$684 Weekly Exemption Salary Limit Full Explanation
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The core formula
Formula = Annual Threshold = $684 × 52 = $35,568 (2026 FLSA white-collar exempt)
Highly Compensated Employee (HCE) Threshold = $107,432/year
Effective Date of Restored Threshold = May 15, 2026
The $35,568 figure is simply $684 × 52. The HCE threshold applies to workers whose total annual compensation (salary plus bonuses, commissions, etc.) exceeds $107,432, with a relaxed duties test.
Step-by-Step: Check If Your Salary Meets The 2026 Floor
Let’s run through the calculation for a few realistic salaries.
- Convert annual salary to weekly: divide by 52.
- Compare to $684/week (or annual to $35,568).
- If above the floor, you still must pass the duties test to be exempt.
- If below the floor, you are non-exempt regardless of duties — you must receive OT.
Worked example, three different salaries:
| Annual Salary | Weekly Equivalent | Above $684 Floor? | Above $107,432 HCE? |
|---|---|---|---|
| $32,000 | $615.38 | No — non-exempt | No |
| $36,000 | $692.31 | Yes — but check duties | No |
| $50,000 | $961.54 | Yes — but check duties | No |
| $110,000 | $2,115.38 | Yes | Yes — relaxed duties |
So what does that mean for you? A salary just over $35,568 doesn’t make you exempt — it just means you pass the salary level test. You still need the salary basis test (paid on a fixed salary) and the duties test (executive, administrative, or professional discretion) to qualify.
For an automated status check, run your salary and duties through the flsa-overtime-eligibility-checker. If you’re non-exempt, the time-and-a-half-calculator computes your OT rate, and the overtime-pay-calculator totals up what you’re owed across a pay period.
2026 Real Case: A Marketing Coordinator At $48,000
Consider Dana, a marketing coordinator at a mid-size agency in Texas earning $48,000/year ($923/week).
- Salary basis: paid on a fixed salary, not hourly — passes.
- Salary level: $923/week clears $684 — passes.
- Duties: Dana writes social posts, drafts email campaigns, and runs reports under the marketing director’s direction, with limited independent decision-making authority.
The duties test is where she fails. Under DOL fact sheet #17E, the administrative exemption requires the primary duty to include “the exercise of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance.” Dana’s work is largely production-oriented under someone else’s direction. She’s non-exempt — and entitled to 1.5× for any hours over 40 in a workweek.
The agency’s HR director told me last year they were going to reclassify her as exempt “since she makes more than the threshold.” That’s the most common misconception in FLSA compliance. Salary gets you in the door; duties decide whether you stay exempt.
If the agency had flipped her to exempt under that logic, they’d have owed back OT for every week she worked over 40 hours — plus liquidated damages equal to the back wages, under FLSA Section 216. That adds up fast.
For more on the broader exemption framework, our exempt vs non-exempt employee salary threshold 2026 FLSA guide walks through all three tests. For the OT rate math that follows once you’re confirmed non-exempt, see time and a half rate calculation under federal FLSA rules.
State Thresholds That Override The Federal $684
Some states set their own higher exemption salary thresholds. The higher number wins.
| State | 2026 Salary Threshold (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Federal (FLSA) | $35,568/yr ($684/wk) | Restored May 15, 2026 |
| California | $68,640/yr (50-employee rule) | State-specific duties tests also apply |
| New York | $62,400/yr (NYC/LI/Nassau/Suffolk) | Lower elsewhere in NY |
| Washington | $77,968.80/yr (50+ employees) | Smaller employers slightly lower |
| Colorado | $57,458.40/yr | Adjusted annually |
| Maine | $43,680/yr | Adjusted annually |
Here’s the kicker: in California, even an employee earning $80,000 isn’t automatically exempt unless their duties meet California’s stricter tests. State law stacks on top of federal, and you have to satisfy the higher standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the FLSA salary threshold $684 per week in 2026?
Because the Department of Labor rescinded the 2024 rule on May 15, 2026, which restored the 2019 threshold of $684 per week ($35,568 per year). The 2024 rule had raised it to $844 and then $1,128 per week, but a federal court vacated that rule in November 2024.
Is the $684/week threshold indexed for inflation?
No. The 2024 rule included automatic updates every three years, but that provision was rescinded along with the rule on May 15, 2026. The $684 figure is a fixed number from the 2019 rule. Congress or future rulemaking would have to change it.
Does the $35,568 annual figure apply everywhere in the US?
Yes for federal FLSA purposes. Some states have their own higher salary thresholds for exemption — California, New York, Washington, and Colorado among them. In those states, the higher of the federal or state threshold applies.
What is the highly compensated employee threshold in 2026?
The HCE threshold is $107,432 per year. Workers above this figure can qualify for exemption with a relaxed duties test — they only need to perform at least one of the exempt duties regularly. The full duties test still applies to everyone earning less.
The Bottom Line
The $684/week ($35,568/year) threshold is back as of May 15, 2026 — but clearing that floor only passes one of three tests. Run your salary and duties through the flsa-overtime-eligibility-checker to confirm your real status, and remember: in states with higher thresholds, the higher number always wins.