Ever since Colorado enacted the nation’s first law requiring employers to disclose salary compensation and employee benefits in job postings, a wave of states and multiple municipalities have followed suit.

While each jurisdiction generally requires employers to provide an estimated pay range on job postings or advertisements, the laws often vary with respect to their coverage and the scope of the information employers must disclose. This blog summarizes the latest pay transparency requirements that have already taken effect in 2025 or will take effect later this year.

Illinois

Effective January 1, 2025, an amendment to the state’s Equal Pay Act (EPA) requires employers with at least 15 employees in Illinois to disclose the pay scale, benefits, and other compensation information in job postings for positions that either:

  • Will be performed partly or wholly in Illinois; or
  • Report to a supervisor, office, or worksite in Illinois.

If the compensation and benefit information for a role was not previously disclosed on a job posting, all employers, regardless of size, must disclose such information (a) at an applicant’s request, and (b) before any offer or discussion of compensation with the applicant. Employers have an opportunity to cure first time (within 14 days) and second time (within seven (7) days) offenses to avoid a penalty. The Illinois Department of Labor updated its EPA guidance earlier this year to reflect the new pay transparency law’s coverage and requirements.

Minnesota

Minnesota’s new pay transparency law took effect on January 1, 2025. As we previously explained here, private and city employers with at least 30 employees in the state must include a pay range and description of benefits and compensation in job postings. The law does not provide specific penalties for non-compliance, but authorizes the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry and the Attorney General to investigate potential violations and enforce the law. The pay transparency law took effect one year after Minnesota’s salary history ban, which prohibits employers from requesting applicants’ previous salary information.

New Jersey

As we explained here, New Jersey’s new pay transparency requirements took effect on June 1, 2025. Employers are covered if they:

  • Have at least 10 employees over a span of 20 calendar weeks; and
  • Do business, employ individuals, or accept employment applications in New Jersey.

New Jersey’s law also generally covers temporary help service firms and consulting firms.

Covered employers must disclose pay ranges and a description of all benefits and compensation in any job posting, including internal transfers. The New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development issued guidance that summarizes the law’s coverage and requirements, when the new requirements took effect in June, but has yet to publish formal regulations.

Vermont

Under a pay transparency law that became effective July 1, 2025 (as we first reported here), all Vermont employers with at least five employees—including at least one based in Vermont—must disclose salary and compensation details in job postings for both new hires and internal promotions. Covered employers’ current employees must also be provided the salary range of their present positions upon request. Notably, the law also covers employees in remote positions that will predominately perform work for a workplace that is located in Vermont. The law is enforced exclusively by Vermont’s Attorney General, which may impose civil penalties or restitution of wages. On December 31, 2024, the Attorney General published guidance regarding key elements of the law.

Cleveland, Ohio

In April 2025, the City of Cleveland passed the most expansive pay equity law in Ohio thus far, which we discussed here. Effective October 27, 2025, employers with at least 15 employees working in Cleveland will be:

  • Banned from inquiring about applicants’ salary histories or basing employment decisions solely on an applicant’s salary history; and
  • Required to disclose the salary range, benefits, and any other compensation on new job postings.

Employers found by the city’s Fair Employment Wage Board to have violated the law will have 90-days to cure to avoid civil penalties.

Massachusetts

As we previously reported, starting on October 29, 2025, employers with at least 25 employees in Massachusetts must disclose pay ranges in every job posting and to employees offered a promotion or internal transfer. Subsequent guidance from the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General clarifies that the pay transparency requirements apply to both (i) positions that can be performed remotely within the state and (ii) out-of-state remote workers whose primary workplace is in Massachusetts. Employees may also request and must be provided salary ranges for their current position or any position for which they apply.

The Massachusetts Attorney General is responsible for enforcing the law. Until October 29, 2027, covered employers that receive a Notice to Cure letter will have two (2) business days to remedy defects to avoid penalties.

Additionally, the law requires employers with 100 or more employees, and which are required to submit federal EEO-1 reports, to submit the reports to the Commonwealth as well.

Washington

In 2023, Washington expanded its Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA) to require employers with at least 15 total employees, and one Washingtonian employee, to include pay ranges in job postings. However, the state recently enacted new amendments that will take effect on July 27, 2025, which among other things:

  • Provide employers with an opportunity to correct pay disclosure violations that occur between July 27, 2025, and July 27, 2027;
  • Clarify available administrative and civil penalties and remedies, which are the exclusive remedies for violations of the pay disclosure law; and
  • Confirm that prospective plaintiffs may only seek relief by filing a complaint with the Department of Labor and Industry or filing a civil claim.

See our blog post here for additional details.

Looking Forward to 2026

To date, 15 states and the District of Columbia have statewide and/or local laws requiring employers to provide information in job postings regarding the compensation and benefits available for the position. As pay transparency continues to trend nationally, this blog will provide updates on any new laws, amendments, or legislative developments in the coming months.

* * * *

Taylor Justice, a Summer Associate (not admitted to the practice of law) in Epstein Becker Green’s Columbus office, contributed to the preparation of this post.

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