About the FLSA Exempt Salary Checker
This FLSA exempt salary checker tells you whether a salary is high enough to meet the salary-level test for the executive, administrative and professional (“white-collar”) overtime exemptions. Enter the pay and how often it is paid, choose a state, and the checker converts it to a weekly amount and compares it with the federal threshold, the highly compensated employee (HCE) test and the stricter state salary minimum where one applies.
It is meant for HR teams classifying roles, managers drafting offers and employees wondering whether they should be getting overtime. The federal level the Department of Labor enforces in 2026 is $684 a week ($35,568 a year) — the 2024 increases were vacated by a federal court — and up to 10% of it can be met with nondiscretionary bonuses or commissions paid at least annually. California requires twice the state minimum wage for full-time work ($70,304 in 2026) and Washington 2.25 times its minimum wage for 40 hours ($1,541.70 a week). For other states with their own rules, enter the weekly threshold yourself.
Passing the salary test is necessary but not sufficient: the employee must also be paid on a salary basis and their primary duties must meet the duties test for the exemption. Some roles — teachers, doctors and lawyers, outside sales — have no salary requirement, and computer professionals may instead be paid at least $27.63 an hour federally.
How to use the flsa exempt salary checker
- 1Enter the salary amount and how often it is paid.
- 2Choose the state where the employee works, or enter its weekly threshold.
- 3Add nondiscretionary bonuses or commissions paid at least once a year.
- 4Read whether the salary meets the applicable federal and state tests.
- 5Confirm the role also passes the salary-basis and duties tests before classifying it as exempt.
Formula and method
The checker annualises the pay (52 weekly, 26 biweekly, 24 semimonthly or 12 monthly payments) and divides by 52 to get the weekly salary. The federal test requires at least $684 a week; nondiscretionary bonuses, incentive payments and commissions paid at least annually may satisfy up to 10% of that level ($3,556.80 a year).
State tests apply on top: California requires a salary of at least twice the state minimum wage for full-time employment (2 × $16.90 × 2,080 hours = $70,304 in 2026) and Washington at least 2.25 × its $17.13 minimum wage for a 40-hour week ($1,541.70). The stricter threshold governs. The HCE test needs total annual compensation of $107,432, including at least $684 a week in salary, plus a relaxed duties test.
- EAP
- Executive, administrative and professional exemptions
- HCE
- Highly compensated employee exemption
- Nondiscretionary bonus
- Bonus promised in advance based on set criteria
Worked examples
$900 a week, federal rule
A $900 weekly salary is $46,800 a year, $11,232 above the $35,568 federal level, so the salary test is met. The duties test must still be checked.
$65,000 a year in California
The salary easily beats the federal level, but California requires $70,304 in 2026 (twice the $16.90 minimum wage × 2,080 hours). At $65,000 the employee is $5,304 short and must be paid overtime.
$3,200 every two weeks in Washington
$3,200 biweekly is $1,600 a week ($83,200 a year), above Washington’s 2026 minimum of $1,541.70 a week (2.25 × $17.13 × 40), with about $3,032 to spare.
$650 a week plus a $2,000 annual bonus
The $650 salary alone is below $684, but $2,000 of nondiscretionary bonus (within the $3,556.80 10% limit) adds about $38.46 a week, lifting the total to about $688 — enough for the federal test.
Frequently asked questions
What is the exempt salary threshold in 2026?+
The Department of Labor enforces $684 per week ($35,568 a year) for the executive, administrative and professional exemptions in 2026. The 2024 rule that would have raised it to $844 and then $1,128 a week was vacated by a federal court in November 2024.
What is the California exempt salary for 2026?+
California requires at least twice the state minimum wage for full-time employment. With the 2026 minimum wage of $16.90 an hour, that is $70,304 a year ($5,858.67 a month), regardless of the lower federal level.
Can bonuses count toward the salary threshold?+
Under federal rules, nondiscretionary bonuses, incentive payments and commissions paid at least annually can satisfy up to 10% of the standard salary level. Discretionary bonuses do not count, and many states, including California, do not allow bonuses to count at all.
Does meeting the salary threshold make an employee exempt?+
No. An exempt employee must be paid a predetermined salary that is not reduced for variations in work (the salary-basis test), earn at least the threshold, and have primary duties that qualify as executive, administrative or professional work.
What is the highly compensated employee exemption?+
Employees earning at least $107,432 in total annual compensation, including at least $684 a week in salary, are exempt if they customarily perform at least one exempt duty of an executive, administrative or professional employee and primarily do office or non-manual work.
Which other states have higher exempt salary thresholds?+
Besides California and Washington, states such as New York, Colorado, Alaska and Maine set their own higher salary minimums, often tied to the state minimum wage. Select “Other state” and enter the weekly figure published by your state labor department.
Results are general estimates and not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction — consult a qualified attorney.