds. As laid out in the county’s FY2026 amendment package, the same proposal also covers firefighter retention measures, expanded WorkSource operations and a one half mill adjustment to the general fund to keep those priorities funded.
Who gets the bump and when
According to Atlanta News First, county officials said the hourly wage floor moved from $17.68 to $19.00, with employee paychecks dated May 1 reflecting the increase. The outlet reported that thousands of county workers are seeing raises starting with this pay period and that officials cast the move as putting DeKalb among the higher paying public employers in the metro Atlanta area.
Why the county moved now
County leaders have presented the minimum wage hike as one part of a larger plan to strengthen recruitment and retention in public safety and county services, not as a one off gesture. The FY2026 amendment links the new $19 floor to investments in a new Housing Office, expanded workforce training and firefighter pay adjustments, signaling that the wage change is just one piece of a broader workforce strategy, according to the county document.
Where this fits in the region
With the new $19 minimum, DeKalb joins a small but growing group of major employers in the metro region that have raised entry level pay this year. Emory Healthcare, for instance, boosted its institutional minimum wage to $19 in February, a move detailed by the Emory News Center, reflecting similar market pressure among large regional employers.
County officials are expected to field questions at the May 4 press conference, including more granular information on which job classifications are covered and whether seasonal or contingent workers are included. Atlanta News First reported that the briefing is set to take place. We will update this story with any statements and specifics released at that event.
