The minimum salary requirement for exempt employees according to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is $23,600 per year or $455 per week. However, the exempt salary minimum alone does not classify an employee as exempt. Salary level is one of three tests used to determine employee exempt status. The other two are the salary basis test and job duties test. That means an employee can make more than $23,600 a year, but if they fail one or both of the other tests, they would still be considered a nonexempt employee.
Learn more about classifying employees as exempt or nonexempt.