California sets the line between a salaried employee who is exempt from overtime and one who is not at a single number: the white-collar (EAP) exempt salary threshold. A salaried executive, administrative or professional worker who earns at least $1,352.00 per week ($70,304 per year) can be classified as overtime-exempt — provided they also pass the job-duties test. Below that floor, the worker is non-exempt and must be paid 1.5x for every hour over 40 in a workweek, no matter that they draw a salary.
The salary-level test is only half the story
To be legally exempt from overtime an employee must clear three hurdles:
- Salary basis — paid a fixed, predictable salary not subject to improper deductions.
- Salary level — at or above the threshold this page calculates ($70,304/yr in California).
- Duties — the job’s actual primary duties fit the executive, administrative or professional definition.
This calculator tests only the salary level — the one part that is a clean number. A salary above the floor does not by itself make anyone exempt; the duties test still applies and cannot be reduced to a figure.
Why California differs from the federal floor
Set at 2x the state minimum wage for full-time (2,080h/yr). Computer-software professionals and licensed physicians have separate, higher thresholds.
The federal floor is $684 per week ($35,568 per year) under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The 2024 DOL rule that would have raised it to $844 then $1,128 per week was vacated nationwide on November 15, 2024, so the federal figure reverted to $684/week. Because California’s statutory floor of $1,352.00/week is higher, California employers must apply the California figure.
How to use this calculator
Enter a salary, choose per year or per week, and read whether it meets California’s exempt salary level. If it falls short, the annual shortfall is the raise needed to reach the floor. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
Not legal advice. Thresholds change (most indexed states adjust each January 1; a few mid-year). Verify against California Dept. of Industrial Relations (DIR) before classifying any employee. Source: California Dept. of Industrial Relations (DIR) + US DOL, as of 2026-06-18.