Pay Transparency Laws by State (2026): Job Posting Requirements

Not legal advice. This page summarizes public sources. Check the linked source for each state and ask a lawyer about your own hiring. Last verified November 2026.

The rules differ in who they cover, what counts as a posting, and how they treat remote work. The table gives the overview. The state-by-state list below it has the detail and the source for each row.

Employer action grid

Laws in effect, as of November 2026. Where a cell says “See the state source”, the primary source we could read did not state it, so we did not fill it in.

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Rules at the applicant stage. Some states do not require a range in the posting but do require it later. Connecticut (on request or at offer, in the table above) is one. Rhode Island requires the range for an applicant on request and for an employee at hire, on a move to a new position and on request (R.I. Gen. Laws 28-6-22; 260-RICR-30-05-8). Civil penalties under 28-6-21 run up to $1,000 for a first violation, $2,500 for a second within five years and $5,000 after that, and none could be assessed through December 31, 2024. Nevada requires the wage or salary range for an applicant who has completed an interview, and for an employee seeking a promotion or transfer who applied, interviewed or got an offer, and asked for it. The Labor Commissioner can impose an administrative penalty of up to $5,000 per violation (NRS 613.133). Absence from the table does not mean a state has no law, and we have not covered every city or county. Check the state source for the places you hire.

Enacted, not yet effective

• Delaware: takes effect September 26, 2027. Employers with more than 25 employees must include a salary or wage range and a general description of benefits in all job postings. See the Delaware entry below.

Pay transparency by state

One entry per state. Each links to the primary source we read in November 2026.

California

• Effective: January 2023 (Labor Code 432.3, SB 1162, approved September 27, 2022; January 1 is the default effective date for a bill with no urgency clause)
• Who must comply: Employers with 15 or more employees, at least one of them located in California.
• What to include: A good-faith pay scale, meaning the salary or hourly range you expect to pay on hire, in the posting itself. A link or QR code is not enough. Bonuses and benefits are not required. If you use a third party to post, you must give them the scale. Where pay is commission or piece rate, the range for that basis is required.
• Remote jobs: The Labor Commissioner reads the law to cover any position that may ever be filled in California, in person or remotely.
• Penalties: Civil penalties of $100 to $10,000 per violation. A complaint can be filed within one year of learning of the violation.
• Source: California Labor Commissioner FAQ ; SB 1162 bill text

Colorado

• Effective: January 2024 (SB23-105; the original posting rule dates from 2021)
• Who must comply: No size threshold. A narrow exception applies to an employer with no Colorado site and fewer than 15 Colorado employees. The state source explains it.
• What to include: The pay or pay range, a general description of benefits and other compensation, and the date the application period is expected to close, for each job opportunity.
• Remote jobs: Remote jobs that can be performed in Colorado must comply.
• Penalties: Fines of $500 to $10,000 for each violation. One job posted in several places counts as one violation.
• Source: SB23-105 session law ; Colorado Division of Labor Standards, INFO #9A

Connecticut (on request or at offer)

• Effective: October 2021 (CGS 31-40z, P.A. 21-30)
• Who must comply: Any employer with one or more employees.
• What to include: This is not a posting rule. The employer must give an applicant the wage range at the earliest of the applicant’s request or before or at the time of an offer of compensation. Current employees get it at hire, on a change of position, or on first request.
• Remote jobs: See the state source.
• Penalties: A private action within two years. Remedies include compensatory damages, attorney’s fees, costs, punitive damages and equitable relief.
• Source: Connecticut General Statutes chapter 557, section 31-40z

District of Columbia

• Effective: Applies from June 30, 2024 (D.C. Law 25-138)
• Who must comply: Any employer with at least one employee in the District.
• What to include: The minimum and maximum projected salary or hourly pay, as a good-faith range, in all job listings and position descriptions. The existence of healthcare benefits must be disclosed before the first interview.
• Remote jobs: See the state source.
• Penalties: Civil fines of $1,000 for a first violation, $5,000 for a second and $20,000 for each later one. The Attorney General may sue. There is no private right of action.
• Source: D.C. Code 32-1453.01 ; D.C. Code 32-1455 ; D.C. Law 25-138

Hawaii

• Effective: January 2024 (Act 203 of 2023)
• Who must comply: Employers with 50 or more employees. The state FAQ does not specify location or type of employment.
• What to include: An hourly rate or salary range that reasonably reflects the actual expected compensation, in job listings. Internal transfers, promotions and collectively bargained public jobs are exempt.
• Remote jobs: Neither the statute nor the state FAQ addresses remote jobs.
• Penalties: HRS 378-2.8 sets no dollar penalty of its own. Complaints go to the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, which can order corrective action, and a court can award attorney’s fees and costs.
• Source: HRS 378-2.8 ; Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Act 203 FAQ

Illinois

• Effective: January 2025 (Equal Pay Act, P.A. 103-0539)
• Who must comply: Employers with 15 or more employees. Employees inside or outside Illinois count toward the 15.
• What to include: The pay scale (wage, salary or range) and benefits in each internal and external posting. A link counts only if it goes directly to that position’s pay and benefits. A general benefits description must be specific to the position.
• Remote jobs: Covers work performed at least in part in Illinois, or work that reports to an Illinois supervisor, office or site.
• Penalties: Penalty limits are set in 820 ILCS 112/30. See the state source for amounts. An employer may get a chance to cure if the posting is still active.
• Source: Illinois Department of Labor, salary transparency

Maryland

• Effective: October 1, 2024 (Chapter 271, HB 649)
• Who must comply: Any “employer” as defined in the statute. There is no size threshold.
• What to include: A good-faith wage range (minimum and maximum), and a general description of benefits and other compensation, in each public or internal posting. If an applicant did not see the posting, disclose before discussing compensation.
• Remote jobs: Applies if the work is physically performed at least in part in Maryland, or if the employee reports to a Maryland supervisor, office or work site.
• Penalties: An order to comply and a letter for a first violation, up to $300 per affected employee or applicant for a second, and up to $600 for later ones within three years.
• Source: Maryland Department of Labor, chapter law text ; Md. Labor and Employment 3-304.2

Massachusetts

• Effective: October 29, 2025 (Wage Transparency Act, G.L. c.149 s.105F)
• Who must comply: Employers with 25 or more employees whose primary place of work is Massachusetts. Headcount is the annual average across all payroll periods and includes part-time, seasonal and temporary staff. Out-of-state remote employees count only if their primary place of work is Massachusetts.
• What to include: The pay range, meaning the annual salary range or hourly wage range the employer reasonably and in good faith expects to pay, in the posting. Applicants and employees can also ask for it, and employees get it on promotion or transfer. Commission or piece-rate roles must state the commission or piece-rate range.
• Remote jobs: Applies to positions whose primary place of work is Massachusetts, including positions performed remotely to a Massachusetts worksite.
• Penalties: A warning for a first offense, up to $500 for a second, up to $1,000 for a third, and a penalty set by G.L. c.149 s.27C for a fourth or later. Until October 29, 2027, an employer has 2 business days to cure pay-range defects after a Notice to Cure.
• Source: Massachusetts Attorney General, pay transparency

Maine

• Effective: July 2026 (26 MRSA 622-A, P.L. 2026 ch. 771). This follows Maine’s general effective date for non-emergency laws, because the act has no emergency clause.
• Who must comply: Employers with 10 or more employees.
• What to include: A statement in the posting that lists the prospective range of pay the employer will offer. Commission-only roles say so.
• Remote jobs: The act does not address remote work.
• Penalties: The act text lists no penalty.
• Source: Maine LD 54, chaptered text ; Maine Legislature (session and effective-date notice)

Minnesota

• Effective: January 2025 (Minn. Stat. 181.173)
• Who must comply: Employers with 30 or more employees at one or more Minnesota sites, including government bodies.
• What to include: The starting salary range and a general description of all benefits and other compensation. Use the fixed rate if there is no range. A range may not be open ended.
• Remote jobs: See the state source.
• Penalties: See the state source.
• Source: Minnesota Revisor, Minn. Stat. 181.173

New Jersey

• Effective: June 1, 2025 (N.J.S.A. 34:6B-23)
• Who must comply: Employers with 10 or more employees over 20 or more calendar weeks that do business, employ people or take applications in New Jersey.
• What to include: The hourly wage or salary, or a range with a low and a high, and a general description of benefits. “Great benefits” is not enough.
• Remote jobs: Covered if the employer meets the threshold and either takes applications from New Jersey for remote work or has a New Jersey employee.
• Penalties: Up to $300 for a first violation and up to $600 for each later one. One job on many platforms counts as one violation.
• Source: New Jersey Department of Labor, pay transparency

New York

• Effective: September 2023 (Labor Law 194-b; 270 days after the December 21, 2022 signing)
• Who must comply: Employers with four or more employees. Recruiters and agencies are covered. Temporary help firms are excluded.
• What to include: The compensation or range, meaning the minimum and maximum annual salary or hourly pay you believe is accurate at the time of posting, and the job description if one exists. Commission-only roles may state that.
• Remote jobs: Covers jobs performed at least in part in New York, and jobs outside New York that report to a supervisor, office or work site in New York.
• Penalties: Civil penalties under Labor Law 218 of up to $1,000 for a first violation, $2,000 for a second and $3,000 for a third or later.
• Source: New York Labor Law 194-b ; New York Labor Law 218

Vermont

• Effective: July 1, 2025 (21 V.S.A. 495o, Act 155 of 2024)
• Who must comply: Employers with five or more employees.
• What to include: The compensation or range for any advertised Vermont job opening. Commission-only jobs state that fact. Tipped jobs state the base wage or range.
• Remote jobs: Covers jobs physically in Vermont and remote jobs that predominantly perform work for a Vermont office or work location.
• Penalties: Enforced through 21 V.S.A. 495b, and retaliation is prohibited. See the state source for amounts.
• Source: Vermont Act 155 (2024) as enacted ; 21 V.S.A. 495b

Washington

• Effective: January 2023 (RCW 49.58.110, amended 2025)
• Who must comply: Employers with 15 or more employees.
• What to include: The wage scale or salary range, plus benefits and other compensation, in each posting for a specific opening. The range for an internal transfer or promotion is given on request.
• Remote jobs: The statute text does not address remote or out-of-state jobs.
• Penalties: $100 to $5,000 in statutory damages per violation, plus a civil penalty of up to $500 for a first and $1,000 for a repeat violation, plus a private suit with fees. From July 27, 2025 to July 27, 2027, a posting corrected within 5 business days after written notice avoids penalties.
• Source: RCW 49.58.110 ; ESSB 5761 session law

Delaware (enacted, not yet effective)

• Effective: September 26, 2027 (HB 105, HS 2, Chapter 228, signed September 26, 2025; new 19 Del. C. 709C)
• Who must comply: Employers with more than 25 employees. Employers with 25 or fewer are excluded.
• What to include: A salary or wage range and a general description of benefits and other compensation in all job postings. Records are kept for three years.
• Remote jobs: Covers Delaware-based jobs and non-international remote positions offered by a Delaware-based employer.
• Penalties: The Department of Labor may bring an administrative action. No amounts are listed.
• Source: Delaware Legislature, HB 105 bill page ; Delaware session law, Chapter 228

Federal

• What we found: no federal statute or regulation that requires pay ranges in job postings. The Equal Pay Act bars sex-based pay differences, but it is not a posting rule.
• Source: eCFR, 29 CFR part 1620

Remote jobs

Remote work is where posting rules most often catch employers by surprise. A job with no office can still be tied to a state. The sources say this about it:

• Massachusetts: applies to positions whose primary place of work is Massachusetts, including positions performed remotely to a Massachusetts worksite. Out-of-state remote employees count toward the 25-employee threshold only if their primary place of work is Massachusetts.
• California: the Labor Commissioner reads the law to cover any position that may ever be filled in California, in person or remotely.
• Colorado: remote jobs that can be performed in Colorado must comply.
• Illinois, Maryland and New York: cover work done at least in part in the state, and work that reports to a supervisor, office or work site in the state.
• New Jersey: covers an employer that meets the threshold and either takes applications from New Jersey for remote work or has a New Jersey employee.
• Vermont: covers remote jobs that predominantly perform work for a Vermont office or work location.
• Delaware (from September 2027): covers non-international remote positions offered by a Delaware-based employer.

If a remote role can be filled from more than one state, the practical approach is to write one range that meets the strictest state you might hire in, and to use that same posting everywhere.

How to write a pay range

1. Use good faith. California, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia all use the idea of a good-faith range. Publish the range you actually expect to pay, not a wide band you would never offer.
2. Close the range. Minnesota says a range may not be open ended. A figure like “$60,000 and up” is a risk.
3. Match the pay basis. Use an annual salary range for salaried roles and an hourly range for hourly roles. Massachusetts and New York both refer to annual salary or hourly pay.
4. Handle commission and tips as the source says. California and Massachusetts ask for the commission or piece-rate range. Maine, New York and Vermont let a commission-only role say so. Vermont asks tipped jobs for the base wage or range.
5. Put it in the posting. A link is not enough in California, and Illinois accepts a link only if it goes straight to that job’s pay and benefits.
6. Use the same range on every site. California requires you to give the scale to any third party that posts for you. Keeping one range in one place helps every copy match.
7. Add benefits and a close date where required. Benefits are asked for in Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Washington and (from 2027) Delaware. Colorado asks for the application close date.

A copy-ready line for the pay section of a posting:

Pay range: $85,000 to $105,000 per year. Benefits: medical coverage, paid time off and a 401(k) match. Final offer depends on skills and experience. Applications close on March 31.

Several states (Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Washington) ask you to describe benefits in the posting, and New Jersey says a phrase like “great benefits” is not enough. Describe what you really offer, such as health coverage, paid time off and a retirement plan, and keep it specific to the position. Check the state source before you rely on any wording, because this example is not a legal opinion.

If you keep pay bands for your roles, the posted range is easier to set and defend. See how pay bands and salary history are handled in Harmny. In Harmny, each job has its own pay range (minimum, maximum, currency and pay period) plus a city, state and country, and the range shows on the public job page next to the location. That keeps the number in one place instead of in free text. The same markup is explained in our Google for Jobs guide. Harmny does not check your posting against any state’s rules, so you still need to confirm the requirements above. If you run hiring in one system, Harmny recruiting covers the job, the careers page and the pipeline.

What changes next

• July 27, 2027: Washington’s window for correcting a posting within 5 business days after written notice, without penalty, runs through this date.
• September 26, 2027: Delaware’s posting rule takes effect.
• October 29, 2027: Massachusetts employers get 2 business days to cure pay-range defects after a Notice to Cure until this date.
• July 1, 2029: Colorado’s narrow notice exception for small out-of-state employers runs through this date.
• Proposed, not law: a 2026 Hawaii bill (SB 2386) would remove the under-50 exemption. We could not confirm its final status and one state agenda lists it as dead, so this page keeps the 50-employee threshold. Treat it as a proposal, not law.

Maine’s rule took effect in July 2026, so it is in the main table. Dates here come from the state sources linked above.

See an error? Tell us through the contact page.

Pay transparency: common questions

Do these laws apply if my company is not based in the state?

Often yes, depending on the statute. Several laws reach jobs that report to a supervisor, office or work site in the state, or that may be filled by someone working there. Each state sets its own test, so read the remote rules for each state where you might hire.

Is a link to a separate pay page enough?

Not in every state. California says the scale must be in the posting itself, and a link or QR code is not enough. Illinois accepts a link only if it goes directly to that position’s pay and benefits. When in doubt, put the range in the posting text.

How do I post a commission-only or tipped role?

The sources treat these roles specifically. Maine, New York and Vermont say a commission-only role can state that fact. Vermont asks tipped jobs to state the base wage or range. California and Massachusetts ask for the commission or piece-rate range where pay works that way.

Does a federal law require pay ranges in job postings?

We found no federal requirement. The federal Equal Pay Act bars pay differences based on sex, but it does not set a posting rule. The state laws on this page are where posting duties come from today.

How current is this page, and is it legal advice?

It is a plain-language summary checked against the primary sources in November 2026, and it is not legal advice. Laws change, and cure periods and thresholds shift. Check the linked source for any state you hire in, and ask a lawyer about your own situation.