In this series, we will explore some of the ways states vary from one another in their employment laws.

As of July 31, 2025, Massachusetts will enforce a new pay transparency law, and New Jersey’s pay transparency law went into effect on June 1, 2025, bringing the total number of states with pay transparency laws to 13 states plus the District of Columbia. Pay transparency laws typically require an employer to disclose the wage range and benefits for an available position.

Different jurisdictions have different employer coverage. California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Nevada, and Rhode Island employers are covered even if they have just one employee in the state. Conversely, Hawaii (50 employees), Illinois (15 employees), Massachusetts (25 employees), Minnesota (30 employees), New Jersey (10 employees), New York (four employees), and Washington (15 employees) employers are only covered if they have the requisite number of employees working in the state in question.

There are several minor differences in what information an employer is required to disclose from state to state. For example, in Illinois, any time a covered employer posts a job posting, it must include the pay scale and benefits for the position. Connecticut’s law is narrower in that an employer does not have to provide a pay scale unless an applicant requests it or receives a job offer.

Some, but not all, of the states with pay transparency laws prohibit employers from asking applicants about their salary history. A number of states, including some that do not otherwise require pay transparency, have prohibited employers from taking any adverse action against an employee for discussing their wages or asking about others’ wages. 

In short, there is a broad range of state laws regarding pay transparency and any employer should review applicable state law before posting a job opening.