State pay transparency laws for job postings

What to include in a job posting

State pay transparency laws cover three related areas: pay ranges in job postings, pay disclosures during hiring, and salary-history questions. Sources may count anywhere from about a dozen to nearly twenty states, depending on which requirements they include. This note focuses on pay ranges that employers must include in job advertisements, where applicants can see them before applying. Other laws require disclosure only when an applicant requests it or reaches a specified hiring stage. Salary-history bans bar employers from asking about a candidate's previous pay. States may have one, two, or all three types of requirements.

As of October 2026, fourteen states and the District of Columbia require pay ranges in covered job postings. Delaware's requirements begin on 26 September 2027. Nevada requires pay range disclosure in specified hiring circumstances rather than in job postings. Connecticut added posting requirements on 1 October 2026. Others only ban salary-history questions.

Several states share the same basic posting requirements. Employers must set the range in good faith, with a defined minimum and maximum reflecting what they reasonably expect to pay. Many states also cover internal postings, promotions, and remote roles that may be performed in a covered state. Employer thresholds, benefits disclosures, internal opportunities, and remote-work coverage vary by state.

1. Include the pay range. Put the required minimum and maximum directly in the posting.
2. Set the range in good faith. Base it on the compensation you reasonably expect to pay.
3. Review internal opportunities. Check which promotions, transfers, and internal job advertisements are covered.
4. Identify where employees may perform remote work and check which state requirements apply.
5. Check that recruiters and job boards include the same required information in postings published on your behalf.

State-by-state posting requirements

Fourteen states and the District of Columbia require pay ranges in covered job postings as of October 2026. Each state entry lists the employer threshold, effective date, and key posting requirements.

California 15+ employees

In force since 1 January 2023. Covered postings must include the salary or hourly range the employer reasonably expects to pay. California revised its pay-scale definition effective 1 January 2026. California also requires employers of any size to provide the pay scale when requested. Posting requirements extend to covered internal opportunities and remote positions that may be performed in California.

Colorado All employers

In force since 2021, with expanded requirements effective 1 January 2024. Covered postings must include the pay range, a general description of bonuses or other compensation, benefits information, and the expected application closing date. Colorado also requires employers to announce covered job opportunities to employees.

Connecticut All employers

In force since 1 October 2026. Internal and public job advertisements must include the wages or wage range and a general description of benefits. The law also covers certain positions performed outside Connecticut that report directly to a supervisor, office, or worksite in the state. Applicants and employees may bring a civil action within two years of a violation.

District of Columbia All employers

In force since 30 June 2024. Covered job listings must include the minimum and maximum projected pay. Employers must also disclose the availability of health-care benefits before the first interview.

Hawaii 50+ employees

In force since 1 January 2024. Covered postings must include an hourly or salary range reflecting the compensation the employer expects to pay.

Illinois 15+ employees

In force since 1 January 2025. Covered postings must include the pay scale and a general description of benefits. Employers must make promotion opportunities known to current employees within fourteen calendar days after an external posting. Posting, pay scale, and benefits records must be retained for five years.

Maine 10+ employees

In force since 29 July 2026. Covered postings must include the prospective pay range. Commission-only positions may identify the compensation arrangement instead of providing a range, provided the posting says the job is paid solely on commission. Employers of any size must disclose the pay range for a current employee's position upon request. Pay records must be retained for three years beyond separation, including by employers of every size. State authorities enforce the requirements.

Maryland All employers

In force since 1 October 2024. Covered postings must include the wage range and a general description of benefits and other compensation. Enforcement begins with a warning. Posting and range records must be retained for at least three years after a position is filled, or three years after the initial posting when the position remains unfilled.

Massachusetts 25+ employees

Posting requirements in force since 29 October 2025. Covered job postings, promotions, and transfers must include a pay range. Employers with 100 or more employees also have a separate pay-data reporting requirement.

Minnesota 30+ employees

In force since 1 January 2025. Covered postings must include a fixed pay amount or defined salary range, along with a general description of benefits and other compensation.

New Jersey 10+ employees

In force since 1 June 2025. Covered postings must include the hourly or salary pay, or a pay range, and a general description of benefits and other compensation.

New York 4+ employees

In force since 17 September 2023. Covered postings for jobs, promotions, and transfers must include a good-faith minimum and maximum pay range. Requirements cover positions performed at least partly in New York and certain remote positions reporting to a New York office.

Vermont 5+ employees

In force since 1 July 2025. Covered postings must include a salary or hourly range reflecting expected pay. Commission-based positions must identify the commission arrangement. Tipped positions must identify the compensation as tipped and disclose the base wage. Covered internal transfers and promotions are also included.

Virginia All employers

In force since 1 July 2026, with no size threshold. Covered internal and external postings for jobs, promotions, and transfers must include a good-faith wage or salary range. A benefits description is not required. The law also includes a salary-history ban. Employers receiving written notice of a noncompliant posting have fifteen business days to correct it under the statutory cure provision. Enforcement includes attorney general action and private civil claims that prospective employees may bring within one year.

Washington 15+ employees

In force since 1 January 2023, with amendments effective 27 July 2025. Covered postings must include the wage scale or salary range and a general description of benefits and other compensation. A fixed amount may be used only where no range applies. Through 27 July 2027, the law provides a five-business-day correction period following written notice before certain penalties apply. Requirements also cover remote positions that may be performed by Washington residents.

Benefits and additional posting requirements

In several states, the pay range is only part of the required posting information. Employers must also include benefits, other compensation, or application information where required.

Benefits and other compensation Seven states

Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Washington require a general description of benefits and other compensation in covered postings. Delaware will add a similar requirement in 2027.

Application deadline Colorado only

Colorado requires covered postings to state when applications are expected to close. For rolling or evergreen openings, use the application deadline approach described in Colorado's guidance.

Health coverage disclosure DC only

Employers must disclose the availability of health-care benefits before the first interview.

Some states have additional posting requirements for commission-based and tipped positions. Vermont requires a commission role to say it is commission-based and a tipped role to show the base wage. Maine permits commission-only positions to identify the compensation arrangement instead of providing a range, provided the posting states that the position is paid solely on commission. Apply the relevant state's pay disclosure requirements to commission-based and tipped positions.

Internal opportunities and remote jobs

Many state posting laws also cover promotions, transfers, and jobs advertised to existing employees. New York, California, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Virginia cover certain internal opportunities. Connecticut's 2026 law covers internal job advertisements. In Colorado, employers must announce covered job opportunities to employees. Illinois requires employers to make promotion opportunities known to current employees within fourteen calendar days after an external posting. Maine's 2026 law does not mention promotions or transfers.

Remote positions may also be covered based on where employees can work or where the position reports. California and Washington cover certain remote positions that may be performed in those states. New York reaches certain positions performed elsewhere that report to a New York office. For each remote role, document where employees are permitted to work and where the position reports.

Preparing a nationwide remote job posting

For a nationwide remote position, start by identifying the states where applicants may work. Prepare a defined, good-faith pay range and the required descriptions of benefits and other compensation. Include an application closing date where Colorado's requirements apply, then review the remaining applicable state requirements before publishing.

How to set and document a pay range

A good-faith range reflects what you reasonably expect to pay when you advertise the position. Set the minimum and maximum using the role's responsibilities, level, work location, and compensation structure. Keep a record of the compensation factors behind those figures. California revised its pay-scale definition effective 1 January 2026 to focus on the range an employer reasonably expects to pay. Washington's guidance rejects open-ended ranges. A band of roughly twenty to forty percent from bottom to top is described as common practice, although no statute fixes a universal range width. The right range depends on the role and its compensation structure. For a wider range, document the compensation factors that support it.

Recordkeeping periods also vary by state. Illinois requires employers to retain posting, pay-scale, and benefits records for five years. California requires employers to retain job titles and wage history for the length of employment plus three years. Maryland keeps the posting and range at least three years after the position is filled, or after the first posting if it is not. Colorado requires a two-year recordkeeping period. Where a state sets no specific period, maintaining wage records for three years is a common practice. Maine and Delaware each have a three-year requirement. Store the posted range, supporting compensation information, and required records together.

Requirements beginning in 2027

Delaware's posting requirements are scheduled to begin on 26 September 2027.

Delaware Effective 26 September 2027.

The law applies to employers with more than twenty-five employees. Covered postings will need a pay range and a general description of benefits and other compensation. The law covers Delaware-based positions and certain US remote positions offered by Delaware-based employers. The Department of Labor will enforce the requirements. Enforcement begins with a warning, with penalties of up to $10,000. The law also includes a three-year recordkeeping requirement.

City and county requirements matter, too. Additional pay transparency rules apply in several cities and counties, including New York City, Ithaca, and Westchester County in New York; Jersey City in New Jersey; and Cleveland in Ohio. Cleveland Ordinance No. 104-2025 has required covered employers with 15 or more employees in the city to include salary ranges or pay scales in formal job postings since 27 October 2025.