How do most companies in California avoid getting caught Under federal law most salaried jobs are exempt from paying overtime, I didn't know that California had changed that.

What sort of overtime pay do programmers at Google and Apple get these days?

Hmm WaPo, Fairfax, I think you may be onto something here...

Programmer is an exempt job.

Not always.

The only time I've seen where it wouldn't be exempt is if you paid them hourly.

It isn't that simple. For a software developer to be exempt their salary must be above 83K a year[1]. That is why EA ran a foul of it even though their devs were salaried.

[1]http://www.gotovertime.com/computer_pro.html

"Salary" jobs are exempt, but certain jobs are non-exempt by law, because the work is considered so hourly-like and non-independent that the "salary" is considered a sham.

(Example: You can't be a "exempt, salaried" clerk at a store if you are required to be at the store from 8am to 6pm and are required to do a specific set of tasks in a prescribed way.)

That doesn't say anything about the situation where programmers would ever be non-exempt unless you paid them hourly instead of a salary.

It's been illegal in every state I've ever lived in, but every employer I've ever had has expected it.

Then keep notes of your hours. When you leave, you can get paid for them.