New salary transparency laws are rolling out across the U.S.
As of Jan. 1, three new states — California, Rhode Island and Washington — joined the chorus of states, cities and counties enacting salary transparency laws intended to give workers more leverage to negotiate their earnings and close wage gaps.
For years now, new laws have passed that aim to protect job-seekers during the hiring process, such as by barring employers from asking about their salary history (which can keep underpaid workers from equitable pay). In 2021, Colorado paved the way with a new type of law that requires employers to proactively and publicly put their cards on the table: Companies were required to list salary ranges on job advertisements for work that could be done in the state.
Since then, additional states and localities have passed similar legislation, whiles others have laws that say employers must disclose the minimum and maximum pay to job candidates at some point in the hiring process.
All told, roughly 1 in 4 U.S. workers now live in a place where employers are required to share pay ranges by law, according to calculations from analysts at Payscale. Here’s a rundown of where salary transparency laws are currently in effect:
California
Who it applies to: Employers with 15 or more workers with at least one employee in California
Cincinnati, Ohio
Who it applies to: Employers with 15 or more workers in Cincinnati
Colorado
Who it applies to: Employers with at least one worker in Colorado
Connecticut
Who it applies to: Employers with at least one worker in Connecticut
Ithaca, New York
The law: Employers must list the salary range on all ads for any job, transfer or promotion opportunity.
Who it applies to: Employers with 4 or more workers in Ithaca
Jersey City, New Jersey
The law: Employers must list the salary range and description of benefits on all ads for any job, transfer or promotion opportunity.
Who it applies to: Employers with 5 or more workers and a principle place of business in Jersey City
Maryland
The law: Employers must share the salary range for a position if an applicant asks for it.
Who it applies to: Maryland employers
Nevada
Who it applies to: Nevada employers
New York City
Who it applies to: Employers with 4 or more workers and at least one in New York City
Rhode Island
Who it applies to: Rhode Island employers
Toledo, Ohio
Who it applies to: Employers with 15 or more workers in Toledo
Washington
Who it applies to: Employers that have 15 or more workers and at least one in Washington, engage in business in the state or are recruiting for jobs that could be filled remotely by someone in the state.