Minimum Wage/Exempt salary thresholds
Exempt Salary Thresholds by State 2026
The minimum salary a worker must earn in 2026 before the executive, administrative, and professional exemptions can apply, across the six states we track. Four states set their own figures; Texas and Illinois follow the federal threshold. Washington has already published its 2027 figures, listed below. Every figure on this page is checked against primary sources.
| State | 2026 threshold | How it is set |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $80,168.40 / year$1,541.70 / week | 2.25× the state minimum wage |
| California | $70,304 / year | 2× the state minimum wage |
| New Yorkdownstate | $66,300 / year$1,275 / week | Fixed by the NY DOL wage orders |
| New Yorkrest of state | $62,353.20 / year$1,199.10 / week | Fixed by the NY DOL wage orders |
| Colorado | $57,784 / year | Fixed by the 2026 COMPS Order |
| Illinois | $35,568 / year$684 / week | Federal FLSA threshold |
| Texas | $35,568 / year$684 / week | Federal FLSA threshold |
Annual thresholds compared
Annual exempt salary thresholds as verified November 1, 2026. Bars start at $0. California's separate computer software professionals threshold ($122,573.13) is not shown.
How each state sets its threshold
Washington: $80,168.40 per year ($1,541.70 per week), defined as 2.25× the state minimum wage and applying to employers of all sizes in 2026. Published by Washington L&I. The $126,858.83 figure that circulates for Washington is the state's non-compete enforceability threshold, not the overtime exempt threshold. From January 1, 2027 the threshold splits by employer size; the final 2027 figures are in the next section.
California: $70,304 per year, defined as 2× the state minimum wage, so it moves whenever the state minimum moves. Computer software professionals have their own, much higher threshold: $122,573.13 per year.
New York: fixed dollar amounts set in the New York DOL wage orders for the executive and administrative exemptions: $66,300 per year ($1,275 per week) downstate, $62,353.20 per year ($1,199.10 per week) in the rest of the state. New York sets no professional-exemption threshold, so the federal $35,568 applies to professional employees.
Colorado: $57,784 per year for the executive, administrative, and professional exemptions, a fixed figure set in the 2026 COMPS Order and published in row E of the adopted 2026 PAY CALC Order.
Texas: no state threshold. The federal FLSA threshold applies: $35,568 per year ($684 per week). Texas follows the federal minimum wage itself, too.
Illinois: also no state threshold. The federal $35,568 per year ($684 per week) applies, even though Illinois sets its own $15.00 minimum wage.
What changes on January 1, 2027
Washington: the threshold splits by employer size. Employers with 1 to 50 employees: $1,595.70 per week ($82,976.40 per year), 2.25 times the 2027 minimum wage of $17.73. Employers with 51 or more employees: $1,773.00 per week ($92,196.00 per year), 2.5 times. Exempt computer professionals paid by the hour: $62.06 per hour at every employer size. Announced by Washington L&I on September 30, 2026 (news release 26-17); the full salary threshold implementation schedule (form F700-207-000) is downloadable from the L&I minimum-wage page linked in the sources below.
New York: not yet published. As of October 1, 2026 the New York DOL had posted its 2027 minimum-wage table but not the 2027 salary thresholds for the executive and administrative exemptions, which come from the wage orders. This page will carry them once the DOL publishes them; until then, nothing on this page should be read as a 2027 New York figure.
Threshold record
What has taken effect and what we have checked.
January 1, 2026
The 2026 state thresholds take effect in California, New York, Colorado, and Washington. Texas and Illinois continue on the federal threshold.
November 1, 2026
Every figure on this page re-verified against the primary sources below.Latest check
September 30, 2026
Washington L&I announces the final 2027 thresholds (read against news release 26-17 on October 1, 2026).
January 1, 2027
Washington’s threshold splits by employer size: $82,976.40 (1 to 50 employees) and $92,196.00 (51 or more). New York’s 2027 thresholds: not yet published.
Questions employers ask
What is the exempt salary threshold in Washington state in 2026?
$80,168.40 per year ($1,541.70 per week); 2.25 times the state minimum wage, applying to employers of all sizes in 2026.
What is the minimum salary for an exempt employee in California in 2026?
$70,304 per year, defined as 2 times the California state minimum wage. Computer software professionals have a separate threshold of $122,573.13 per year.
What is the exempt salary threshold in New York in 2026?
For the executive and administrative exemptions: $66,300 per year ($1,275 per week) downstate, and $62,353.20 per year ($1,199.10 per week) in the rest of the state. New York sets no professional-exemption threshold, so the federal $35,568 applies there.
What is the exempt salary threshold in Colorado in 2026?
$57,784 per year for the executive, administrative, and professional exemptions, a fixed figure set in the 2026 COMPS Order.
Do Texas and Illinois have their own exempt salary thresholds?
No. Neither state sets its own threshold, so the federal FLSA figure of $35,568 per year ($684 per week) applies in both.
Is Washington's exempt salary threshold $126,858.83 in 2026?
No. $126,858.83 is Washington's non-compete enforceability threshold, a different rule. The 2026 overtime exempt salary threshold in Washington is $80,168.40 per year ($1,541.70 per week).
What is the exempt salary threshold in Washington state in 2027?
From January 1, 2027, $1,595.70 per week ($82,976.40 per year) for employers with 1 to 50 employees, 2.25 times the 2027 minimum wage of $17.73, and $1,773.00 per week ($92,196.00 per year) for employers with 51 or more employees, 2.5 times. Exempt computer professionals paid by the hour must receive $62.06 per hour in 2027 at every employer size. L&I says the small-employer multiplier is not scheduled to reach 2.5 until 2028.
What is the exempt salary threshold in New York in 2027?
Not yet published. As of October 1, 2026 the New York DOL had posted its 2027 minimum-wage table but not the 2027 executive and administrative salary thresholds, which come from the wage orders. The 2026 figures on this page are the latest published; this page will carry the 2027 figures once the DOL releases them.
Sources and caveats
Caveat: New York's thresholds are set in the NY DOL wage orders; the minimum-wage page linked above does not restate them. Colorado's figure appears in row E of the adopted 2026 PAY CALC Order (7 CCR 1103-14), a PDF published on the CDLE Labor Rules page linked above; download it there to verify directly. The $126,858.83 figure sometimes cited for Washington is the state's non-compete enforceability threshold, not the overtime exempt salary threshold. Washington's 2027 figures come from L&I news release 26-17 (September 30, 2026) and the salary threshold implementation schedule (form F700-207-000, downloadable from the L&I minimum-wage page), both read on October 1, 2026. New York had not published 2027 thresholds as of that date.
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