Downstate exempt executive/administrative salary threshold is $1,275.00/week, not $1,275.50 ($66,300 ÷ 52 = $1,275.00 exactly; the annual $66,300 was already correct). Upstate $1,199.10/week ($62,353.20) is correct.
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New York minimum wage hits $17 downstate / $16 upstate on Jan 1, 2026
Why this matters for founders
NY founders hiring hourly or newly-exempt staff must raise pay to the new floors and re-check that salaried managers still clear the higher exempt threshold — anyone below it must be reclassified as overtime-eligible. Rebudget 2026 payroll now and note that from 2027 these numbers climb automatically with inflation, so build in headroom.
Source: New York State Department of Labor
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