Quick answer
- Pay transparency laws by state: as of November 12, 2026, 14 states plus Washington, D.C. require pay information in job postings: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Delaware is enacted but starts September 26, 2027.
- Most laws require the minimum and maximum pay you honestly expect to pay. About half also require a general description of benefits and other compensation. Size thresholds run from none at all to 50 employees.
- If you hire anywhere in these states, or post a remote job they can see, put a good-faith range and a benefits line on every posting. The copyable block below does it.
Pay transparency laws by state now cover most of the country’s largest labor markets, and the list grew again in 2026. Colorado started the wave in 2021. Since then California, Washington, New York, Hawaii, Maryland, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont and Massachusetts have added posting rules, and Virginia, Maine and Connecticut joined in 2026. These salary transparency laws all push the same direction: tell applicants what the job pays before they apply. This guide gives every state’s effective date, employer-size threshold, what to disclose and the penalties, then covers cities, remote jobs, salary history bans and how to write a range you can defend. This is general information, not legal advice. Check the agency link in each row or ask an employment attorney before you rely on it.
Pay transparency laws by state: the table
The table lists states with a pay range requirement for job postings, in the order they took effect. Each row was checked against the state agency page, the statute or the bill’s official record where we could reach one; where a detail comes only from a law-firm summary, the note below the table says so. Penalty amounts change, so treat them as a guide to how seriously a state enforces the rule, and confirm with the agency.
| State | Effective | Who is covered | What you must disclose | Penalties and enforcement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | Jan 1, 2021; amended Jan 1, 2024 (SB 23-105) | Employers with at least one employee in Colorado | Pay range for each opening (or the actual pay), a general description of benefits and bonuses, and the application deadline. Internal openings must be announced to all employees. Remote jobs that could be done from Colorado are covered. | Fines of $500 to $10,000 per violation. Enforced by the Colorado Division of Labor Standards and Statistics (CDLE); the original act is on leg.colorado.gov. |
| California | Jan 1, 2023 (SB 1162); SB 642 changes Jan 1, 2026 | Employers with 15 or more employees, at least one in California | A good-faith estimate of the pay range you reasonably expect to pay upon hire, in the posting. Third-party postings are covered. Applicants can ask for the pay scale; current employees can ask for the scale for their own position. | $100 to $10,000 per violation, with the first violation waived if you cure it. Enforced by the Labor Commissioner (DIR). |
| Washington | Jan 1, 2023; amended 2025 | Employers with 15 or more employees | The wage scale or salary range (or the fixed wage if that is all you offer), plus a general description of all benefits and other compensation. Employees offered an internal promotion or transfer can ask for the same information. | Statutory damages of $100 to $5,000 per violation, civil penalties up to $500 (first) and $1,000 (repeat). Applicants can sue. For postings through July 27, 2027 you get five business days to fix a posting after written notice. Enforced by Labor and Industries. |
| New York State | Sept 17, 2023 | Employers with 4 or more employees | A good-faith minimum and maximum salary or hourly range, plus the job description if one exists, for jobs, promotions and transfers. Commission-based roles must be identified as such. | Complaints go to the NYS Division of Labor Standards (NYS DOL). One tracker lists civil penalties up to $3,000; confirm with the agency. |
| Hawaii | Jan 1, 2024 (Act 203) | Employers with 50 or more employees | The hourly rate or salary range you reasonably expect to pay, in postings. | No separate fine in the statute. Complaints go to the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission (HCRC), and private suits are available under state law. |
| Maryland | Oct 1, 2024 | All employers | The wage range, and a general description of benefits and other compensation. | A warning for a first violation, then $300 per violation (Maryland Department of Labor). |
| Illinois | Jan 1, 2025 | Employers with 15 or more employees | The pay scale (wage or salary range) and a description of benefits, including in third-party postings. Promotion opportunities must be made known to current employees within 14 calendar days after the external posting. | Tiered civil penalties of $500, $2,500 and $10,000 for repeat violations, with a cure period for first offenses. Enforced by the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL). |
| Minnesota | Jan 1, 2025 | Employers with 30 or more employees at one or more Minnesota sites | The starting salary range (minimum and maximum, based on a good-faith estimate; it may not be open ended), plus a general description of benefits and other compensation. Say so if the pay is a fixed rate. | Enforced by the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI); we did not find dollar amounts in the statute. |
| New Jersey | June 1, 2025 | Employers with 10 or more employees over 20 calendar weeks | The wage range and a general description of benefits and other compensation. Employers must also make reasonable efforts to announce promotions to current employees. | $300 for a first violation, $600 for each later one. Enforced by the NJ Department of Labor; no private suit. |
| Vermont | July 1, 2025 | Employers with 5 or more employees | The minimum and maximum pay you in good faith expect to pay. Commission-only roles must say so; tipped roles must state the base wage. | Enforced by the Vermont Attorney General (AGO); we did not confirm a dollar penalty. |
| Massachusetts | Oct 29, 2025 | Employers with 25 or more employees | The annual salary or hourly range you reasonably and in good faith expect to pay, in internal and external postings, including those placed by recruiters. Employees offered a new position and applicants can ask for the range. | Enforced by the Attorney General (mass.gov): a warning first, then fines up to $500 and $1,000. A two-business-day cure period applies through Oct 29, 2027. |
| Delaware | Sept 26, 2027 (signed Sept 26, 2025) | Employers with more than 25 employees | The salary or wage range and a general description of benefits, in postings and available to applicants before any offer. Employers keep job descriptions and wage rate records for at least three years. | The Department of Labor can bring an administrative action. A warning first, then $500 to $10,000 per violation, per one law-firm summary (bill record). |
Details to check before you rely on a row: the California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota, Vermont, Massachusetts and Delaware penalty figures and the Hawaii and Massachusetts coverage rules come from law-firm and tracker summaries, not the agency page. The Colorado, Washington, Maryland and Delaware rows were confirmed on the official statute or bill pages.
New laws in 2026: Virginia, Maine and Connecticut
Three states started posting rules this year, and they are easy to miss because they landed in July and October. The table below lists what we could confirm. Oregon, Rhode Island and other states you may see on blogs are not listed as posting-range states: we found no Oregon law requiring ranges in postings (its 2026 change, SB 906, is about explaining pay after hire), so do not treat it as enacted.
| State | Effective | Who is covered | What you must disclose | Penalties and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia (SB 215 and HB 636) | July 1, 2026 | Any employer doing business in Virginia, no size minimum | A good-faith wage, salary or compensation range in every public and internal posting for a job, promotion or transfer. Benefits are not required. | The Attorney General can seek up to $1,000 for a first violation and $5,000 for later ones. Employees and applicants can sue within one year. Fix a flagged posting within 15 days of notice and you avoid liability. |
| Maine (HP0018) | July 29, 2026 | Employers with 10 or more employees | A pay range in every posting, including those placed through third parties. Current employees can ask for the range for their own position. Commission-only roles must say so. Keep pay history records for three years after separation. | Enforced by the Maine Department of Labor; we did not find penalty amounts. |
| Connecticut (HB 5003, Public Act 26-12) | Oct 1, 2026 | All employers | The wage or wage range and a general description of benefits in internal and public postings. Connecticut already required a range on request and before an offer. | Private suits within two years; the Labor Commissioner can issue regulations, so watch for guidance. |
These three rows come from law-firm summaries of the enacted bills, and sources describe the Virginia cure window slightly differently (15 days versus 15 business days), so read the agency page before you rely on it. The District of Columbia has also required ranges in postings since mid-2024.
City and county pay transparency laws
A few localities add their own rules, and some apply even where the state has none. If you hire in these places, follow the stricter of the local and state rule.
| Place | Effective | Who is covered | What it requires |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | Nov 1, 2022 | 4 or more employees, one in NYC | Good-faith minimum and maximum pay in postings for jobs, promotions and transfers. Penalties can reach $250,000 for uncorrected violations, with a 30-day first-time cure, per a tracker summary. |
| Westchester County, NY | Nov 6, 2022 | 4 or more employees | Minimum and maximum salary in postings for work wholly or partly in the county, including remote roles. One firm notes there is no cure period. |
| Ithaca, NY | Sept 1, 2022 | 4 or more employees with a standard work location in Ithaca | Salary range in postings. |
| Albany County, NY | Feb 12, 2023 | We could not confirm the size threshold | Pay range in postings. Check the county code. |
| Jersey City, NJ | 2022 | 5 or more employees, per a tracker | Minimum and maximum pay in postings. |
| Cincinnati, OH | March 2020 | 15 or more employees, per a tracker | Salary range on request after a conditional offer, not in the posting. |
| Toledo, OH | June 2020 | 15 or more employees, per a tracker | Salary range on request after a conditional offer, not in the posting. |
Local figures come from summaries, not each city’s code, so verify the threshold and the effective date with the city or county before you act. New York State’s 2023 law now covers most of the same New York employers. Westchester’s ordinance includes a clause that lets a substantially similar state law take over.
How to write a good-faith pay range
Every one of the pay transparency laws by state above asks for the same thing in different words: the pay you honestly expect to offer. A range you could not defend to a labor investigator is a risk. Use these steps.
- Start from your real pay structure. If the role has a pay band, post the band’s minimum and maximum for the people you would hire into it. If you hire at a set rate, post the fixed rate; California, Washington and Minnesota allow that, but Minnesota bars open-ended ranges such as “$17.50 and up.”
- Match it to what current staff earn. If your baristas earn $17.50 to $19.00 an hour, a posting for a barista at $17.50 to $19.00 is consistent. A posting at $14 to $30 is not. Wide ranges are one of the first things regulators and applicants challenge, and some agencies warn against them.
- Post it as hourly or annual pay. Hourly roles use an hourly rate; salaried roles use annual pay. Say “per hour” or “per year.” If tips, commission, bonuses or overtime are part of pay, say so, as Vermont requires for tipped and commission roles.
- Add the benefits line if the state wants it. Colorado, Washington, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey and Delaware require a general description of benefits or other compensation, such as paid time off, health coverage, retirement match, bonuses and tip pooling. General is enough: you do not have to list plan details.
- Review the range when you hire. If you pay outside the range you posted, document why, and check that your current staff in the same job are not paid below the minimum. Review the range again if you post the role months later. Our guide to minimum wage by state covers the floor your range must clear.
Remote jobs and multi-state hiring
The hardest question is whether a posting for a remote job triggers a state’s law. The answers differ, and several states have not said. What we found:
- Colorado covers remote jobs that could be done from Colorado, and listing a job “open anywhere except Colorado” does not avoid it, according to the state’s guidance as summarized by law firms.
- Delaware covers remote positions offered by Delaware-based employers when the law starts in 2027. Westchester County covers roles wholly or partly performed in the county, including remote ones.
- Massachusetts ties coverage to jobs whose primary place of work is in the state; Vermont covers Vermont-based roles and remote roles with a Vermont link; Connecticut ties it to roles performed in the state or tied to a Connecticut worksite.
- Virginia, Hawaii and others have not clearly said whether an out-of-state employer must post a range on a job that is not in the state, or whether out-of-state staff count toward the size threshold.
Across all pay transparency laws by state, the practical rule is this: if a remote role could be filled by someone living in a covered state, or you advertise it there, post the range. It costs nothing, and it keeps you out of the unclear cases. If your team hires across state lines, keep a single posting template with a pay range and a benefits line, and let your hiring tool carry it to every board.
Salary history bans
Pay transparency often comes with a ban on asking applicants what they earned before. California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Maryland, New Jersey and many other states restrict salary history questions, and Virginia added its ban on July 1, 2026, along with a rule against refusing to hire someone who will not share it. Texas, where Northfield Coffee operates, has no statewide ban. Where bans apply, you generally may not ask about pay history or use it to set pay; many allow you to use salary information an applicant volunteers. A posted range plus a standard “What are your pay expectations?” question is the simplest way to stay compliant while negotiating. Check each state’s rule before you add either question to an application.
Copyable job posting block with pay range
Here is a posting block for a barista job at Northfield Coffee in Austin, Texas. The pay matches the shop’s staff rates ($17.50 to $19.00 an hour). Texas has no statewide posting law, but the shop might get applicants who live in a covered state, and a range on the posting is a good habit. Replace every [bracketed] item and delete the benefits you do not offer. Use the new hire paperwork guide and the job offer letter templates for the next steps once you pick someone.
What to do this week
- List the states where you hire, including remote hires and the states where your staff live. Match them to the table.
- Audit every open posting on job boards, your site and recruiter listings for a range and a benefits line.
- Fix your templates for every state on the list of pay transparency laws by state: use the posting block above, with a range that matches what current staff earn.
- Set a promotion process. Colorado, Illinois and a few others require you to tell current employees about openings and promotions. Post them internally, not just outside. Your onboarding flow can then collect the signed offer and forms once someone accepts.
- Drop salary history questions from applications and interview scripts.
- Keep records. Save the posting, the date and the range you published, and the pay you offered. Several states require pay and job description records for years.
Frequently asked questions
Which states have pay transparency laws in 2026?
States that require a pay range in job postings and are in effect as of November 12, 2026: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia and Washington, plus Washington, D.C. Delaware is enacted but starts September 26, 2027. Rules differ on size thresholds, so check each state.
Do pay transparency laws apply to remote jobs?
Often yes. Colorado covers remote roles that could be performed from the state, Vermont and Massachusetts tie coverage to a Vermont or Massachusetts connection, and Delaware covers remote jobs offered by Delaware employers. Several states are unclear. The safe approach for a job open to applicants in covered states is to post a good-faith range on the listing.
What counts as a good-faith salary range?
A good-faith range is the minimum and maximum you genuinely expect to pay for the job when you post it. California says the range you reasonably expect to pay upon hire. Minnesota bars open-ended ranges, and Massachusetts defines it as the range you reasonably and in good faith expect to pay. Do not stretch it to attract applicants.
Can I ask applicants for their salary history?
In many states you cannot. California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Washington and others restrict salary history questions, and Virginia added its ban on July 1, 2026. Where it is allowed, such as Texas, a pay range on your posting still lets you base pay on the job and the person’s skills instead of past pay.
What happens if my job posting leaves out the pay range?
It depends on the state. Penalties run from a written warning in Maryland and Delaware to $100 to $10,000 per violation in California and $500 to $10,000 in Colorado. Washington and Virginia allow applicants to sue, and several states give a short cure window if you fix the posting after written notice.
Does the law apply to small businesses?
Many laws have size thresholds: 4 employees in New York, 5 in Vermont, 10 in New Jersey and Maine, 15 in California, Washington and Illinois, 25 in Massachusetts, 30 in Minnesota and 50 in Hawaii. Colorado, Maryland, Connecticut and Virginia have no minimum size. Count employees the way each statute does, and check whether out-of-state staff are included.