Exempt Salary Thresholds by State (2026)
The minimum salary an employee must earn before an employer can treat them as exempt from overtime. Federal floor: $684.00/week ($35,568.00/year). Six states set higher floors.
| Jurisdiction | Weekly | Annual | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal (FLSA) | $684.00 | $35,568.00 | 29 CFR 541.600. Highly compensated employee test: $107,432. The 2024 increase was vacated by a federal court in November 2024. |
| Washington | $1,541.70 | $80,168.40 | 2.25x the state minimum wage ($17.13 in 2026) for all employers; computer professionals paid hourly need at least $59.96/hour. |
| California | $1,352.00 | $70,304.00 | 2x the state minimum wage ($16.90 in 2026). Higher floors apply to fast-food and some healthcare employers. |
| New York | $1,275.00 | $66,300.00 | NYC, Long Island and Westchester: $1,275.00/week ($66,300). Rest of state: $1,199.10/week ($62,353.20). These apply to the executive and administrative exemptions; the professional exemption follows the federal test. |
| Colorado | $1,111.23 | $57,784.00 | Set by the COMPS Order and indexed annually; highly technical computer employees may instead be paid at least $34.85/hour. |
| Alaska | $1,040.00 | $54,080.00 | 2x the state minimum wage for a 40-hour week; rises to $1,120/week ($58,240) when the minimum wage goes to $14.00 on July 1, 2026. |
| Maine | $871.16 | $45,300.32 | Set at 3,000 times the state minimum wage ($15.10 in 2026). |
All other states and DC use the federal $684.00/week floor. Pennsylvania repealed its state schedule; Illinois, Michigan and Oregon follow the federal figure.
Salary is only half the test
Meeting the salary floor does not make an employee exempt. The employee's primary duty must also qualify under one of the FLSA's white-collar categories: executive (managing two or more full-time employees with hiring/firing authority), administrative (office work directly related to management with independent judgment on significant matters), learned or creative professional, computer employee, or outside sales. Job titles are irrelevant. An "assistant manager" who spends most of the day stocking shelves is non-exempt at any salary.
Check a salary
Sources
- DOL Fact Sheet #17G: Salary Basis Requirement
- California DIR, Colorado CDLE (COMPS/PAY CALC Order), Maine DOL, New York DOL (12 NYCRR 142), Washington L&I, Alaska DOLWD — linked from each state page.
As of October 25, 2026.