---
title: "Create a Section 603 high earner status"
method: POST
path: "/v1/employees/{employee_uuid}/section603_high_earner_statuses"
tags: ["Employee Benefits"]
---

# Create a Section 603 high earner status

`POST /v1/employees/{employee_uuid}/section603_high_earner_statuses`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.gusto-demo.com`
- URL: `https://api.gusto-demo.com/v1/employees/{employee_uuid}/section603_high_earner_statuses`
- Auth: HTTP bearer
- TypeScript: <https://skmtc.dev/gusto/apis/gusto-api/docs/v1/employees/:employee_uuid/section603_high_earner_statuses/post.ts> (a function with typed inputs; its response is checked against the schema)

Create a Section 603 high earner status for an employee for a specific year.

Section 603 of the SECURE 2.0 Act applies to employees aged 50 or older whose prior-year FICA wages exceed the IRS threshold.
These employees are classified as high earners, and their catch-up contributions to pre-tax retirement benefits must be designated as post-tax contributions.

scope: `employee_benefits:write`

## Path parameters

- `employee_uuid` string, required

## Headers

- `X-Gusto-API-Version` '2026-06-15'

## Request body

- EmployeeSection603HighEarnerStatusCreateRequest: Request body for creating an employee's Section 603 high earner status
  - `effective_year` integer, required: The year for which this high earner status applies
  - `is_high_earner` boolean, required: Whether the employee is classified as a high earner for Section 603 purposes

## Response `201`

created

- EmployeeSection603HighEarnerStatus: The representation of an employee's Section 603 high earner status for a specific year. Section 603 of the SECURE 2.0 Act requires employees aged 50 or older whose prior-year FICA wages exceed the IRS threshold to have their catch-up contributions to pre-tax retirement benefits designated as post-tax contributions.
  - `id` string, required: The unique identifier of the Section 603 high earner status record
  - `effective_year` integer, required: The year for which this high earner status applies
  - `is_high_earner` boolean, nullable, required: Whether the employee is classified as a high earner for Section 603 purposes. Can be null if the status has not yet been determined.

## Other responses

- `404`: Not Found
- `409`: conflict - record already exists
- `422`: unprocessable entity - invalid is_high_earner

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/gusto/apis/gusto-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/gusto/apis/gusto-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/gusto/apis/gusto-api/revisions/f98575fa2a5e?raw)