U.S. Pay Transparency Laws by State and Locality
Review current, enacted and proposed pay transparency laws in US states and localities.
Published: 23 May 2024 | Updated: 2 August 2024 | by Emily Scace
In an effort to advance pay equity, a growing number of states and localities have enacted pay transparency laws. These laws typically require employers to share the pay range for a position with applicants, either in the job posting or during the interview and hiring process. In some cases, employers also have to give current employees the right to learn the pay range for their role.
The charts below provide a snapshot of current, enacted and proposed pay transparency laws in US states and localities.
Enacted Laws
The following states and localities have a pay transparency law that has been signed into law.
Jurisdiction | Covered Employers | Pay Range Required in Job Postings? | Requirements |
---|---|---|---|
California | Employers with 15 or more employees | Yes | – Include pay range in any job posting and provide to an applicant upon reasonable request – Provide pay range for employee’s current position upon request |
Colorado | Employers with at least one employee in Colorado | Yes | – Include pay range in any job posting, along with a general description of benefits and other compensation – List the date a job application window is expected to close Inform all employees of internal job opportunities on the same day and prior to making a selection decision – Share information about selected candidates and how employees may express interest in similar roles within 30 days of the new hire’s start date – Share details about regular career progression paths, and associated pay and benefits for each step, with eligible employees |
Connecticut | All employers in Connecticut with at least one employee | No | – Disclose pay range to an applicant upon request or before making an offer of compensation, whichever is earlier |
District of Columbia (Effective June 30, 2024) | All employers with at least one employee in the District of Columbia, except for the DC and federal governments | Yes | – Include minimum and maximum projected salary or hourly pay in all postings advertising a job, promotion or transfer opportunity – Disclose the existence of healthcare benefits to prospective employees before the first interview – Post a notice in the workplace informing employees of their rights under the pay transparency law |
Hawaii | Employers with 50 or more employees | Yes | – Include an hourly rate or salary range that reasonably reflects expected compensation in job listings Note: Internal job postings for promotions or transfers are excluded and need not include a pay range. |
Illinois (Effective January 1, 2025) | Job posting requirements: Employers with 15 or more employees Other requirements: All employers | Yes | – Include a pay scale and benefits description in any posting for a specific position (employers with 15+ employees only) – Announce, post or otherwise notify current employees of promotion opportunities within 14 days of making an external job posting for the position – Inform applicants of the pay scale and benefits for a position upon request and prior to discussing compensation, if a public or internal posting with the information has not been made available |
Maryland | All employers in Maryland | Current law: No Effective October 1, 2024: Yes | Current law: Provide job applicants with the pay range for the position for which the individual applied Effective October 1, 2024: Include a wage range and general description of benefits and other compensation in any posting for a job that will be physically performed at least partly in Maryland. |
Massachusetts (Effective July 31, 2025) | Employers with 25 or more employees in Massachusetts | Yes | – Include a pay range in any advertisement or job posting intended to recruit applicants for a specific role. – Share a pay range with an employee upon request for their current role, and with applicants upon request for a role to which they are applying. – Share a pay range with an employee offered a promotion or transfer to a new position with different job responsibilities. |
Minnesota (Effective January 1, 2025) | Employers with 30 or more employees in Minnesota | Yes | Include a starting salary range and description of benefits and other compensation in any job posting. |
Nevada | All employers in Nevada | No | – Provide job applicants who have completed an interview (including for a promotion or transfer) with pay range for the position |
New Jersey – Jersey City | Employers with at least five employees within Jersey City | Yes | – Include pay range in any ad for a job, promotion or transfer opportunity |
New York | Employers with four or more employees | Yes | – Include pay range and job description in any ad for a job, promotion or transfer opportunity performed at least partly in New York or reporting to a New York-based office, supervisor or other work site |
New York – Albany County | Employers with four or more employees | Yes | – Include pay range in any ad for a job, promotion or transfer opportunity |
New York – Ithaca | Employers with four or more employees whose standard work locations are in the city of Ithaca | Yes | – Include pay range in any ad for a job, promotion or transfer opportunity |
New York – New York City | Employers with four or more employees | Yes | – Include pay range in any ad for a job, promotion or transfer opportunity that can or will be performed at least partly in New York City |
New York – Westchester County | Employers with four or more employees | Yes | – Include pay range in any ad for a job, promotion or transfer opportunity required to be performed at least partly in Westchester County |
Ohio – Cincinnati | Employers with 15 or more employees | No | – Provide pay range to applicants who have received a conditional job offer upon reasonable request |
Ohio – Toledo | Employers with 15 or more employees | No | – Provide pay range to applicants who have received a conditional job offer upon reasonable request |
Rhode Island | All employers in Rhode Island | No | – Provide applicant with pay range for the position to which they have applied, upon request and before discussing compensation – Provide employees with a pay range for the employee’s position at time of hire, upon request and when the employee moves into a new position |
Vermont (Effective July 1, 2025) | Employers with five or more employees | Yes | Include a pay range in any written advertisement for a position that is physically located in Vermont, or a remote role that will predominately perform work for a Vermont-based office or work location. |
Washington | Employers with 15 or more employers | Yes | – Include pay range and general description of benefits and other compensation in any job posting – Provide pay range upon request to an employee offered an internal transfer or promotion |
Proposed Laws
Pay transparency legislation has been proposed in the following jurisdictions.
Jurisdiction | Proposed Pay Transparency Law |
---|---|
Indiana | H.B. 1046 would require employers to include a pay range in each posting for a job, promotion or transfer opportunity and provide employees with the pay range for their role upon hire, transfer, promotion and the employee’s request. |
Maine | H.B. 583 would require employers with 10 or more employees to include a pay range in job postings; smaller employers would be required to disclose a pay range to an applicant upon request. All employers would be required to disclose a pay range for a current employee’s position to that employee upon request. |
Michigan | H.B. 5619 would require employers to create a job description for each role that includes salary information and share the job description with an applicant during the recruiting process and with an employee upon request. |
New Jersey | S. 2310 / A. 4151 would require employers with 10 or more employees to include a pay range and a general description of benefits and other compensation in any job posting. |
Pennsylvania | S.B. 601 would require employers with 15 or more employees to provide a pay range to applicants and candidates for internal transfers and promotions. Employers would also be required to provide employees with a the pay range for their role upon hire and annually thereafter. |
West Virginia | H.B. 4272 would require employers to provide a pay range and description of benefits and other compensation to an applicant upon request and prohibit employers from inquiring into an applicant’s salary history. |
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About the author
Emily Scace, JD
Senior Legal Editor, Brightmine
Emily Scace has more than a decade of experience in legal publishing. As a member of the Brightmine editorial team, she covers topics including employment discrimination and harassment, pay equity, pay transparency and recruiting and hiring.
Emily holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in English and psychology from Northwestern University. Prior to joining Brightmine, she was a senior content specialist at Simplify Compliance. In that role, she covered a variety of workplace health and safety topics, was the editor of the OSHA Compliance Advisor newsletter, and frequently delivered webinars on key issues in workplace safety.