Pay Transparency Laws: Pay Ranges in Job Posts

Where a pay range is required

Pay range in job post laws in force as of October 2026
Where	Who it covers	What the post must include	In effect since
California	15 or more employees, at least one in California	The pay scale: a good-faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage range you reasonably expect to pay on hire	January 1, 2023
Colorado	Any employer with at least one employee in Colorado	Pay rate or range, a general description of other pay (bonus, commission, tips), a general description of benefits, and how and when to apply	January 1, 2021 (application deadline added January 1, 2024)
District of Columbia	Any employer with at least one employee in DC	Minimum and maximum projected salary or hourly pay. Healthcare benefits must be disclosed before the first interview	June 30, 2024
Hawaii	50 or more employees	Hourly rate or salary range that reasonably reflects the actual expected pay. Not required for internal transfers or promotions	January 1, 2024
Illinois	15 or more employees	Pay scale and benefits, for jobs performed at least partly in Illinois	January 1, 2025
Maine	10 or more employees	The prospective range of pay. A job paid only on commission must say so instead	July 29, 2026
Maryland	All employers	Minimum and maximum wage, a general description of benefits, and any other compensation	October 1, 2024
Massachusetts	25 or more employees with a primary place of work in Massachusetts	Annual salary or hourly wage range you reasonably and in good faith expect to pay	October 29, 2025
Minnesota	30 or more employees at one or more Minnesota sites	Starting salary range (or a fixed rate) and a general description of all benefits and other compensation	January 1, 2025
New Jersey	10 or more employees over 20 calendar weeks, doing business or hiring in New Jersey	Hourly wage or salary (or range) and a general description of benefits and other compensation programs	June 1, 2025
New York State	4 or more employees	Compensation or range (minimum and maximum), the job description if one exists, and a statement if the job is commission-based	September 17, 2023
New York City	4 or more employees (or 1 or more domestic workers), at least one working in NYC	Good-faith minimum and maximum salary. Benefits are not required	November 1, 2022
Vermont	5 or more employees	Compensation or range. Commission jobs must say so; tipped jobs must say so and give the base wage or range	July 1, 2025
Virginia	Any employer doing business in Virginia	The wage, salary or good-faith salary range, in every public and internal posting for a job, promotion or transfer	July 1, 2026
Washington	15 or more employees	Wage scale or salary range (or the fixed wage), and a general description of all benefits and other compensation	January 1, 2023

Delaware is next. Its law was signed on September 26, 2025 and takes effect two years after enactment. It will cover employers with 26 or more employees and require the pay or pay range plus a general description of benefits and other compensation. Some cities and counties also have their own rules, so check where the job is located.

Even where no range is required in the post, some laws require you to share it when asked. In California, any employer must give an applicant the pay scale on reasonable request and give a current employee the pay scale for their own job. In Massachusetts, covered employers must give the range to an applicant or employee who asks and to an employee offered a promotion or transfer.

Remote jobs count too

These laws follow where the work is done, not where your office is. A remote job can bring you into a state you have never been to:

New York City covers jobs performed in whole or in part in the city, including remotely from the employee's home.
California's Labor Commissioner reads the law to require the range if the position may ever be filled in California, in person or remotely.
Maryland covers jobs performed at least partly in Maryland, but not one where the only Maryland work is something occasional like attending a conference.
Massachusetts covers jobs whose primary place of work is Massachusetts, including remote roles.
Vermont covers remote jobs that will mainly do work for an office or work location in Vermont.
Colorado covers employers with at least one Colorado employee. If you have none at the time you make the hiring decision, the Colorado rule does not apply to that hire.

For a remote role open across the US, the simplest approach is to post a range on every job. If pay varies by location, give the range for each location.

How to write a compliant range

Give both ends. "$80,000 and up" or "up to $60,000" is not a range in Colorado or New York City. If the pay is fixed, the minimum and maximum can be the same number.
Make it honest. The range should be what you genuinely expect to pay for this job when you post it. Colorado gives the example that one $30,000 to $100,000 range cannot be used for both a janitor and an accountant role.
You can still pay outside it. Colorado and Vermont both say final pay can land outside the posted range, as long as the range was set in good faith. Vermont names reasons such as the applicant's qualifications or labor market conditions.
Describe benefits plainly where required. Colorado expects health care, retirement, paid time off and other tax-reportable benefits to be named, without dollar values, and does not accept "etc." or "and more".
Name the other pay. Bonuses, commissions and tips get a general description in Colorado. In Vermont, commission jobs say so, and tipped jobs give the base wage.
Add how and when to apply for Colorado postings, including the expected application deadline.

A simple pattern that meets the strictest versions: "Pay: $95,000 to $120,000 per year, based on experience. Benefits: medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k) with company match, 15 days of paid time off plus paid sick leave. Apply by November 15."

Common mistakes

Forgetting job boards and recruiters. In California, if you use a third party to post a job, you must give them the pay scale and they must include it. In Colorado, you are responsible for posts you pay someone else to publish.
Forgetting internal postings. Colorado, New York State, New York City and Virginia cover promotion and transfer postings, not only public ads.
Leaving benefits out in states that require them, or listing them in a way that is too vague.
Posting one national range for a role where pay is set by location.
Using an old posting template after a new state law took effect. Massachusetts and Vermont started in 2025, Maine and Virginia in 2026, and Delaware starts in 2027.

Keep a record of every post

Save a copy of each posting with the range you published and the pay you offered. Maryland requires employers to keep a record of compliance for each position for at least three years after it is filled, or three years from the posting date if it is not filled. Colorado requires records of wages and job descriptions. A clean record is also your best evidence that a range was set in good faith.

State-by-state details are on the state pages, including California, Colorado, New York and Washington.

Common questions

Do pay transparency laws apply if my company is based in another state?

Often yes. Most of these laws look at where the job is performed, including remote work, and New York City counts employees outside the city toward its four-employee threshold as long as one works in the city.

Can I pay more than the range I posted?

Yes, if the posted range was your honest expectation when you posted it. Colorado and Vermont both say final pay can fall outside the posted range, as long as the range was set in good faith.

Do I have to list benefits in the job post?

In Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington, yes, as a general description. New York City and Massachusetts require pay only, and DC requires healthcare benefits to be disclosed before the first interview.

Does an internal promotion posting need a range?

In several places, yes. Colorado, New York State, New York City and Virginia cover internal postings. Hawaii does not require a range for internal transfers or promotions.

Sources

Last reviewed October 2, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and exceptions apply, so check the sources above or an employment lawyer before you act on a specific case.