Jury Duty Pay in Georgia

About Jury Duty in Georgia

Georgia jury pay is set by each county’s grand jury within a statutory range of $5 to $50 per day — $50 is the maximum, not a universal rate. While some counties pay the full $50, many pay less. Unlike New York where employers must cover the first three days, Georgia places no wage-payment obligation on employers.

How Jury Pay Works

Each county’s grand jury determines the daily rate for that county within the $5–$50 range set by Ga. Code Ann. § 15-12-7. Many metro Atlanta counties pay at or near the $50 maximum, while rural counties may pay less. There is no state-mandated mileage reimbursement — some counties provide it at their discretion, but it is not required by statute.

Employer Obligations

Georgia employers cannot fire or discipline employees for jury service under Ga. Code Ann. § 34-1-3. However, employers can require employees to use sick leave or vacation time to cover jury duty absences — a 2021 bill (HB 1457) that would have prohibited this practice did not pass. This contrasts with states like New York and Massachusetts that have stronger leave protections.

This matters in practice: an employee with three weeks of paid vacation could lose a week of it to jury duty if their employer requires it. The protection Georgia offers is against termination and discipline, not against the loss of accrued benefits.

Fulton County and Metro Atlanta

Fulton County (Atlanta) is the state’s largest jury system. Atlanta’s federal and state courts together summon hundreds of thousands of jurors annually. Suburban counties like Gwinnett, Cobb, and DeKalb each run independent jury operations with varying amenities and pay rates.

Employer Practices

Major Georgia employers — Coca-Cola, Delta, Home Depot, UPS — typically continue full salary during jury service, which effectively makes jury duty pay a non-issue for their employees. But for workers at smaller businesses, the county-set daily rate is the sole compensation.

How Georgia Compares

At the $50 maximum, Georgia’s rate equals federal jury service and approaches New York’s $72/day. At the lower end of the range, it can fall closer to North Carolina’s graduated scale ($12–$40/day). The county-by-county variation means a juror’s experience — both financially and logistically — depends heavily on where they live.

Statute: Ga. Code Ann. § 15-12-7 — Official source