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  4. State by State: Salary History Bans and Pay Transparency Laws
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News

State by State: Salary History Bans and Pay Transparency Laws

Explore state and local salary history ban and pay transparency laws, alphabetically by state

December 27, 2023 | Roy Maurer



A growing number of states and localities prohibit employers from requesting salary information from job applicants and require employers to disclose the pay range for a position to applicants or employees. The laws are an effort to reduce pay inequity.

SHRM has tracked the states, cities and other jurisdictions that have passed such laws. What follows is a brief description of each law's requirements, its effective date and a link to the original statute.

Updated: AUG. 23, 2023

A-C  D-F  G-I  J-L  M-O  P-S  T-V  W-Z




State

Pay Equity Laws

Alabama

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: Sept. 1, 2019
Employers may not refuse to hire, interview, promote or employ a job applicant based on the applicant’s decision not to provide pay history.
Learn more

Alaska

None

Arizona

None

Arkansas

None

California

State & Local Laws

Statewide Law

Effective: Jan. 1, 2018
All private and public employers are banned from seeking a candidate’s pay history.
Learn more

Effective: Jan. 1, 2023
Employers with 15 or more employees must include pay ranges in all job postings, including job postings via third-party firms.
Learn more

San Francisco

Effective: July 1, 2018
All private and public employers are banned from seeking a candidate’s pay history.
Learn more

Colorado

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: Jan. 1, 2021
Employers may not ask about an applicant’s pay history, nor can they rely on pay history to determine wages.
Learn more

Effective: Jan. 1, 2021
All employers must disclose hourly or salary compensation, or a range of hourly or salary compensation, and a general description of all of the benefits and other compensation in all job postings.
Learn more

Connecticut

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: Jan. 1, 2019
Employers may not ask about an applicant’s pay history, unless it was voluntarily disclosed.
Learn more

Effective: Oct. 1, 2021
All employers must provide the pay range for a given position to job applicants by the earliest of the following dates: upon the applicant’s request, or either prior to or at the time of an offer being extended to the applicant. Employers also must provide the pay range for an employee’s position upon the employee’s hiring, a change in the employee’s position or an employee’s request for a pay range.
Learn more

Delaware

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: Dec. 14, 2017
Employers are prohibited from screening applicants based on past compensation and from asking about salary history. They may confirm that information after an offer is extended.
Learn more

District of Columbia

District Law

Districtwide Law

Effective: Nov. 17, 2017
District government agencies are prohibited from asking candidates for their salary history unless it is brought up by a candidate after an offer of employment is extended.
Learn more

Florida

None

Georgia

Local Law Only

Atlanta

Effective: Feb. 18, 2019
City agencies will not ask for salary history on employment applications.
Learn more

Hawaii

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: Jan. 1, 2019
Employers are prohibited from asking about applicants’ salary histories.
Learn more

Effective: Jan. 1, 2024
Employers must provide job applicants the hourly rate or salary range for advertised roles.
Learn more

Idaho

None

Illinois

State & Local Laws

Statewide Law

Effective: Sept. 29, 2019
Employers may not seek pay history including benefits or other compensation. Employers may discuss applicants’ pay expectations.
Learn more

Effective: Jan. 1, 2025
Employers with 15 or more employees must provide job applicants the hourly rate or salary range for advertised roles.
Learn more

Chicago

Effective: April 10, 2018
City departments may not ask for applicants’ salary histories.
Learn more

Indiana

None

Iowa

None

Kansas

None

Kentucky

Local Law Only

Louisville

Effective: May 17, 2018
City agencies may not ask for applicants’ salary histories.
Learn more

Louisiana

Local Law Only

New Orleans

Effective: Oct. 1, 2019
The city will not seek pay history, nor will it screen applicants based on their current or prior pay, compensation or other benefits.
Learn more

Maine

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: Sept. 17, 2019
Employers may not seek information about an applicant’s pay history until after a job offer has been made.
Learn more

Maryland

State & Local Laws

Statewide Law

Effective: Oct. 1, 2020
Employers may not seek pay history, but they may confirm salary history voluntarily provided by an applicant after an initial offer of employment is made.
Learn more

Effective: Oct. 1, 2020
All employers must provide an applicant with the pay range for the job for which the applicant applied.
Learn more

Montgomery County

Effective: Aug. 14, 2019
The county government will not rely on an applicant’s salary history as a factor in determining whether to hire the applicant or when setting pay.
Learn more

Massachusetts

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: July 1, 2018
Employers cannot request salary history information. They can confirm prior history if volunteered by the applicant or if an offer has been extended.
Learn more

Michigan

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: Jan. 8, 2019
State departments may not ask about a job applicant’s salary history until a conditional offer of employment is extended.
Learn more

Minnesota

None

Mississippi

Local Law Only

Jackson

Effective: June 13, 2019
City agencies are prohibited from inquiring about salary history.
Learn more

Missouri

Local Laws Only

Kansas City

Effective: Oct. 31, 2019
Employers with six or more employees may not ask for nor rely on job applicants’ salary history when deciding to offer employment, or in determining salary, benefits or other compensation during the hiring process.
Learn more

St. Louis

Effective: March 11, 2020
City departments may not inquire about applicants’ salary history.
Learn more

Montana

None

Nebraska

None

Nevada

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: Oct. 1, 2021
Employers may not seek pay history, nor may they refuse to hire, interview, promote or employ applicants who do not provide pay history.
Learn more

Effective: Oct. 1, 2021
All employers must provide the pay range or rate for a given position to job applicants who have completed an interview for a position, including for a promotion or transfer.
Learn more

New Hampshire

None

New Jersey

State & Local Laws

Statewide Law

Effective: Jan. 1, 2020
Employers may not screen applicants based on their pay history.
Learn more

Jersey City

Effective: April 13, 2022
All employers in the city with five or more employees must disclose the minimum and maximum salary, or hourly wage, and benefits for each job, promotion or transfer opportunity.
Learn more

New Mexico

None

New York

State & Local Laws

Statewide Law

Effective: Jan. 6, 2020
Employers may not seek pay history.
Learn more

Effective: Sept. 17, 2023
All employers with four or more employees must disclose pay or pay range for all jobs, promotions and transfer opportunities that can or will be performed, at least in part, in the state. The range may extend from the lowest to the highest hourly wage or salary that the employer in good faith believes at the time of the posting it would pay. The law does not cover advertisements for temporary employment at a temporary staffing firm.
Learn more

Albany County

Effective: Dec. 17, 2017
Employers are barred from requesting information about past compensation and benefits until after a job offer is made.
Learn more

Ithaca

Effective: Sept. 1, 2022
All employers in the city with four or more employees must disclose the minimum and maximum hourly or salary compensation for each job, promotion or transfer opportunity. The law does not cover advertisements for temporary employment at a temporary staffing firm.
Learn more

New York City

Effective: Oct. 31, 2017
Employers are prohibited from requesting information about job applicants’ previous pay or benefits.
Learn more

Effective: Nov. 1, 2022
All employers in the city with four or more employees must disclose the minimum and maximum salary or hourly wage for each job, promotion or transfer opportunity. The law does not cover jobs that will not be performed, at least in part, in the city.
Learn more

Suffolk County

Effective: June 30, 2019
Employers may not ask about a job applicant’s wage or salary history, including compensation and benefits.
Learn more

Westchester County

Effective: July 9, 2018
Employers may not request information about prospective employees' previous wages.
Learn more

Effective: Nov. 6, 2022
All employers in the county with four or more employees must disclose the minimum and maximum salary for each job, promotion or transfer opportunity. The law does not cover advertisements for temporary employment at a temporary staffing firm.
Learn more

North Carolina

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: April 2, 2019
State agencies may not request pay history information from applicants.
Learn more

North Dakota

None

Ohio

Local Laws Only

Cincinnati

Effective: March 1, 2020
Employers with 15 or more employees located within the city, and not including state and local government, except for the city, may not ask applicants about their salary history.
Learn more

Effective: March 1, 2020
Employers with 15 or more employees located within the city, and not including state and local government, except for the city, must provide the wage range for a given position to job applicants upon reasonable request, provided the applicant has been given a conditional offer of employment for the position.
Learn more

Columbus

Effective: March 1, 2024
Employers with at least 15 employees may not ask job applicants for their wage or salary history. Unlike Cincinnati and Toledo, the law does not require employers to share the pay scale for the position with applicants.
Learn more

Toledo

Effective: June 25, 2020
Employers with 15 or more employees located within the city, and not including state and local government, except for the city, may not ask applicants about their salary history.
Learn more

Effective: June 25, 2020
Employers with 15 or more employees located within the city, and not including state and local government, except for the city, must provide the wage range for a given position to job applicants upon reasonable request, provided the applicant has been given a conditional offer of employment for the position.
Learn more

Oklahoma

None

Oregon

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: Oct. 6, 2017
Employers may not ask about an applicants’ pay history until after an offer of employment is made.
Learn more

Pennsylvania

State & Local Laws

Statewide Law

Effective: Sept. 4, 2018
State agencies may not ask about a job applicant’s compensation or compensation history at any stage during the hiring process. All job postings must clearly disclose a position’s pay scale and pay range.
Learn more

Philadelphia

Effective: Sept. 1, 2020
Employers may not seek pay history from applicants.
Learn more

Pittsburgh

Effective: Jan. 30, 2017
City agencies may not seek pay history from applicants.
Learn more

Rhode Island

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: Jan. 1, 2023
Employers may not seek pay history of applicants, nor can they rely on pay history when considering applicants for employment or determining pay.
Learn more

Effective: Jan. 1, 2023
All employers must provide the pay range or rate for a given position to job applicants upon request. Employers also must provide a pay range for an employee’s position upon request throughout the course of employment.
Learn more

South Carolina

Local Laws Only

Columbia

Effective: Aug. 6, 2019
City agencies may not seek pay history from applicants.
Learn more

Richland County

Effective: May 23, 2019
Richland County may not seek pay history from applicants.
Learn more

South Dakota

None

Tennessee

None

Texas

None

Utah

Local Law Only

Salt Lake City

Effective: March 1, 2018
City agencies are prohibited from asking an applicant about salary history.
Learn more

Vermont

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: July 1, 2018
Employers may not seek pay history from applicants.
Learn more

Virginia

State Law

Statewide Law

Effective: July 1, 2019
State agencies may not seek pay history from applicants.
Learn more

Washington

State Laws

Statewide Law

Effective: July 28, 2019
Employers may not seek pay history from applicants.
Learn more

Effective: Jan. 1, 2023
All employers with 15 or more employees must disclose the wage scale or salary range and a general description of all the benefits and other compensation in each job posting.
Learn more

West Virginia

None

Wisconsin

None

Wyoming

None

Compensation
Employment Law & Compliance
Job Descriptions
Pay Equity
Talent Acquisition

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