Pay transparency laws by state: where job postings must show salary ranges

If you are job hunting, a posted pay range tells you before you apply whether a role is worth your time, and it gives you a starting point when the offer arrives. This tracker lists every state and city that makes employers put a range in the job ad, who those laws cover (including remote jobs), and what you can do when a posting leaves the number out. As of October 2026, 14 states plus Washington, DC, have a posting requirement in force, and Delaware's takes effect in September 2027.

Last checked: October 28, 2026. We review this page monthly and again around January 1, July 1 and October 1, the dates when new state labor laws most often take effect. Laws and guidance change, so confirm the details for your state on the official page before you act.

What pay transparency laws require

"Pay transparency" covers a few different duties. The one job seekers care about most is the posting rule: the employer must include a pay range (or a fixed rate) in the job ad itself. Some states go further and require a short description of benefits, bonuses or commissions too.

A second, weaker type of law only requires disclosure on request or after an interview. Nevada and Rhode Island still use that model, according to Brightmine's 50-state chart, so in those states you may need to ask.

Most posting laws share three ideas:

• A real range, not a placeholder. New York defines the range as the minimum and maximum the employer "in good faith believes to be accurate" when the ad goes up, under Labor Law Section 194-b.
• No open-ended ranges. Colorado and Washington both say "and up" or "up to" ranges do not count.
• No retaliation. Several laws, including New York's, bar employers from refusing to interview or hire you because you asked for the range.

There is no federal posting rule for private employers, so the job's location (or who it reports to) decides which rules apply.

States that require ranges in job postings

This is the quick-reference table. "Who must post" is the employer-size threshold. Where we could open the official page, it is linked; for the others, the date and threshold come from Brightmine's chart or Loio's state tracker, so confirm them with the named agency.

A few state details matter when you read an ad:

• Colorado requires the most. Postings must show pay, a general description of bonuses, commissions or tips, benefits, and an application deadline. "Open until filled" does not comply, according to the INFO #9A guidance listed on the state's Equal Pay for Equal Work Act page.
• Washington requires the range plus a general description of benefits and other compensation. If the employer offers one fixed wage, it posts that amount instead of a range.
• New York requires the range and the job description, if one exists. Commission-only jobs can say pay is based on commission.
• Hawaii excludes internal transfers and promotions, and public jobs whose pay is set by collective bargaining.
• Illinois requires the pay scale and benefits in internal and external postings. A hyperlink is allowed only if it goes straight to the pay and benefits for that specific job.
• Minnesota requires the starting salary range and a description of benefits such as health and retirement plans.
• Virginia covers public and internal postings for jobs, promotions and transfers, and also bans asking about your salary history.
• Maine ties the range to what the employer expects to rely on: its pay scale, past ranges for the role, what current staff earn, or the budget.

Cities and counties with their own rules

Some cities have their own posting laws. They matter most in Ohio, which has no statewide rule, and in New York, where local enforcement adds a second complaint route.

Status and thresholds are from Brightmine's locality chart, with Cleveland's start date from Loio's tracker. Cincinnati and Toledo require a range only on request after a conditional offer, not in the ad.

For New York City jobs, the state Department of Labor notes that the city's own law may also apply, and you can complain to either the state or the NYC Commission on Human Rights.

Laws taking effect soon

The map has changed fast in 2026. Here is what is new and what is next:

• Virginia (July 1, 2026). All employers must post a good-faith range. The statute says the breadth of the range counts when judging good faith.
• Maine (July 29, 2026). LD 54 covers employers with 10 or more employees and adds a right for current staff to ask the range for their own job.
• Connecticut (October 1, 2026). Connecticut moved from disclosure on request to a posting rule, covering jobs performed in the state or reporting to a Connecticut supervisor or office.
• Columbus, Ohio (January 1, 2027). Employers with 15 or more employees in the city must include a reasonable range in postings for a specific open position.
• Washington's correction window ends (July 27, 2027). For postings from July 27, 2025 through July 27, 2027, an employer that gets written notice has five business days to fix the ad before penalties or damages apply.
• Delaware (September 26, 2027). Employers with more than 25 employees must post an hourly or salary range and a general description of benefits.

We add a state only once its law is signed and has an effective date.

Who is covered: employer size and remote jobs

Two questions decide whether a posting has to show pay: how big the employer is, and where the work happens.

Size. Thresholds run from any employer at all (Colorado, Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut) up to 50 or more employees (Hawaii). Some states count staff everywhere, not just in-state. Washington's L&I says its 15-employee threshold includes workers outside the state if the employer has at least one Washington-based employee. Hawaii's commission says its law does not specify where the counted employees must be located.

Remote jobs. This is where most confusion sits. Here is what each state's own guidance or statute says, where we could read it:

The practical upshot: if you live in Colorado or Washington and see a fully remote role with no range, that ad may still be covered even if the employer is based in a state with no law. Colorado spelled this out in a compliance letter to employers about remote postings.

How to read a posted range

A range is the lowest and highest pay the employer says it expects to offer. It is not a promise. Colorado's guidance says an employer may end up paying more or less than the posted range, as long as the range was genuine when posted.

Agency examples show what a fair range looks like:

• One job, honest spread. Colorado says an employer can post $70,000-$100,000 for an accountant job open to junior and senior hires if it really might offer $70,000 to a junior or $100,000 to a senior. It cannot post that range for a junior-only role just because seniors earn the top.
• Starting range inside a full range. Washington's L&I gives an example where new hires usually start at $60,000-$65,000 within a full range of $60,000-$70,000. The employer should show both.
• Different levels, different ranges. If one ad could be filled at several levels, Washington expects a range for each, such as an Accounting Analyst 2 at $65,000-$80,000 and an Analyst 3 at $80,000-$110,000.

How to use what you see:

1. Find your spot. If you meet the basic requirements, expect offers nearer the bottom. If you bring every "preferred" skill, you have grounds to aim higher. Most first offers do not start at the top.
2. Check what else is listed. In Colorado, Washington, Illinois, Minnesota and New Jersey, the ad should also describe benefits and other pay. A lower base with a strong bonus or retirement match can beat a higher base with neither.
3. Watch for very wide ranges. A spread that covers several levels may mean the employer has not decided the level. Ask which level the role is budgeted at.
4. Note the date. New York's definition ties the range to what the employer believes at the time of posting. If an ad has been up for months, ask whether the range has changed.

A short script for the first recruiter call:

"The posting lists a range for this role. Can you tell me where in that range you'd expect someone with my experience to land, and what moves people toward the top?"

And if the range looks too wide:

"The range on the posting is pretty broad. Which level is this role budgeted at, and what's the range for that level?"

For more on turning the range into an ask, see our negotiation guides.

What to do if a posting has no range

A missing range is not always a violation. The employer may be too small, the job may be outside covered areas, or a job board may have copied the ad without the pay. Colorado and Washington both say an employer is not responsible when a third party reposts its compliant ad without permission.

Work through these steps:

1. Check the original. Find the ad on the employer's own careers page. If the range is there, the problem is the job board.
2. Check coverage. Use the tables above: where is the job, who does it report to, and does the employer meet the size threshold?
3. Ask directly. Many laws also require disclosure on request. Keep it simple: "Could you share the pay range for this position before we schedule interviews?"
4. Keep a record. Screenshot the posting with the date and URL visible. Agencies ask for evidence.
5. Decide whether to report it. You can, and several states let you do it without being an applicant or without giving your name.

Complaint routes by state

What happens next depends on the agency and the facts, and nobody can promise a result. Colorado publishes its numbers: as of a table updated October 7, 2026, it had received 3,049 pay transparency complaints since January 1, 2021, and employers fixed the problem in 78.98% of cases after getting a voluntary compliance letter. Citations with fines are rare by comparison.

If you think you were turned down or treated worse because you asked about pay, that is a retaliation question. Talk to the state agency, a union rep if you have one, or an employment lawyer.

Why this matters for your pay

Posting laws have changed what job seekers see. Colorado's guidance cites research finding that the share of Colorado postings showing pay rose from under 25% in late 2020 to over 80% in late 2023, against a national rise from under 20% to over 50%. The same guidance cites a study that found a 3.6% rise in posted pay linked to the law.

That does not mean every range is accurate or that your offer will rise. It does mean you can compare employers before interviewing and name a number grounded in the employer's own data. Track the bigger picture on our pay trends page.

What to do next

• Before applying, check the job's location and reporting line against the tables above.
• If a covered posting has no range, ask the recruiter first, then screenshot and report if you get nowhere.
• Use the posted range, the benefits description and your experience to pick your target number before the first call.
• Recheck this page and your state agency's page before relying on a date: Columbus, Washington's correction window and Delaware all change in 2027.