2022 California Exempt Employees Minimum Salary Increases
For workers to qualify as exempt employees, California requires that they perform exempt duties more than 50 percent of their work time; and that exempt executive, administrative, and professional employees earn a salary of no less than two times the state minimum wage for full-time employment. The minimum annual salary is based on the current state minimum wage, calculated as follows: (minimum wage x 2) x 2,080 hours.
Effective January 1, 2022, the minimum salary threshold for these exemptions are:
- Employers with 1-25 employees: $58,240 per year.
- Employers with 26 or more employees: $62,400 per year.
- Computer professionals: $50.00 per hour; $8,679.16 per month; $104,149.81 per year.
- Licensed physicians and surgeons: $91.07 per hour.
Employers should review compensation for their exempt employees to ensure that the appropriate minimum salary level is satisfied. If the salary level is not satisfied, the employer should consider increasing compensation to meet the minimum, or reclassify the employee as nonexempt.
