The most significant difference is compensation for overtime work. The term “exempt” means exempt from being paid overtime. There are regulations that govern whether an employee could be exempt from receiving overtime pay. Here’s information on the differences between exempt and non-exempt workers, employees who are entitled to overtime pay, and workers who are exempt from overtime pay requirements.
Exempt Employees
Certain types of employees, often classified as exempt employees, are not entitled to overtime pay as guaranteed by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In addition, most states have their own wage and hourly-rate laws that may have even more requirements in addition to the FLSA. The FLSA requires that employers pay at least minimum wage for up to 40 hours in a workweek and overtime pay for any additional time unless the employee falls into an exception category. If an employee is considered exempt (vs. non-exempt), their employer is not required to pay them overtime pay. It is at the employer’s discretion whether or not to pay for hours worked overtime. Some employers might create an employee benefits package with extra perks in lieu of overtime pay. If you are consistently asked to work overtime, you may be able to negotiate a raise. In general, to be considered an “exempt” employee, you must be paid by salary (not hourly), earn over the standard salary level, and must perform executive, administrative, or professional duties or work in an occupation that is exempt from overtime pay requirements. To complicate matters further for employers, there are additional federal, state, and FLSA laws related to other classifications of workers, such as interns, independent contractors, temporary employees, volunteers, workers-in-training, foreign workers, and exempt occupations that employers are required to abide by.
Non-Exempt Employees
A non-exempt employee is entitled to overtime pay through the Fair Labor Standards Act. Also, some states have expanded overtime pay guidelines. Check with your state department of labor website for rules in your location. Employers are required to pay time and a half the employee’s regular rate of pay when they work more than 40 hours in a given pay week. Most employees must be paid at least the federal minimum wage ($7.25 in 2023) for regular time and at least time and a half for any hours worked over the standard 40.
Types of Exempt Employees
The Fair Labor Standards Act recognizes the following main categories of exempt workers:
ExecutiveProfessionalAdministrativeComputerOutside SalesOccupations that are exempt from overtime pay regulations
These categories are purposefully broad to encompass many types of jobs. The FLSA guarantees non-exempt employees one and one-half times their normal pay rate for overtime worked during a given work period.
Guidelines for Exemption from Overtime Pay Requirements
As of January 1, 2020, administrative, executive, and professional employees, salespeople, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) employees can be classified as exempt and, therefore, can be ineligible for overtime pay if they meet the following criteria:
Employees are paid a salary as opposed to being paid on an hourly basisEmployees earn at least $684 per week or $35,568 annuallyEmployees are paid a salary for any week they work
Also, to qualify for exemption from overtime, employees must also meet certain employment tests regarding their job duties and responsibilities. The following general conditions must be met to designate an employee as exempt:
For the executive exemption, employees must have a primary duty of managing the enterprise or a department or subdivision of the enterprise; must customarily and regularly direct the work of at least two employees; and must have the authority to hire or fire, or their suggestions and recommendations as to the hiring, firing, or changing the status of other employees must be given particular weight.For the administrative exemption, employees must have a primary duty of performing office or non-manual work directly related to the management or general business operations of the employer or the employer’s customers, and their primary duty must include the exercise of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance.For a professional exemption, employees must have a primary duty of work requiring knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by prolonged, specialized, intellectual instruction and study, or must specialize in a few other similarly, highly specialized fields, such as teaching, computer analytics, and engineering.Highly compensated employees may be exempt if they perform office or non-manual work and earn an annual salary of $107,432 or higher. To qualify, they must perform at least one of the duties of an exempt executive, administrative, or professional employee.For the computer exemption, employees must be employed as a computer systems analyst, computer programmer, software engineer, or other similarly skilled workers in the computer field with job responsibilities that meet the criteria for exemption.To qualify for the outside sales exemption, employees must have a primary duty of making sales or obtaining orders or contracts. The work must be conducted away from an employer’s place or places of business.To qualify for other exemptions, employees must work in an occupation that is exempt from overtime pay requirements as designated in the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Exceptions to Overtime Requirements
In addition to the main categories of exempt employees (administrative, executive, professional, computer, and outside sales), there are other employees who may be exempt from overtime pay requirements:
State Guidelines for Classification of Exempt Workers and Overtime Pay
Not all states have the same guidelines for exempt employees. For example, to classify an individual as exempt from overtime requirements in California employers must pay the worker at least twice the prevailing minimum wage. All other employees would automatically be eligible for overtime regardless of job responsibilities. Workers earning over the salary threshold would still need to meet the other criteria for exempt status to be placed in that category. Also, non-exempt employees must be paid overtime wages equivalent to at least 1.5 times the California minimum wage of $15.50 per hour (2023), which is $23.25 per hour. In New York, the state’s minimum salary threshold for executive and administrative employees has been increased in phases, and the actual rate depends on geographic location and employer size. For example, the threshold for administrative employees, effective 12/31/21, is for employees who work in New York City. In Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties, the threshold is $1125 per week. Check with your state labor department for the latest overtime provisions in your area.
