Wage Transparency 2025 – Federal and State Updates

Federal Developments

As of mid‑2025, no new federal law mandates salary range disclosure for all U.S. employers. However, there is significant legislative activity:

• Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 17) was introduced on March 25, 2025, aiming to strengthen protections under the Equal Pay Act and punish retaliation for wage discussions.

• The Salary Transparency Act, passed in the House earlier, would require employers to include wage or range in job postings—still pending in the Senate.

  
  

Executive orders under the Biden administration already restrict salary-history use and encourage pay equity efforts among federal contractors and agencies.

For now, federal rules mainly enable and support transparency rather than mandate it.

Key State & Local Laws Taking Effect in 2025

Several states are implementing or expanding pay transparency laws this year:

Illinois (effective Jan 1, 2025)

• Applies to employers with 15 or more employees.

• Must include salary range and benefits description in all job postings if work is performed in Illinois or supervised via Illinois.

• Employers must notify current employees of promotional openings within 14 days.

• Maintain records for 5 years; fines start after cure periods for repeat violations.

Minnesota (effective Jan 1, 2025)

• Covers employers with 30+ employees.

• Job postings must list a good-faith salary/hours range and benefits description; no open-ended ranges are allowed.

  
  

New Jersey (effective June 1, 2025)

• Applies to employers with 10+ employees over 20 calendar weeks.

• Salary range, benefits, and other compensation must appear in all internal and external job postings.

• Employers must make a reasonable effort to notify existing employees of promotion opportunities before hiring externally. Violations may incur fines ($300 per violation initially)

Vermont (effective July 1, 2025)

• Applies to employers with 5 or more employees, including those with remote roles tied to Vermont-based work.

• Requires fixed or ranged pay disclosure for all job postings, including internal roles.

• Includes remote positions tied to Vermont. Enforcement by state AG; retaliation protections included 

Massachusetts (effective Oct 29, 2025; reporting begins Feb 1, 2025)

• Covers employers with 25 or more employees.

• Must post good-faith pay range in job postings and disclose to current employees/promotions upon request.

• Large employers (100+ employees) must submit pay data reports to the state (first due Feb 1, 2025).

• Employers have a cure window before penalties apply 

Washington State (amendments effective July 27, 2025)

• Law applies to employers with 15+ employees.

• Requires salary range or fixed pay rate and benefits information in postings, including through third-party recruiters.

• Newly clarified cure period and enforcement details 

California (effective Jan 1, 2023, still in force)

• Employers with 15+ employees must include salary range in external job postings.

• Must provide pay scale info on request to applicants and employees.

• Ban on asking salary history before offer—strong fines for violations 

District of Columbia

• Covers all employers; job postings must include expected wage range and healthcare benefits before the first interview.

• Bans salary-history questions and guarantees pay discussion protections.

• Fines begin at $1,000 and escalate up to $20,000 for repeat offenses 

Why Employers Should Care

• Patchwork complexity: Different rules across states (and some cities).

• If you post remote roles or hire across multiple states, you must comply with the strictest applicable jurisdiction.

• Non-compliance exposes employers to legal fines, negative public exposure, and potential employee lawsuits.

• Transparency helps: attract talent, reduce pay discrimination, and boost trust and retention.

At L.A. Confidential HR Solutions, we help businesses stay ahead of the curve by turning compliance into a strategic advantage. Whether you're navigating new pay transparency laws, integrating AI responsibly, or updating leave policies and postings—we’re here to guide you every step of the way. As a bilingual, socially conscious HR firm rooted in both U.S. and Chinese workplace cultures, we provide tailored solutions with heart and precision.

Schedule a free consult today and let compliance drive your culture forward!

2025年薪资透明化：联邦与州法律变化

🇺🇸 联邦层面

截至2025年中，尚无联邦法律强制要求雇主公开薪资范围。不过，目前有两个重要的法案正在国会推进：

• 薪资公平法案（Paycheck Fairness Act，H.R. 17）, 于 2025年3月25日 提出，旨在加强《平等工资法》，并禁止报复员工讨论薪资。

• 薪资透明法案（Salary Transparency Act） 要求在招聘公告中包含薪资或范围，目前仍在审议中 .

另外，拜登行政令已禁止联邦雇主使用薪资历史，并鼓励公平薪酬实践 。

📍 2025年州与地方主要变化

伊利诺伊州（2025年1月1日生效）

• 覆盖 15名或以上员工 的雇主。

• 在招聘广告中必须包含薪资范围和福利说明，适用于工作位于该州或受其主管监督。

• 必须在发布外部招聘前 14天内 通知内部员工。

• 需保留记录5年，否则可能面临罚款

明尼苏达州（2025年1月1日生效）

• 适用于 30名及以上员工 的雇主。

• 招聘广告必须列明薪资范围和福利描述，不允许使用敞开式薪资范围

新泽西州（2025年6月1日生效）

• 适用于 10名及以上员工（至少20周） 的公司。

• 招聘及内部调岗广告需包含薪资范围、福利和其他补偿信息。

• 必须向现有员工 合理通知 内部晋升机会，违规将被罚款（首次约300美元）

佛蒙特州（2025年7月1日生效）

• 适用于 5名及以上员工 的雇主，包括与佛蒙特有关的远程工作。

• 所有招聘广告（包括内部岗位）都必须提供固定或范围薪资信息。

• 由州检察长执法，禁止报复员工

马萨诸塞州（2025年10月29日实施，2025年2月1日开始报告）

• 覆盖 25名及以上员工 的雇主。

• 招聘广告、内部晋升必须包含合理的薪资范围。

• 100名及以上员工 的公司需向州提交薪资数据报告（首次截止 2025年2月1日）。

• 有整改期，未整改将面临罚款

华盛顿州（2025年7月27日新修法案生效）

• 覆盖 15名以上员工 的雇主。

• 要求招聘广告中包含薪资范围（或固定金额）及福利说明，第三方招聘机构广告也适用。

• 新增整改时限制度

加利福尼亚州（2023年1月1日生效）

• 15名及以上员工 的雇主必须在职位广告中写明薪资范围。

• 应聘者或员工要求时须提供薪酬结构详情。

• 禁止在雇佣前询问薪资历史，否则面临高额罚款

华盛顿特区

• 所有雇主必须在面试前提供工资范围及医疗福利信息。

• 禁止询问薪资历史，保障员工讨论薪酬的权利。

• 罚款从1,000美元起，根据违规次数最高可达2万美元 

为什么这些变化重要？

• 法规零散：不同州和城市的规定不一致。

• 发布远程职位时，可能要遵守多个地区里最严格的法规。

• 违规会带来 罚款、负面曝光及诉讼风险。

• 但薪资透明有助于：吸引人才、减少薪酬歧视、提升员工信任感与留任率。

在 L.A. Confidential HR Solutions，我们不仅助力企业合规，更将其转化为战略优势。不论您是在适应最新的薪资透明法规、负责任地应用AI，还是更新带薪假政策与公告张贴——我们都将全程为您提供专业支持。作为一家双语、注重社会影响的HR咨询公司，我们深耕中美职场文化，为您量身打造最适合的人力资源方案。