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Ultimate Guide to Pay Transparency Laws by State

Picture of Neil Dickinson Neil Dickinson : Aug 27, 2025 9:15:00 AM

Pay Transparency Pay Transparency Law

Ultimate Guide to Pay Transparency Laws by State

Pay transparency laws are on the rise in the United States. Colorado led the charge on this initiative by implementing the first pay transparency state law in 2019 and many other states have followed since. While pay and salary was once considered a topic no one discussed, it is now gaining traction and requiring employers to be upfront and honest in job listings when it comes to disclosing salary ranges and benefits.

Both employers and employees are impacted by these laws. Employers who are in a state that has a pay transparency law must ensure all job postings, both internal and external, include the necessary information required by their state. Job seekers benefit from these laws because they can now view the salary range of a job before even applying. This can lead to better salary expectations and strong negotiating power from the employees since they know how high the salary range can go.

Overall, pay transparency laws lead to increased trust between both parties, improved morale, and a better reputation for employers.

What is Pay Transparency?

Let’s start with the basics. What are pay transparency laws? These laws require employers to disclose salary information to both external job seekers and internal employees. The goal of these laws is to foster transparency and create fairness and equitableness throughout your organization. Some typical things that need to be included in job postings for states that have pay transparency laws are:

Job Pay or Salary: The requirements for this can vary by state. Often, they require employers to post a pay range in their job description so job seekers can see the minimum and maximum salary for the position. Other states only require the salary disclosure after the first round of interviews.
Total Compensation and Benefits: Some states require employers to also include things like benefits, commission potential, bonuses, and more in job listings so job seekers can get a holistic view of the total compensation package with both the salary range and benefits included.

Pay transparency laws help to promote a fair and balanced workplace through pay equity and closing wage gaps. These laws are beneficial to both employees and employers alike. If you are a multi-state employer, download our State Pay Transparency Law Guide today to stay on top of regulatory requirements.

Pay Transparency Laws by State

As of August 2025, the following states have pay transparency laws:

State	Who it Effects	Requirements	Law Status
California	Employers with 15 or more employees based in California or employers based in other states but have 1 or more employees working in California	Include pay ranges in all job postings, whether in-person or remote Employers of any size must provide pay scale if their employee requests it	In Effect Learn More Here.
Colorado	Employers with operations in Colorado or have employees working in the state	Must disclose compensation ranges for all job postings, including internal promotions	In Effect Learn More Here.
Connecticut	Employers with 1 or more employee	Disclose the wage, wage range, and general description of benefits in internal and external posts for jobs, promotions, transfers, or other employment opportunities at the applicant’s request or prior to the time the applicant is made an offer Mandates equal pay for “comparable work”	In Effect
Hawaii	Employers with 50 or more employees	Must disclose an hourly rate or salary range in job listings Prohibits employers from discriminating against protected categories by paying employees less for similar work Employers with fewer than 50 people, has internal transfers or promotions, or has positions where salary is determined through collective bargaining are exempt from this law	In Effect
Illinois	Employers with 15 or more employees who are at least in part in Illinois or if the hired employee will report to a supervisor, office, or other worksite in Illinois	Must include the pay scale and benefit information in job postings Promotional opportunities must be announced no later than 14 calendar days to current employees after making an external post Records of job postings, pay ranges, and benefits must be kept for at least 5 years	In Effect Learn More Here.
Maryland	All public and private employers in Maryland	Must include compensation information like wage range, benefits, other compensation in job postings Records of wages, job classifications, and other employment conditions must be kept for 3 years after a position is filled or the job posting is made if the position remains unfilled	In Effect Learn More Here.
Massachusetts	Employers with 25 or more employees	Must include salary range in job postings Must provide this information to employees in certain circumstances such as promotions or transfers	Goes Into Effect: October 29, 2025 Learn More Here.
Minnesota	Employers with at least 30 employees or more at one or more sites	Must include starting salary range, benefits, other compensation, and the scope of the job in all job postings	In Effect Learn More Here.
Nevada	All employers	Employers are barred from asking wage or salary history of applicants Salary ranges must be disclosed after an interview has been completed for all job postings, transfers, and promotions	In Effect
New Jersey	Employers with at least 10 employees over 20 calendar weeks	Must include salary ranges and general benefits in internal and external job postings Employers must make an effort to announce promotion opportunities to employees in affected departments before making a promotion decision	In Effect Learn More Here.
New York	Employers with 4 or more employees	Must list compensation ranges for job listings, promotions, and transfer opportunities Must clarify if a position is commission based Prohibits employers from retaliating against employees or applicants who request this information	In Effect Learn More Here.
Rhode Island	All state employers	Must provide a pay range at the applicant’s request and before discussing compensation Employers must provide this information at the request of current employees Employers are not allowed to request an applicant’s salary history	In Effect
Vermont	Employers with at least 5 employees whose office is physically located in Vermont or have remote roles tied to a Vermont based office	Required to disclose the compensation range for any internal or external position Exceptions are made for commission-based or tipped positions	In Effect Learn More Here.
Washington	Employers with 15 or more employees	Must disclose salary ranges in all job postings Must be transparent about promotion opportunities Gender should not influence the compensation for similar roles Employees are allowed to freely discuss their wages without fear of retaliation Have five business days to change a posting to comply with requirements after receiving notice of a defective posting	In Effect
Washington, D.C.	All employers	Must provide a salary range in job listings Must disclose benefits before the first interview Prohibits employers from screening employees based on their wage history	In Effect

Best Practices for Employers

If you live in a state with a pay transparency law, you should be following all components of that law to reduce risk. If companies do not follow pay transparency laws, they are subject to significant financial penalties.

If you live in a state without a pay transparency law but want to start being proactive with your salary transparency, here are a few things you can start doing:

Conduct a pay equity audit to see if you have wage gaps and address those gaps
Implement a pay philosophy and salary structure that is fair for all employees
Include salary range and benefits information in your job postings

What State Pay Transparency Laws Mean for your Organization

Employers have a lot to juggle when it comes to pay transparency. Ensuring you stay compliant should be your top priority to mitigate risk and provide a transparent work environment for employees.

OutSolve has expertise in consulting on state pay transparency laws, state pay reporting and pay equity audits. If you have a question about what you should be doing or would like assistance in conducting an audit or creating a compensation structure, reach out to us today.

Neil Dickinson

Neil brings over 20 years of experience working with HR, Talent Acquisition, and Compensation teams across the country to build best-in-class compliance programs. Neil has worked directly with the OFCCP on hundreds of successful AAP Pay Equity Audits, supported clients in EEOC equal pay charges, and has also designed Pay Equity Analytics to provide federal contractors better visibility to pay gaps within their organizations. Neil regularly delivers training on Pay Equity and other compliance topics for SHRM, ILG, and other industry HR group events. Neil received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina and The University of Hull in England and his MBA from The Citadel.