There is no nationwide federal rule requiring employers to put salary ranges in job ads, according to WageHour Tools’ state guide. Instead, state and local laws determine whether an employer must post a range, disclose pay later in hiring, or provide information on request. The job’s location, the employer’s size, and the current wording of the applicable law can all change the answer.
Do U.S. employers have to include salary ranges in job postings?
Not under one universal federal posting mandate. The rule is a patchwork: some jurisdictions require compensation information in a job advertisement, while others require disclosure at a later stage of hiring or when a candidate asks. Local ordinances can add requirements alongside state law.
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As of October 1, 2026, Brightmine counted 27 U.S. jurisdictions with enacted pay transparency laws. Brightmine describes its resource as abridged and warns that it may not be exhaustive. Its map is dated October 1, 2025, a different date from the page’s jurisdiction count.
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That count is an inventory, not a complete compliance checklist or a measure of the laws’ effects. The materials reviewed do not establish a named empirical statistic about how transparency laws affect wages, hiring, or pay gaps.
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What does “pay transparency” require?
The phrase covers different duties. A rule may require pay information in the initial advertisement, at a particular hiring stage, or after an applicant asks. WageHour Tools’ guide describes Connecticut, Nevada, and Rhode Island as examples of jurisdictions with disclosure at a hiring stage or on request rather than a job-ad range requirement in its snapshot. Because Connecticut had a change noted as effective October 1, 2026, check its current official rule rather than relying on an earlier summary.
Even where a posting must include a range, the law may specify additional details—such as a job description, benefits, other compensation, an application deadline, or whether pay is commission-based. These requirements are not uniform.
How do employer-size thresholds vary?
WageHour Tools’ snapshot, which it says was verified against official sources on June 19, 2026, gives the following examples of employer thresholds. These are secondary-source summaries, not a determination that a particular job is covered: location, role, and other statutory conditions may also matter.
| Jurisdiction | Employer threshold in the snapshot |
|---|---|
| California | 15 or more employees |
| Washington | 15 or more employees |
| Colorado | One or more employees |
| New York | Four or more employees |
| Hawaii | 50 or more employees |
| Maryland | All employers |
| Illinois | 15 or more employees |
| Minnesota | 30 or more employees |
| New Jersey | 10 or more employees |
| Vermont | Five or more employees |
| Massachusetts | 25 or more employees |
Thresholds and effective dates can change, and an employer-size figure alone does not establish that a specific posting is covered. Confirm the current statute or agency guidance for the relevant jurisdiction and posting date.
Do pay transparency laws apply to remote jobs?
They can. Coverage may depend on where an employee could perform the work, where the position reports, or other language in the applicable law. An employer’s headquarters and an applicant’s home state are not necessarily the only relevant locations. WageHour Tools’ guide says many state requirements can reach remote roles, but the precise test varies by jurisdiction.
New York State’s Department of Labor also notes that New York City opportunities may be covered by the city law. For a remote or cross-border opening, check the official rules for each location connected to the role and the reporting relationship; do not infer coverage from a generic “remote” label.
What information might a covered posting need?
Pay range and job description
New York State Department of Labor guidance says covered employers must provide a job description and compensation range for covered job opportunities, promotions, and transfers. It describes the range as minimum and maximum annual salary or hourly compensation the employer believes to be accurate when the posting is made. The agency also says commission-based positions must be clearly identified as such. These are New York requirements and should not be treated as a nationwide template.
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Benefits and other compensation
Some reviewed examples include benefits or other compensation disclosures, but the exact items depend on the jurisdiction. A range alone may not satisfy a local rule if it also calls for benefits, a description of the work, or other details. Check the controlling text rather than copying another state’s posting format.
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How should applicants and employers check the rule for a particular job?
- Identify every relevant location. Start with where the job may be performed and where it reports, then consider the employer’s local operations if the statute makes them relevant.
- Check the current official rule. Use the state labor agency or statute, and check for a city or other local ordinance. Secondary charts can help identify questions to investigate, but may be abridged or out of date.
- Confirm the coverage conditions. Review the employer-size threshold, the role or applicant covered, and whether the law applies to postings, hiring-stage disclosures, or requests.
- Read the disclosure requirements closely. Determine whether the rule calls for a pay range, job description, benefits, other compensation, commission identification, or application details.
- Check the timing and posting date. A newly effective amendment can make an older summary misleading. Use the version of the law in force when the posting or hiring action occurs.
How are pay transparency rules different from equal-pay protections?
Disclosure duties and equal-pay protections are related but distinct. California’s Department of Industrial Relations explains that the state Equal Pay Act protects employees from wage rates below those paid to employees of another sex, race, or ethnicity for substantially similar work, subject to statutory defenses. Its FAQ also says an employee may request the pay scale for their position and an applicant may reasonably request the scale for a position they are applying to. Those rights illustrate California’s framework; they do not establish a universal rule for other states.
This is general legal information, not individualized legal advice. Because state laws, local ordinances, and effective dates differ, confirm the rule with the relevant government source for the specific job and date.
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