Pay transparency law
A pay transparency law is a state or local rule requiring covered employers to disclose pay ranges to job applicants or employees.
Pay transparency rules come from state and local law, and coverage by company size, triggers, and penalties can differ by state. One duty is putting the wage scale or salary range in a job posting. A law may add a range on request for a promotion or transfer, a description of benefits, or a salary history ban: a rule that you may not ask applicants what they earned before. Washington’s statute is one example, applying its posting rule to employers with 15 or more employees.
What does Washington’s pay transparency law require?
Washington’s posting rule covers any solicitation intended to recruit applicants for a specific available position that includes qualifications, whether you post it yourself or through a third party. A copy digitally republished without your consent is excluded. When you offer only a fixed wage for the opening, you disclose that amount instead of a range. The salary history ban has no employer size limit in its text: you may confirm pay history only if the applicant volunteered it or after you negotiate and make an offer with compensation.
| RULE | WASHINGTON REQUIREMENT |
|---|---|
| Job postings | The wage scale or salary range, plus a general description of all benefits and other compensation offered |
| Transfers and promotions | On request of an employee offered the move, the wage scale or salary range for the new position (or the fixed wage, if only one) |
| Who is covered | Employers with 15 or more employees (posting and promotion rules) |
| Salary history | You may not seek it from the applicant or a current or former employer, or require it to meet criteria |
| Posting and promotion damages | $100 to $5,000 per violation to the applicant or employee, plus attorneys’ fees and costs |
| Correction window | Postings July 27, 2025 to July 27, 2027: no penalties or damages if you fix one within five business days of written notice and ask any third-party site to correct it |
- RCW 49.58.110: Disclosure of wage or salary range by employer
- RCW 49.58.100: Employer seeking wage and salary history of applicants prohibited
General information, not legal or tax advice. Apply current federal and state rules with qualified guidance.