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COMPLIANCE · Updated June 19, 2026

Pay transparency laws checklist: a US state-by-state guide

What every talent team needs in a job description to stay compliant with US salary disclosure laws — for 15 states and counting. Updated for 2026.

This guide is informational and not legal advice. Confirm specifics with employment counsel before posting.

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Federal context

There is no federal pay-disclosure law in 2026. Pay transparency is regulated state-by-state (and in some cities), but the federal Equal Pay Act, Title VII, and the EEOC's pay-data collection still apply nationwide. The Salary Transparency Act (H.R. 1599) has been re-introduced but is not law.

Practically: if you hire across multiple states, the most restrictive state's rule is usually the safest baseline for every posting.

State-by-state rules

Quick reference for the 15 US jurisdictions with active salary disclosure requirements. Click into each for the JD-level requirement and extras you'll need to handle.

California CA

EFFECTIVE · Jan 1, 2023 (SB 1162)

APPLIES TO
Employers with 15+ employees, with at least one in California.
JD REQUIREMENT
Pay scale (min–max base wage or salary) must appear in every job posting, including roles posted by third-party sites.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • Pay scale must be disclosed to current employees on request.
  • Annual pay-data reports required for employers with 100+ employees.
  • Records of job title and wage history kept for the duration of employment + 3 years.

Colorado CO

EFFECTIVE · Jan 1, 2021 (Equal Pay for Equal Work Act); expanded Jan 1, 2024

APPLIES TO
Employers with at least one Colorado-based employee.
JD REQUIREMENT
Postings must include hourly or salary compensation (or range), a general description of bonuses/commissions/benefits, and the application deadline.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • Promotional and internal opportunities must be announced to all employees in advance.
  • Post-selection notice required within 30 days, including the selected candidate's name and how to express interest in similar future roles.

New York State NY

EFFECTIVE · Sep 17, 2023 (S.1326)

APPLIES TO
Employers with 4+ employees for any role that will be performed in New York (including remote roles reporting to a NY office).
JD REQUIREMENT
Postings must include the minimum and maximum annual salary or hourly range the employer in good faith believes it would pay, plus the job description if one exists.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • Applies to promotions and transfer opportunities.
  • Records of compensation ranges and job descriptions must be retained.

New York City NYC

EFFECTIVE · Nov 1, 2022 (Local Law 32)

APPLIES TO
Employers with 4+ employees, at least one of whom works in NYC.
JD REQUIREMENT
Postings for any role that can or will be performed in NYC must include a good-faith minimum and maximum annual salary or hourly wage.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • Covers promotions and transfer opportunities.
  • Independent contractors counted toward employee threshold.

Washington WA

EFFECTIVE · Jan 1, 2023 (SB 5761)

APPLIES TO
Employers with 15+ employees (counted globally) hiring for roles that could be performed in Washington.
JD REQUIREMENT
Postings must disclose the wage scale or salary range and a general description of benefits and other compensation.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • Applies to remote roles that Washington-based employees could fill.
  • Class actions and statutory damages of $100–$5,000 per violation are available to applicants and employees.

Illinois IL

EFFECTIVE · Jan 1, 2025 (HB 3129)

APPLIES TO
Employers with 15+ employees.
JD REQUIREMENT
Postings must include pay scale and benefits for roles that will be performed at least partially in Illinois or that report to an Illinois supervisor/office.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • Promotion opportunities must be announced to current employees within 14 days of an external posting.
  • Records retained for 5 years.

Maryland MD

EFFECTIVE · Oct 1, 2024 (Wage Range Transparency Act)

APPLIES TO
All employers with a role performed at least in part in Maryland.
JD REQUIREMENT
Public and internal postings must disclose wage range, general benefits description, and any other compensation offered.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • Records of compliance retained for at least 3 years after the position is filled or, if not filled, the posting is taken down.

Connecticut CT

EFFECTIVE · Oct 1, 2021 (HB 6380)

APPLIES TO
All employers.
JD REQUIREMENT
Employers must disclose the wage range to applicants no later than the time an offer is made (and earlier if requested).
ALSO REQUIRED
  • Current employees must be told the wage range when they change positions or on first request.

Rhode Island RI

EFFECTIVE · Jan 1, 2023 (Pay Equity Act amendments)

APPLIES TO
All employers.
JD REQUIREMENT
Wage range must be provided to applicants on request and before any compensation discussion, and to employees at hire and when moving roles.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • No mandatory disclosure on the posting itself, but on-request disclosure is enforced.

New Jersey NJ

EFFECTIVE · Jun 1, 2025 (S.2310)

APPLIES TO
Employers with 10+ employees over 20 calendar weeks doing business in NJ.
JD REQUIREMENT
Internal and external postings must disclose hourly wage or salary (or range) and a general description of benefits and other compensation.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • Promotion opportunities must be made known to current employees in the affected department prior to making a promotion decision.

Washington, D.C. DC

EFFECTIVE · Jun 30, 2024 (Wage Transparency Omnibus Amendment)

APPLIES TO
Employers with at least one DC-based employee.
JD REQUIREMENT
Postings must include the projected minimum and maximum salary or hourly pay for the role.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • Healthcare benefits must be disclosed to applicants before the first interview.
  • Employers may not screen applicants based on wage history.

Hawaii HI

EFFECTIVE · Jan 1, 2024 (SB 1057)

APPLIES TO
Employers with 50+ employees.
JD REQUIREMENT
Postings must disclose an hourly rate or salary range that reasonably reflects the actual expected compensation.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • Internal transfers/promotions and position-specific postings are exempt.

Minnesota MN

EFFECTIVE · Jan 1, 2025 (HF 5247)

APPLIES TO
Employers with 30+ employees.
JD REQUIREMENT
Postings must include the starting salary range and a general description of benefits and other compensation, including any bonuses, expected over the role's first year.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • A fixed pay rate is acceptable if no range exists.

Massachusetts MA

EFFECTIVE · Jul 31, 2025 (Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act)

APPLIES TO
Employers with 25+ employees in Massachusetts.
JD REQUIREMENT
Postings must include the pay range for the role; employees moving into a new position must be told the pay range for that position.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • Employers with 100+ employees in MA must submit annual EEO-style wage data reports starting Feb 1, 2025.

Vermont VT

EFFECTIVE · Jul 1, 2025 (Act 155)

APPLIES TO
Employers with 5+ employees, for roles open to Vermont applicants.
JD REQUIREMENT
Postings must include the compensation or compensation range, and disclose if the role is commission- or tip-based.
ALSO REQUIRED
  • Applies to internal and external postings.

JD compliance checklist

Run this before any role goes live. RoleHive applies the same checks automatically when generating or refining a job description.

  • Identify every state your role could be performed in (including remote candidates).
  • Decide a good-faith pay range with HR and the hiring manager before posting.
  • Add the pay range, benefits summary, and other compensation (bonus, equity, commission) to the JD body, not just an internal field.
  • Include any state-specific extras: application deadline (CO), benefits before interview (DC), promotion notice windows (CO, IL, NJ).
  • Mirror the same disclosures on third-party boards (LinkedIn, Indeed, Greenhouse, Lever, Workday).
  • Retain the posting, range justification, and JD for the longest applicable record period (CA: tenure + 3y, MD: 3y, IL: 5y).
  • Announce internal promotion/transfer opportunities where required and document the notification.
  • Audit live postings monthly — laws keep expanding and ranges drift.

FAQ

Do pay transparency laws apply to remote roles?

Yes. Most state laws (CA, CO, NY, WA, IL, NJ, MD) apply when a role could be performed in that state, which includes remote roles that any in-state employee could fill. The safest default is to include a pay range on every posting where you accept candidates from a covered state.

What counts as a 'good-faith' pay range?

It's the minimum and maximum your company actually expects to pay for the role at hire, based on the level, location, and skills. Ranges that span the entire band (e.g. $40k–$400k) have already triggered penalties in NYC and Washington enforcement actions.

Do these laws apply to internal promotions and transfers?

In Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York City — yes. Internal opportunities must be posted or announced with the same compensation disclosures as external roles.

What are the penalties for non-compliance?

Penalties range from $500 per posting (CO, NYC first violations) to $10,000+ per violation in Washington class actions. Several states also allow private rights of action by applicants and employees.

How does RoleHive help?

RoleHive generates job descriptions with state-aware compliance checks built in — pay range, benefits summary, and required disclosures are validated before the JD is approved or exported to your ATS.

— Don't audit JDs by hand —

Ship pay-transparency-ready JDs in minutes.

RoleHive bakes state-by-state pay disclosure rules into every JD — so legal, talent, and the hiring manager approve the same draft.