Which States Require Salary Ranges on Job Postings in 2026?
TL;DR: As of 2026, Colorado, California, New York, Washington, Illinois, Hawaii, Minnesota, Vermont, New Jersey, and Massachusetts (effective late 2025) all require employers to disclose a salary range on job postings, along with several major cities like New York City, Jersey City, and Cincinnati. Coverage keeps expanding, so always check the posting's location, not just the employer's headquarters.
Why it matters
Pay transparency laws changed job search leverage. If a posting shows no range and the job is based in a covered state, that's itself worth asking about — and a strong signal to negotiate from data, not guesswork.
States with active pay transparency laws (2026)
| State | What's required |
|---|---|
| Colorado | Salary range and benefits summary on every posting |
| California | Pay scale required on job postings, 15+ employees |
| New York (state + NYC) | Minimum and maximum salary range required |
| Washington | Range plus benefits disclosure |
| Illinois | Pay scale and benefits, effective 2025 |
| Hawaii | Salary range required |
| Minnesota | Range required, effective 2025 |
| Vermont | Range required |
| New Jersey | Range and benefits, effective mid-2025 |
| Massachusetts | Range required for employers with 25+ employees, effective late 2025 |
Coverage is expanding almost every legislative session — always verify the current list for the job's actual work location, since remote postings often follow the candidate's state, not the employer's.
Step-by-step: use this when negotiating
- Check if the job's listed location is in a covered state — if so, the range is a legal floor and ceiling disclosure, not a suggestion.
- If no range is shown and the role is remote, ask HR directly which state's laws apply — remote workers in covered states are often still protected.
- Compare the posted range against real market data (Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, or a recruiter you trust) before your first offer conversation.
- Anchor your ask near the top third of the posted range, backed by specific experience that matches the job description.
FAQ
Does a posted range mean that's the actual budget? Usually yes within that band, but companies sometimes post wide ranges to stay compliant — use your specific fit to argue for the top of the range. What happens if a company doesn't comply? Enforcement varies by state, from fines to complaints filed with a state labor agency — job seekers can typically report violations directly. Do these laws apply to remote jobs? Often yes, if the employee will be working from a covered state, even if the company is headquartered elsewhere.
By Pinal Dave Last updated: 2026-08-03