California Exempt Employee Law (2023)

Under California law, employers must pay employees overtime unless they fall under an exemption, such as certain administrative, executive, or professional jobs.

In California, an “exempt” employee must generally be:

• Paid a monthly salary equivalent to not less than two times the California minimum wage for full-time employment; and
• Engaged in work which is primarily intellectual, managerial, or creative, and which requires exercise of discretion and independent judgment.

Employee exemptions under California Law

Learn more about California employee exemptions:

• California Executive Exemption
• California Administrative Exemption
• California Professional Exemption
• California Outside Sales Exemption

Our California employment attorneys – with over 50 years of collective experience litigating under California employment law – know how to fight for employees’ rights and get them the money they deserve. We’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars for California employees and represent individuals as well as class actions in virtually every area of California employment and labor laws: California overtime law, off the clock violations in CA, breach of contract disputes, California independent contractor law, sexual harassment, employee misclassification, discrimination, as well as mass layoffs in violation of the California WARN Act. Our California employment lawyers are repeatedly recognized for their expertise litigating in California. Founding partner Eric Gibbs has been selected as one of the Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California. And seventeen of the firm’s attorneys were selected as Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars, a distinction received by less than 5% of attorneys in Northern California.