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Where employers must list pay
Some states require employers to include a pay range in job postings. The rules differ by state, employer size and what counts as a job in the state. This page lists the states we count, each with its official source, and shows what postings look like where the law applies.
The short answer
- 13 places (12 states and the District of Columbia) require a range in the posting, and we count each below.
- Three more states require a range only on request or later in the process: Connecticut, Nevada, Rhode Island.
- In the October 2026 snapshot, 65.7% of postings in the largest cities of covered states list a range, against 24% in cities of states without a law.
- Laws usually apply to employers above a size and to jobs that could be done in the state, so a posting without a range is not always a violation. This is a reading aid, not legal advice.
States that require a range in the posting
| State | In force | Employers covered | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 2021-01-01 (recodified 2024-01-01) | all employers with Colorado staff | CDLE, C.R.S. 8-5-101 et seq. |
| California | 2023-01-01 (SB 642 amended 2026) | 15+ | Labor Code 432.3 |
| Washington | 2023-01-01 | 15+ | L&I policy ES.E.2 |
| New York | 2023-09-17 | 4+ | Labor Law 194-b |
| Hawaii | 2024-01-01 | 50+ | HRS 378-2.8, Act 203 |
| Maryland | 2024-10-01 | all | Division of Labor and Industry |
| District of Columbia | 2024-06-30 | all | Wage Transparency Omnibus Amendment Act, D.C. Law 25-138 |
| Illinois | 2025-01-01 | 15+ | IDOL |
| Minnesota | 2025-01-01 | 30+ | Minn. Stat. 181.173 |
| New Jersey | 2025-06-01 | 10+ | NJDOL |
| Vermont | 2025-07-01 | 5+ | Act 155, AG guidance |
| Massachusetts | 2025-10-29 | 25+ | Chapter 149 Section 105F, AG guidance |
| Maine | 2026-07-29 | 10+ | Maine Department of Labor, LD 54 |
Range on request or later
| State | Rule | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Range on applicant request or before an offer (in force 2021-10-01) | Public Act 21-30 |
| Nevada | Range after an interview | NRS 613.133 |
| Rhode Island | Range on request | R.I. Gen. Laws 28-6-22 |
What postings look like where the law applies
| Group of cities | Postings | Employers | List a range |
|---|---|---|---|
| States that require a range in the posting | 52,591 | 3,720 | 65.7% |
| States without a law | 32,645 | 2,209 | 24% |
| Range on request or later | 1,255 | 272 | 27.8% |
The same employers list pay more often where the law applies: among 329 employers with postings in both kinds of state, 59.5% of their postings list a range in covered states, against 24.7% elsewhere. The typical employer is only 4 points apart, and 171 of the 329 look similar in both, so the gap between the group averages comes mostly from a minority of employers and is not the effect of the law alone.
The comparison uses postings in the 100 largest US cities. It shows how often postings list a range, not whether employers comply. Source check of each row: 2026-10-09. Re-check a row on the state's own site before relying on it. Rules change.
What to do with this
- Applying in a covered state: expect a range in the posting. If it is missing, ask the employer, and look at the state's official page above.
- Applying to a remote job: check which states the employer hires in; the law that applies can depend on where you would work.
- Reading the range: see how to read a posted pay range.
Source: Second Summit, October 2026, from the open postings on employers' own career pages. Pay is the listed salary range, counted at its midpoint. Methodology
Browse open jobs by role and city, with the pay employers list and who is hiring.