Computer Professional Exemption California: 2025 Salary Rules and Job Duty Requirements

This article covers California’s 2025 computer professional exemption, pay levels, and duty rules tied to overtime status. It also explains misclassification risks, rest breaks, and how state and federal standards affect wages for computer staff.

By Brad Nakase, Attorney

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Computer Professional Exemption in California

3. Tests of Job Duties and Salary: Computer Professional Exemption in California

4. Misclassification

5. Federal Law

6. Conclusion

Introduction

Employers in California must pay their computer professionals $118,657.43 or more annually as of January 1, 2025, if they want to avoid paying overtime. Computer experts have to make at least $56.97 per hour if they are paid on an hourly basis in order to qualify for exempt status. Such professionals must also meet some job requirements.

Suppose a worker is wrongly assigned a computer professional position by their boss. In such a case, the worker can either make a complaint of wage theft to the Labor Commissioner (California) or pursue a wage/hour legal action against the business to get back unpaid wages.

In this article regarding the computer professional exemption in California, we will discuss the exemptions, job duties, salary, misclassification, and federal law in detail.

Computer Professional Exemption in California

The following employment rules and privileges do not apply to computer specialists in California since they are exempt employees:

State overtime regulations that permit additional compensation for excessive work.
Minimum wage regulations that assist in establishing a minimum wage for workers, as established by the CPI (California Consumer Price Index) for Urban Wage Earner & Clerical Workers, and
Regulations guarantee that workers can take a rest or a food break.

Apart from computer specialists, the following workers are also exempt:

Administrative staff, outside salespeople, executive staff, and professional staff.

Tests of Job Duties and Salary: Computer Professional Exemption in California

If you clear both the pay test and the job tasks test, which are covered below, you are eligible to work as a computer professional in California and are consequently exempt.

1. Salary Test

This test states that if you pass the job duties assessment, you will be classified as a “computer professional.”

You earn more than a certain hourly rate or compensation, or
When you receive a wage, you earn an annual salary of more than a certain level.

The minimum payment a computer worker should earn (2025) is $56.97 an hour or $118,657.43 every year (or $9889.12 a month)

2. Test of Job Duties

According to the first part of the job duties test, you can work as a computer specialist if you are:

Mostly working on creative or intellectual projects that call for individual judgment and discretion, and
Extremely competent in both the practical and theoretical application of extremely specialized knowledge in software engineering, computer systems evaluation, or computer software applications.

It should be noted that job titles alone are insufficient to satisfy this final condition.

According to the second part of the job tasks test, you are exempted if your primary responsibility includes any or all of the following:

The use of methods and techniques for systems analysis, the creation, testing, and/or change of computer programs or systems, and/or
The documenting, development, or alteration of computer programs relating to computer hardware (or related gear) or design software for computer and system operating systems.

To be classified as a computer professional, you have to clear both the first and second parts of the job duties test. Examples of computer specialists who are exempt include:

Competent programmers for computers,
Analysts of computer systems, and
Computer workers operate under certain software system design guidelines.

Misclassification

Occasionally, an employer will wrongly label an employee as a computer professional. In other cases, this misclassification could be deliberate. This is against the law governing the Computer Professional Exemption in California.

In any case, a worker often misses out on overtime compensation due to misclassifications. According to California law, non-exempt employees must be paid time and a half for working:

Over eight hours a day
Over forty hours in one workweek, and/or
Over six days a week at work

You can pursue a wage and hour litigation against your company’s management or submit a claim to the California Labor Commissioner if your company misclassifies you. In addition to missed earnings, you can be entitled to interest & an hour’s compensation for each missed rest and meal period.

Federal Law

Compared to the law for Computer Professional Exemption in California, the federal requirements for becoming an exempt computer specialist are less stringent. Computer specialists are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) if they make at least $27.63 per hour.
State law is applicable if you are employed in California.

Conclusion

Understanding the computer professional exemption in California matters. The rules are strict, and the salary bar is high. The duties test isn’t flexible. Many workers don’t realize how easily misclassification happens. And when it does, overtime disappears. So do breaks and fair pay. That’s why knowing the basics helps. It gives employees clarity, and it keeps employers honest. Federal law feels simpler, but in California, the state rules always win. In the end, it’s simple. Know the pay requirement and know the duties. And if something feels off, ask questions. Your rights depend on it.

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Computer Professional Exemption California: 2025 Salary Rules and Job Duty Requirements

Introduction

Computer Professional Exemption in California

Tests of Job Duties and Salary: Computer Professional Exemption in California

Misclassification

Federal Law

Conclusion

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