Salary Transparency Is No Longer Optional. Is Your Job Posting Ready?
As of mid-2026, more than 25 state and local jurisdictions have active pay transparency requirements, with Virginia, Maine, and Connecticut all adding requirements in 2026 alone. An estimated 65% of U.S. employers now operate under some form of pay disclosure mandate. Beyond compliance, four in ten candidates say they lose interest in a role that does not list a salary range. The legal case and the recruiting case are pointing in the same direction.
Key Takeaways:
The Count Is Growing Fast: As of mid-2026, more than 25 state and local jurisdictions have active pay transparency requirements, with Virginia and Maine both taking effect in July 2026 and Connecticut's amendment effective October 2026. Five new state laws took effect in 2025 alone, and the list is still growing.
A Majority of Employers Are Already Covered: Netchex's 2026 compliance analysis estimates that approximately 65% of U.S. employers now operate somewhere under a pay transparency mandate, many without realizing it. Remote work can complicate compliance because some jurisdictions apply their requirements based on where the work can be performed, not where the employer is headquartered.
The Requirements Go Beyond a Number: Several states require more than a salary range. Colorado mandates a description of benefits and other compensation in every posting. Illinois requires the same, effective 2025. Meeting the threshold for one state does not mean a posting meets the requirements of all states where it may be seen.
Candidates Are Filtering Without Ranges: Recent data cited by HiringThing found that four in ten candidates say they would lose interest in a role that does not list a salary range. SHRM's research found that 70% of businesses that included salary information in their postings saw more applicants. Ranges are not just a compliance item. They are a candidate experience signal.
The Trajectory Is Toward More, Not Less: Delaware signed a pay transparency law in September 2025 that takes effect in 2027. Several additional states have bills under active consideration per SHRM's state pay transparency tracker. Employers who build compliant posting practices now will not have to retrofit them each time a new state goes live.
Pay transparency started as a handful of state laws employers outside those markets could largely ignore. That is no longer the case. Remote hiring has expanded the number of employers that can fall under these rules, while candidates increasingly expect to see compensation before they decide whether a role is worth pursuing.
As of mid-2026, pay transparency requirements cover a growing share of the U.S. workforce, and the differences between jurisdictions create real compliance challenges for employers hiring across state lines.
Where the Law Stands Right Now
According to a July 2026 compliance guide from Netchex, confirmed by Ogletree Deakins and the National Law Review, more than 25 state and local jurisdictions now have active pay transparency laws requiring employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings or at other defined points in the hiring process. Five new state laws took effect in 2025 alone, including requirements in Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Virginia became the first Southern state to enact a requirement, effective July 1, 2026, applying to all employers regardless of size. Maine followed on July 29, 2026, covering employers with 10 or more employees. Connecticut's amendment takes effect October 1, 2026.
The states requiring salary ranges directly in job postings now include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, among others. Several additional states, including Nevada and Rhode Island, require disclosure upon request or at other points in the process rather than in the posting itself. Delaware signed a law in September 2025 that takes effect September 2027. More states are actively considering requirements. SHRM's state pay transparency tracker shows ongoing legislative activity in jurisdictions that currently have none, and the last three years suggest the list is more likely to grow than to shrink.
Beyond states with active requirements, roughly ten additional states have introduced pay transparency bills that have not yet passed, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Montana, and Nebraska. For employers operating in those markets or hiring remotely into them, the legislative activity is worth monitoring even if no compliance action is required today. The map below shows where each state currently stands.
Hover a state for details. As of mid-2026. Requirements vary by employer size and effective date.
The Remote Work Complication
Several jurisdictions apply their requirements to employers hiring for roles that can be performed within the state, meaning an employer does not necessarily have to be headquartered there to fall under its rules. Many multi-state employers have responded by posting salary ranges on every listing rather than attempting to tailor each posting by anticipated candidate location.
The penalties for non-compliance vary significantly by state. Colorado's range from $500 to $10,000 per violation. Some states are still in warning periods. Others, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, have moved to active enforcement with audits and fines for non-compliant postings.
What the Requirements Actually Involve
Meeting the legal threshold for pay transparency requires more than putting a number in a job listing, and the specific requirements differ enough by state that employers posting in multiple jurisdictions need to check each one.
Colorado requires a salary range, a general description of all benefits, and other forms of compensation in every posting. Illinois has the same requirements effective January 2025. California requires the pay scale for the position in any posting, and a 2025 amendment tightened the definition of what qualifies as a good-faith pay range. Washington requires a salary range plus a general description of benefits and other compensation.
A posting that says "$80,000-$95,000 DOE" may satisfy one state's requirements and fall short of another's. "Competitive compensation" or "salary commensurate with experience" is not enough where a specific range is required. Employers who are not certain their job descriptions are compliant across the states where they hire should review them before the next posting goes live.
Why This Is Also a Recruiting Decision
The recruiting impact matters even in states where posting a range is not legally required. For candidates, that information makes it easier to decide whether an opportunity is worth pursuing before spending time on an application or interview.
SHRM research found that 70% of businesses that included salary in their job postings saw more applicants. Recent data compiled by HiringThing found that four in ten candidates say they would lose interest in a role that does not include a salary range. That figure matters most at the top of the funnel, where candidates are deciding whether to spend time on an application at all.
Candidates who see a range that does not work for them remove themselves from the process before applying. That can look like a lower application volume, which is why some employers interpret posting a range as a negative signal. What it actually produces is a pool where the people who apply have already confirmed the compensation is in a range they would accept. That saves time in screening and reduces offer-stage withdrawals, which recent offer acceptance data suggests have become more common, with acceptance rates falling to 51% in Q2 2025, down from 74% two years prior.
Salary expectations that do not match the offer account for 28% of candidate withdrawals late in the process, per the same data. A posted range that is accurate and competitive filters for that mismatch before it costs anyone multiple rounds of interviews.
What Makes a Good Salary Range
Not all posted ranges are equally useful.
A range that is too wide, "$60,000-$140,000" for example, provides so little information that it can feel like the employer is avoiding the transparency the posting is supposed to provide. A range that understates what the role actually pays tends to attract candidates who will decline the offer once the real number surfaces, which moves the problem downstream rather than removing it.
The most effective ranges reflect what the employer actually intends to pay for a qualified candidate, not the lowest number the company could justify. That requires knowing what the market rate is for the role, the level, and the geography. As we covered in our 2026 Salary Guide, compensation benchmarking has become one of the more consequential inputs in a hiring process, because an offer that misses market typically surfaces at exactly the moment when reversing it is most expensive.
Where This Is Heading
The pay transparency movement is not slowing down, and the legal map is not the only thing shifting.
On the regulatory side, Delaware's law takes effect in 2027. Several additional states have bills in active consideration, and SHRM's tracking of state legislation indicates that more than a dozen states without current requirements are in some stage of legislative review.
On the candidate behavior side, the expectation is moving faster than the law. Candidates who have become accustomed to seeing salary ranges in job postings are increasingly looking for that information elsewhere, too. That expectation is spreading to markets where posting a range is still voluntary. Employers who post ranges in states without a requirement are increasingly doing so because the alternative, losing applicants at the top of the funnel to listings that include one, has become a competitive disadvantage.
There is also a recruiting advantage. Candidates making a serious career move want to know early whether the opportunity makes financial sense. A clear range gives them that information before either side invests time in interviews.
The question for employers is no longer whether pay transparency is coming. In many markets, it is already here. The bigger question is whether the range in the posting reflects what the company is actually prepared to pay and whether the rest of the hiring process can support it. A compliant posting can keep an employer out of trouble. A clear and competitive one can also keep qualified candidates from scrolling past.
Before the next posting goes live, employers should have answers to a few questions. What salary range is the company actually prepared to offer for this role? Which jurisdictions apply based on where candidates could perform the work? Do any of those states require benefits or other compensation to be disclosed alongside the range? Does the posted range reflect what the current market is paying? And can the hiring team support that range consistently through the interview and offer process?
Pay Transparency FAQs
Do all states require salary ranges in job postings? No. Some states require salary ranges directly in job postings, while others require disclosure at a different point in the hiring process or upon request. Requirements vary significantly by jurisdiction.
Does pay transparency apply to remote jobs? It can. Employers hiring for positions that can be performed in a jurisdiction with pay transparency requirements may need to comply even if the company is headquartered elsewhere. Several jurisdictions apply their rules based on where the work can be performed, not where the employer is based.
What should a salary range include? Depending on the jurisdiction, employers may need to include the salary range alongside a description of benefits and other compensation. Colorado, Illinois, and Washington all require more than a number.
Why should employers post salary ranges even where the law does not require it? Candidates increasingly look for compensation information before applying, and a clear range can reduce applications from candidates whose expectations do not align with the role. It also reduces offer-stage withdrawals driven by salary mismatch.
What does pay transparency mean for job seekers? Pay transparency gives candidates more information about compensation before they apply or enter an interview process. Where salary ranges are required, candidates can use that information to determine whether an opportunity aligns with their expectations before investing time in the process.
Is Your Job Posting Ready?
Knowing what the market is paying is the starting point. The Agency Recruiting helps employers benchmark compensation and reach qualified professionals across banking, accounting, insurance, legal, and construction nationwide.
