Pay Transparency Laws by State: Who Has to Show You the Salary Range

Pay transparency laws in every state

Which states require salary ranges in job postings?

Right now 15 states, counting DC, require pay information in the job posting itself. Colorado's rule, in force since 2021, is the oldest in our table, and it reaches almost every employer with even one worker in the state. Maryland and DC also cover employers of any size.

Most other states set a headcount floor. New York applies at 4 employees. Vermont starts at 5, New Jersey and Maine at 10, California, Illinois and Washington at 15, Massachusetts at 25 workers in the state, Minnesota at 30 in-state workers, and Hawaii at 50.

2026 was a busy year. Virginia's posting rule took effect on July 1, 2026, with no minimum employer size in the statute. Maine's took effect on July 29, 2026. Connecticut, which had only an on-request rule since 2021, began requiring ranges in internal and public job ads on October 1, 2026, for employers of any size.

Delaware has passed a posting law for employers with 26 or more workers, but it does not start until September 26, 2027. Until then, Delaware employers have no posting duty under it.

What counts as a good faith pay range?

Many of these laws do not let an employer post "$40,000 to $400,000" and call it done. The range has to reflect what the employer actually expects to pay.

California's law, as amended by SB 642, defines the pay scale from January 1, 2026 as the good faith range the employer reasonably expects to pay. Hawaii requires a range that reasonably reflects actual expected pay. Minnesota requires a starting salary range that is not open ended, so "$60,000 and up" does not comply there. DC and New York City both ask for a good faith minimum and maximum.

Several states want more than salary. Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Washington and now Connecticut require a general description of benefits too. Illinois lets employers link to the pay and benefits information instead of printing it. DC goes a step further: employers there must explain healthcare benefits before the first interview.

A fixed number can also be enough. Virginia allows a set wage or salary instead of a range, and New York allows compensation or a range.

Do pay transparency laws apply to remote jobs?

Often, yes, but the hook varies by state. The law usually follows where the work happens or who the role reports to, not where the company is headquartered.

Connecticut's 2026 amendment covers in-state jobs and also out-of-state positions that report directly to a Connecticut supervisor, office or worksite. Vermont covers jobs physically in Vermont and remote roles that mainly serve a Vermont office. New York City's rule reaches jobs performed at least partly in the city. Illinois applies to postings for roles tied to Illinois.

Delaware's future law will cover non-international remote positions offered by Delaware-based employers once it takes effect in 2027.

If you are applying to a fully remote role and the posting has no range, look at where your manager sits and which office the job serves. That detail may decide which state's law applies.

Which places only require pay on request?

2 states use an on-request model instead of a posting rule. Nevada requires employers to give the range to an applicant who has completed an interview, and to employees seeking a promotion or transfer who ask. Rhode Island requires employers to share the wage range when an applicant asks, and says they should provide it before discussing pay.

Some posting states also give current employees rights. California employees can ask for the pay scale for their own position. Maine lets any employee ask for the range for their current job. Massachusetts requires the range for an employee offered a promotion or transfer.

Local rules matter too. Our table tracks 8 city and county laws. New York City requires a good faith minimum and maximum in ads from employers with 4 or more workers, on top of the state rule. Toledo, Ohio requires employers with 15 or more workers to give the pay scale to an applicant with a conditional offer who asks. Ithaca and Westchester County in New York also require ranges in postings from employers with 4 or more workers. A few other city ordinances appear in our table marked unconfirmed, so check the local code before you rely on them.

What can you do if an employer leaves out the pay range?

Start by asking. Many missing ranges are oversights, and several states give employers a chance to fix them before any penalty applies.

Washington lets an employer correct a noncompliant posting within five business days of notice before liability attaches, for postings through July 27, 2027. Virginia gives employers a 15 business day cure period for posting and good faith range violations. After that, Virginia allows private suits within one year, and its Attorney General can seek penalties of up to $1,000 for a first violation and $5,000 for later ones. Connecticut's 2026 amendment extended the time to bring a claim to two years and removed punitive damages.

• Screenshot the posting with the date, job title and location visible.
• Check which state or city law applies, using where the job is performed or who it reports to.
• Ask the recruiter in writing for the pay range for the role.
• If the employer refuses or ignores you, contact your state labor department about a complaint.
• Talk to an employment lawyer if you lost a job opportunity over it or a pattern of violations exists.

How to use a posted salary range in negotiation

A range is an anchor, and it cuts both ways. The employer has told you, in writing, what it expects to pay. Use that.

Say a Colorado posting lists $85,000 to $105,000 plus a benefits summary. If you meet every listed requirement and bring something extra, asking for $100,000 or more is reasonable. If the offer comes in at $85,000, you can point to the posted range and explain why your experience puts you higher in it.

• Save the posting before you apply. Ranges sometimes change.
• Compare the range with your current pay and with ranges for similar roles in the same state.
• Place yourself in the range based on the stated requirements, not on what you hope for.
• Ask for the benefits description if the state requires one and the posting skipped it.
• When the offer arrives, check that the base salary, bonus and benefits match what was posted.
• Read the offer letter for clauses that let the employer change pay later.

Is there a federal pay transparency law?

No federal law requires employers to post salary ranges. That is why the rules differ so much from one state to the next.

Two federal laws still matter. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 bars employers from paying men and women differently for substantially equal work. The National Labor Relations Act protects most private sector employees who talk with coworkers about their pay, so a policy forbidding those conversations may itself be a problem.

Some states pair their range rules with salary history limits. Virginia's new law, for example, also bars employers from seeking or relying on your past pay. If an interviewer asks what you earn now, a posted range gives you a better answer: the number the employer already said it would pay.

How we built this data

We built this dataset from the law in each state, then had a second, independent review re-check every entry against primary sources and correct anything that did not match. Each row links to its source.

Of the 51 entries, 20 were confirmed directly against the statute itself or the state agency that enforces it. 31 rest on several secondary sources that agree, usually because the official site could not be reached or because there is no statute to read where the answer is that no law exists. Data verified on October 11, 2026.

Sources

• California: California Legislative Information
• Colorado: Colorado General Assembly, SB19-085 (Equal Pay for Equal Work Act)
• Connecticut: Connecticut General Assembly, Public Act 26-12
• Delaware: Delaware General Assembly, Laws of Delaware Vol. 85, Ch. 228
• District of Columbia: Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Code
• Hawaii: Hawaii State Legislature
• Illinois: Illinois General Assembly
• Maine: Maine Revisor of Statutes
• Maryland: Maryland General Assembly
• Massachusetts: Massachusetts General Court
• Minnesota: Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
• Nevada: Nevada Legislature
• New Jersey: New Jersey Legislature
• New York: New York State Senate
• Rhode Island: Rhode Island General Assembly
• Vermont: Vermont General Assembly
• Virginia: Code of Virginia (Virginia Legislative Information System)
• Washington: Washington State Legislature
• West Virginia: West Virginia Legislature, bill history for HB 5116 (2026 Regular Session)
• Wyoming: Wyoming Legislature, 2026 bill list