BridgeWorks
A job seeker walked into one of our career services sessions last week with a question that comes up more and more often: "If a company has to post the salary range, why does this listing just say sixty thousand to two hundred thousand?"
That question gets to the heart of where pay transparency law actually sits in 2026. The momentum is real, the patchwork of rules is wider than most people realize, and the loopholes are real too. Here is a working guide for anyone navigating a job search this year.
Where the Laws Actually Apply
Pay transparency requirements are not federal. They are a growing collection of state and city laws, and the details vary in ways that matter.
By early 2026, the following states require some form of salary range disclosure in most job postings: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. The District of Columbia and several major cities including Cincinnati, Jersey City, and Toledo have their own ordinances on top of state law.
If a job is remote and could be performed from one of these jurisdictions, the law generally still applies, even if the employer is headquartered elsewhere. This is one of the most under-appreciated parts of the new rules: it means a worker in a non-disclosure state can often see ranges on roles posted by employers in disclosure states.
What "Salary Range" Actually Means
Most of these laws require a "good faith" range. In practice, that means employers have to publish what they reasonably believe they will pay for the role. They cannot legally post a range so wide that it provides no useful information.
That said, "wide" is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Several states have begun investigating ranges that span two or three times their lower bound. New York's Department of Labor has been particularly active here, with multiple recent settlements.
If you see a posting with a six-figure spread on what looks like a single mid-level role, that is worth flagging. You can report obviously bad-faith ranges to the relevant state labor agency. You do not have to be the candidate or even an applicant. Anyone can file.
Common Gaps to Watch For
A few patterns turn up often enough that they are worth naming.
Range without context. A "$70,000 to $95,000" range is meaningful. A "$45,000 to $180,000" range tells you almost nothing. Treat extremely wide ranges as red flags about either the employer's pay practices or their internal clarity about the role.
Base salary only. Most laws cover base pay. They do not always require disclosure of bonuses, equity, commissions, or benefits. For sales, finance, and tech roles, the variable component can be a significant share of total compensation, and you will need to ask directly.
Geographic carve-outs. Some employers post a range for the highest-paying market and apply geographic adjustments later. If you see "this role's salary range applies to NYC; other locations may vary," ask what the adjustment looks like before you go far in the process.
Internal versus posted roles. Most laws apply to externally posted positions. Internal job ladders often remain opaque, which means existing employees frequently know less about their own org chart's pay than outside applicants do.
How to Use Disclosed Ranges in Your Search
For people we work with at BridgeWorks, the disclosed range is most useful as a screening tool. A few practical applications:
Filter early. If a posted range falls below what you need to make ends meet, skip the application. You are not being picky. You are being efficient.
Anchor your ask. When the role does not require it, you do not have to share your previous salary first. You can simply note that the posted range is acceptable, or that you would expect to be in the upper half of it given your specific experience.
Spot pay compression. If a senior role is posted in the same range as a mid-level role at the same company, that often signals that internal promotions do not come with significant raises. Worth asking about during interviews.
Track changes. Many job boards now show salary history on individual postings. If a role was posted at $85,000 in January and is reposted at $78,000 in March, the labor market for that skill is softening. That is useful market intelligence, and it is publicly visible.
Where the Movement Is Headed
A few additional states have transparency bills moving through their legislatures this session, including Michigan and Pennsylvania. The federal Salary Transparency Act has been reintroduced but is unlikely to advance in the near term. The trend line, however, is clearly toward more disclosure, not less.
For job seekers, the practical takeaway is simple: pay transparency rules give you information that, until very recently, you would have had to guess at. Use it. Compare ranges across employers. Ask informed questions. Walk away from postings that obviously do not meet your needs.
If you are looking for help reading a specific listing, evaluating an offer, or preparing for a salary conversation, our career services team runs walk-in hours every Wednesday and Friday. Bring the listing. We will read it with you.
