Highly Compensated Employee 2024 Dollar Amount. Employers can also designate the top 20% of earners in the.  — the threshold for determining who’s a highly compensated employee will increase to $155,000 (up from $150,000).

 — the threshold for determining who is a highly compensated employee under section 414(q)(1)(b) increases to $155,000 (from $150,000). Highly compensated employees (hces) are employees who earn more than the irs maximum allowable compensation for a 401(k) of $155,000 ($150,000 for 2023), or who own more than 5% of a business.