Do pay transparency laws apply to Facebook ads?

They can. Most laws don't name platforms. They ask whether the ad describes a specific job. New Jersey's labor department lists social media as a covered format. Maine, Minnesota and Washington cover any solicitation for a specific position. If a Facebook ad names a role in a covered state, plan to show the range. Your counsel decides.

Do I need a range on a hiring-event flyer?

If the flyer names specific roles in a covered place, plan on it. New York City names printed flyers at job fairs. Maine and Washington cover printed postings. Vermont leaves out general notices that name no specific job. In California, a QR code to the posting doesn't replace the range. Your counsel decides.

What counts as a good-faith range?

A range you really expect to pay for the job when you post it. California calls it a good-faith estimate of what you reasonably expect to pay upon hire. Virginia also weighs how wide the range is. New Jersey proposed a cap on a range's spread in 2025, then proposed dropping it in October 2026.

What changed in Connecticut in October 2026?

From October 1, 2026, every internal or public job advertisement in Connecticut must show the wage or wage range. It must also give a general description of benefits. Before, the range was due on request or at the offer. The rule applies to employers of any size. It also covers jobs done outside the state that report directly to a supervisor, office or worksite in Connecticut.

Pay Ranges in Job Ads: What Employers Must Show

One range. Every ad.

Fourteen states and DC now require a pay range in job postings. Here's where the rules reach your ads, flyers and job boards. Or let Hireloud run your job ads for you.

Get my free hiring plan See the state table

Last reviewed November 2026 · Not legal advice; your counsel decides.

Same range · every ad

yourbrand.com/jobs/warehouse-associate

YOUR BRAND · Sample posting Warehouse associate Site 042nd shiftFull timePay range$19.00–$22.50 an hourMedical, dental, 401(k) and paid time off

Sample ad · YOUR BRAND Drive the 2nd shift.$19.00–$22.50/hrWarehouse associateApply

Same range

Hiring event Sat 10–2 Warehouse associate $19.00–$22.50/hr YOUR BRANDSample

Same range

Short answer

14 states and DC require a pay range in job postings.¹ Many laws count any notice for a specific job, so a paid ad, boosted post or flyer that names a role may need one too. Use one good-faith range per job, and copy it into every ad, flyer and listing.

Where the laws reach

Postings vs ads: what counts.

Most pay transparency laws never name Facebook, Indeed or flyers. They define what counts, in words like “posting,” “advertisement” or “job listing.” For ads, the test is usually simple: does it describe a specific job and invite people to apply? Here's how wide five of them cast the net.

Maine
“A solicitation that is intended to recruit employment applicants for a specific available position.”
Made directly or through a third party, electronic or printed.²
Washington · Minnesota
“Any solicitation intended to recruit job applicants for a specific available position.”
Washington includes third-party and printed postings.³ Minnesota uses nearly the same words.⁴
Vermont
“Written notice, in any format, of a specific job opening.”
General “we're hiring” notices that name no opening don't count. Neither do spoken ads, in person or on radio or TV.⁵
New York City
“Printed flyers distributed at job fairs.”
Listed with internet ads, internal bulletin boards and newspaper ads.⁶
New Jersey
“Job search websites, print advertisements, company newsletters, emails, social media and more.”
The state labor department's own list.⁷

Who answers for third-party listings.

It depends on the state.

California: if a third party posts for you, you give it the pay scale, and it must include it.⁸
Illinois: a third party you engage must show the pay and benefits. It may be liable unless you didn't give it the details.⁹
Maine,² Massachusetts,¹⁰ Minnesota⁴ and Washington:³ postings made through a third party are covered.
New Jersey: proposed rules, not yet final, would hold you responsible on third-party sites where you keep control of the content. Independent scraping wouldn't count against you.⁷
Delaware (from 2027) and Washington: copies published without your consent are left out.¹¹ Columbus, Ohio, does the same.¹²

If you place it, pay for it or send it in a feed, plan as if it counts.

Your counsel decides which of your ads do.

States and cities

Which states require pay ranges in job postings.

Current as of November 8, 2026. Three of these laws are new this year, and Delaware's starts in 2027. For exemptions, penalties and sources state by state, use the free pay transparency laws by state lookup.

State

Employers covered

In effect

The posting also needs

California⁸

Employers15+ employees

In effectJan 1, 2023; “pay scale” redefined Jan 1, 2026

Also needsThe range itself. No link or QR code in its place.

Colorado¹³

Employers1+ employee in Colorado

In effectCurrent rules from Jan 1, 2024

Also needsBenefits and other pay, the closing date and how to apply

Connecticut¹⁴New in 2026

EmployersAny employer with 1+ employee

In effectOct 1, 2026

Also needsA general description of benefits

Hawaii¹³

Employers50+ employees

In effectJan 1, 2024

Also needsRange only. Internal transfers and promotions are exempt.

Illinois⁹

Employers15+ employees

In effectJan 1, 2025

Also needsBenefits and other pay. A link to a public page that shows them is allowed.

Maine²New in 2026

Employers10+ employees

In effectJul 29, 2026

Also needsRange only. Commission-only roles must say so.

Maryland¹⁵

EmployersNo size threshold

In effectOct 1, 2024

Also needsBenefits and any other pay offered

Massachusetts¹⁰

Employers25+ employees in the state

In effectOct 29, 2025

Also needsRange only

Minnesota⁴

Employers30+ employees at Minnesota sites

In effectJan 1, 2025

Also needsBenefits and other pay. The range can't be open-ended.

New Jersey⁷

Employers10+ employees over 20 weeks

In effectJun 1, 2025

Also needsBenefits and other pay programs

New York¹⁶

Employers4+ employees

In effectSept 17, 2023

Also needsThe job description, if one exists

Vermont⁵

Employers5+ employees

In effectJul 1, 2025

Also needsRange only. Tipped and commission roles say so.

Virginia¹⁷New in 2026

EmployersNo size threshold

In effectJul 1, 2026

Also needsRange only, set in good faith

Washington³

Employers15+ employees

In effectJan 1, 2023; amended Jul 27, 2025

Also needsBenefits and other pay

District of Columbia¹

Employers1+ employee

In effectJun 30, 2024

Also needsRange in the listing. Health benefits disclosed before the first interview.

Delaware¹¹Coming 2027

EmployersMore than 25 employees

In effectFrom Sept 26, 2027

Also needsBenefits and other pay

Checked November 8, 2026. Thresholds and dates cross-checked against sources 1 and 13. Not legal advice; your counsel decides.

Free tool · No sign-up Hiring in one state? Look it up. Who's covered, when the rule starts, what to include and the sources, for every state and the city rules on top. Open the lookup

States where the range is on request only.

Nevada and Rhode Island require a range, but not in the posting. Nevada's is due once an applicant has completed an interview. Rhode Island's is due when an applicant asks.¹⁸ In Ohio, Cincinnati and Toledo require a pay scale on reasonable request after a conditional offer.¹³

City and county rules.

Local rules can apply on top of state law. These are the ones that reach job postings.

Place

In effect

Worth knowing

New York City⁶

In effectNov 1, 2022

Worth knowingNames printed flyers at job fairs as covered ads.

Westchester County, NY¹²

In effectNov 6, 2022

Worth knowingCovers jobs done in the county, including remote work.

Ithaca, NY¹³

In effectSept 1, 2022

Worth knowingMinimum and maximum pay in each ad.

Jersey City, NJ¹²

In effectIn force

Worth knowing5+ employees. Range and benefits, in print or online.

Cleveland, OH¹²

In effectOct 27, 2025

Worth knowing15+ employees in the city. Postings, ads and formal notices.

Columbus, OH¹²

In effectDec 3, 2025; enforced from Jan 1, 2027

Worth knowing15+ employees in the city. A “reasonable” range.

Checked November 8, 2026. Sources 6, 12 and 13.

What changed

Pay transparency laws in 2026: what changed.

Three states joined in 2026. California sharpened a definition, and New Jersey moved on its draft rules. In date order:¹⁹

Jan 1
California
“Pay scale” now means “a good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage range that an employer reasonably expects to pay for a position upon hire.”⁸
Jul 1
Virginia
Every employer must show the pay or range in “each public and internal posting,” set in good faith. After written notice of a faulty posting, the employer has 15 business days to fix it.¹⁷
Jul 29
Maine
Employers with 10 or more employees must show the range in every posting, printed and third-party postings included. The Maine Department of Labor enforces it.²
Oct 1
Connecticut
The range moved from “on request” into every “internal or public job advertisement,” with a general description of benefits such as health insurance, retirement and paid leave. It covers any employer with one or more employees.¹⁴
Oct 19
New Jersey
The labor department proposed dropping its 2025 draft cap on how wide a range can be. Comments are due December 18, 2026. The rules aren’t final yet.⁷

Next up

Jan 1, 2027Columbus, Ohio, starts enforcing.¹²
Jul 27, 2027Washington's five-business-day window to fix a posting ends.³
Sept 26, 2027Delaware's law takes effect.¹¹

Remote roles

Do remote jobs need a pay range?

Often, yes. Each state draws the line its own way, and the tests fall into four groups.

“Could be filled there”
CACO
California covers a role that “may ever be filled in California, either in-person or remotely.”⁸ Colorado also covers remote roles.¹
“Reports to someone there”
CTNYIL
Connecticut covers work outside the state when the employee reports “directly to a supervisor, office or other worksite located within the state.”¹⁴ New York¹⁶ and Illinois⁹ use a similar reporting test.
“Works mainly for a site there”
VTMA
Vermont covers a remote role that will mainly work for an office in Vermont.⁵ Massachusetts looks at the job's primary place of work.¹⁰
Not settled
VA
Virginia's statute doesn't say how it treats remote roles.¹⁹

The simple rule: post a range on every remote job.

One written rule beats a state-by-state call. Your counsel decides.

Ads and postings

Keep every ad in step with its posting.

Treat the posting as the source of truth. Every ad, flyer and listing for that job copies its range: the same numbers, in the same unit.

Sample posting · YOUR BRAND $19.00–$22.50 an hour

Feed ad$19.00–$22.50/hr

Same range

Event flyer$19.00–$22.50/hr

Same range

Job board$19.00–$22.50/hr

Same range

Short ads and boosted posts.

A paid social ad has little room, so you have two options. Put the range in the ad, or send people only to a posting that shows it.

The second option works only if the ad doesn't count as a posting itself. California's Labor Commissioner says a link or QR code doesn't replace the range in a posting.⁸ Illinois, by contrast, accepts a link to a public page that shows pay and benefits.⁹ So when an ad names a specific job in a state with a broad definition, put the range in the ad. Your counsel decides.

A boosted post is an ad. If it names a role, treat it like any paid ad: same range, same link. On Facebook and Instagram it also runs in Meta's Employment special ad category. Our guide to job ad targeting rules on Meta and Google covers that side.

Hiring-event flyers and QR signs.

New York City names printed flyers at job fairs.⁶ Maine² and Washington³ cover printed postings. Vermont leaves out general hiring notices that name no specific job.⁵ So the line most flyers cross is the job title.

Name a role, and print its range next to it. A QR code can lead to the posting, but don't count on it to carry the range. Our guide on how to advertise a hiring event covers the rest of the plan, and the free now hiring flyer maker prints a pay line when you enter one.

Job boards, feeds and recruiters.

Send the range in the pay field of every feed and board listing, in the same unit as the posting. Then open the live listing and check that it shows. If a recruiter or agency posts for you, give them the range in writing.

When the range changes.

Update the posting first. Then update or pause every ad, flyer file and listing that quotes the old range, and log the change with its date. Pause ads when a job closes, and update links when it's reposted. That way, anyone who clicks lands on the current posting and its current range.

Your range, in every ad. Handled.

You set the pay. Hireloud makes your job ads in-house, runs them on social, Google and job sites at every location, and fills your interview seats. The ad says what your posting says.

One range.

From your posting, in every ad, flyer and listing we make.

Job closed.

Ad paused. We run ads only on open jobs.

Month-to-month.

No long-term contracts. Procurement-friendly.

Get my free hiring plan Recruitment ad creative

Free. No call needed. We don't set pay or give legal advice; your counsel signs off.

Examples

Pay transparency job posting examples.

These are samples. The roles and pay are made up. They show the format, not what any law requires of you. Hiring licensed roles? Pay sits next to license and shift: see healthcare recruitment marketing and how to recruit nurses.

YOUR BRANDSample ad2nd shift · Site 04Warehouse associate$19.00–$22.50 an hourFull time · Medical, dental, 401(k) and paid time offSee the job and applyApply

Short paid social adThe range, unit and benefits match the posting. The link goes to that location's live posting.

Open interviews Saturday 10–2 Line cook$17–$20 an hourDishwasher$15.50–$17 an hourServer$10 an hour base, plus tipsScan for job details and benefitsYOUR BRAND · Sample flyer

Hiring-event flyerEach named role carries its own pay line. The tipped role says so and shows its base wage, as Vermont asks of tipped jobs. The QR code adds detail; it doesn't replace the range.

Pay lines to rewrite.

Instead ofWriteWhy
Instead of: “Up to $22 an hour”
Write: “$19–$22 an hour”
Why: Virginia¹⁷ and Minnesota⁴ define a range as a minimum and a maximum.
Instead of: “$18+ an hour”
Write: “$18–$21 an hour”
Why: Minnesota says a range can't be open-ended.⁴
Instead of: “Competitive pay”
Write: “$52,000–$61,000 a year”
Why: No range at all.
Instead of: “$15–$45 an hour” for one entry-level role
Write: The range you really expect to pay
Why: Virginia weighs a range's breadth in judging good faith.¹⁷
Instead of: “Pay: scan the code”
Write: “Line cook · $17–$20 an hour”
Why: California doesn't accept a QR code in place of the range.⁸

For the rest of the ad, see how to write a job ad. The free job ad checker looks for a pay range in your text, and adds a hint when you hire in a state with a posting rule.

Checklist

Pay range checklist for job ads.

Run it before each launch. Copy it into your launch notes or a ticket.

Pay ranges · 10 checks

Copy the checklist

Range: one range per job and location, set in good faith, taken from the posting.
Format: a minimum and a maximum. No “up to,” no “$18+,” no “competitive.”
Unit: the same unit as the posting, hourly or yearly.
Benefits: a general description where the state asks for one.
Short ads: the range in the ad, or a link only to the posting that shows it, as your counsel decides.
Flyers: every named role has its range printed. QR codes lead to the posting.
Boards and feeds: the range sent in the pay field and checked on the live listing.
Remote: one written rule for remote roles, agreed with counsel.
Changes: posting first, then every ad, flyer and listing, with the date logged.
New places: the state and city rules re-checked before you hire somewhere new.

Questions about pay ranges in job ads.

Not legal advice; your counsel decides. Sources are listed below.

Do pay transparency laws apply to Facebook ads?
They can. Most laws don't name platforms. They ask whether the ad describes a specific job. New Jersey's labor department lists social media as a covered format. Maine, Minnesota and Washington cover any solicitation for a specific position. If a Facebook ad names a role in a covered state, plan to show the range. Your counsel decides.
Do I need a range on a hiring-event flyer?
If the flyer names specific roles in a covered place, plan on it. New York City names printed flyers at job fairs. Maine and Washington cover printed postings. Vermont leaves out general notices that name no specific job. In California, a QR code to the posting doesn't replace the range. Your counsel decides.
What counts as a good-faith range?
A range you really expect to pay for the job when you post it. California calls it a good-faith estimate of what you reasonably expect to pay upon hire. Virginia also weighs how wide the range is. New Jersey proposed a cap on a range's spread in 2025, then proposed dropping it in October 2026.
What changed in Connecticut in October 2026?
From October 1, 2026, every internal or public job advertisement in Connecticut must show the wage or wage range. It must also give a general description of benefits. Before, the range was due on request or at the offer. The rule applies to employers of any size. It also covers jobs done outside the state that report directly to a supervisor, office or worksite in Connecticut.

Sources

Last reviewed November 2026. Not legal advice; your counsel decides.

Statutes, agency pages and law-firm alerts, each checked November 8, 2026.

1Jackson Lewis, Navigating 2026: Pay Transparency Laws and Employer Obligations, Jan 30, 2026, and Midyear Pay Transparency Update: Job Postings Lead Employer Responsibilities, Jul 15, 2026.
2Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, § 622-A (PL 2025, c. 771). Ogletree Deakins (via JD Supra), Virginia and Maine Enact Pay Transparency Laws to Take Effect in July 2026, May 7, 2026.
3Washington State Legislature, RCW 49.58.110, Disclosure of wage scale or salary range.
4Minnesota Statutes, § 181.173, Pay transparency.
5Vermont General Assembly, Act 155 (H.704) of 2024 (PDF), codified at 21 V.S.A. § 495p (Disclosure of compensation to prospective employees), effective July 1, 2025.
6NYC Commission on Human Rights, Pay Transparency, live page.
7New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, New Law Requiring Employers to Post Salary Ranges and Benefits Information is Effective June 1, May 29, 2025. Ogletree Deakins, New Jersey Proposes Elimination of 60 Percent Spread on Posted Pay Ranges, Oct 27, 2026 (proposed rules, not final; third-party sites).
8California Labor Commissioner, California Equal Pay Act FAQs (pay scale FAQs 79, 83 and 89), updated Aug 24, 2026. Morgan Lewis, California Amends Pay Transparency Requirements, Nov 5, 2025 (SB 642, effective Jan 1, 2026).
9Illinois Department of Labor, Equal Pay Act Salary Transparency FAQ (FAQs 4, 10 and 15 to 18).
10Greenberg Traurig, Massachusetts Pay Transparency Law Takes Effect on Oct. 29, 2025, Oct 1, 2025.
11Delaware General Assembly, House Substitute 2 for House Bill 105, signed Sept 26, 2025, effective Sept 26, 2027. Foley & Lardner, 3 New Pay Transparency State Laws Raise Compliance Risks, June 12, 2026.
12Westchester County Human Rights Commission, Salary Transparency Amendment, live page. City of Jersey City, Pay Transparency: The Law in Jersey City, live page. McDonald Hopkins, New Cleveland Law Requires Employers to Post Salary Range in Job Postings, May 15, 2025. Ogletree Deakins, Columbus, Ohio, Enacts New Pay Transparency Ordinance Requiring Salary Ranges in Job Postings, Dec 12, 2025.
13Seyfarth Shaw, Pay Transparency Wage Range Disclosure Compendium (PDF), March 2026. Used for effective dates and for Colorado, Hawaii, Ithaca, Cincinnati and Toledo.
14Connecticut General Assembly, Public Act 26-12 (PDF; Substitute House Bill 5003), § 2, amending § 31-40z, effective Oct 1, 2026. Foley & Lardner, Connecticut Expands Pay Transparency Requirements Starting October 1, 2026, Sept 14, 2026.
15Maryland Code, Labor and Employment § 3-304.2 (PDF).
16New York State Senate, Labor Law § 194-B.
17Code of Virginia, § 40.1-28.7:12 (2026 Acts, chapters 996 and 1063).
18Nevada Revised Statutes, § 613.133, and Rhode Island General Laws, § 28-6-22.
19Cooley, Show Me the Money (or the Wage Range): New State Pay Transparency Laws, Jul 6, 2026. Virginia, Maine, Connecticut and Delaware.

Pay Ranges in Job Ads: What Employers Must Show

Postings vs ads: what counts.

Who answers for third-party listings.

Which states require pay ranges in job postings.

States where the range is on request only.

City and county rules.

Pay transparency laws in 2026: what changed.

California

Virginia

Maine

Connecticut

New Jersey

Do remote jobs need a pay range?

Keep every ad in step with its posting.

Short ads and boosted posts.

Hiring-event flyers and QR signs.

Job boards, feeds and recruiters.

When the range changes.

Your range, in every ad. Handled.

Pay transparency job posting examples.

Pay lines to rewrite.

Pay range checklist for job ads.

Questions about pay ranges in job ads.

Do pay transparency laws apply to Facebook ads?+

Do I need a range on a hiring-event flyer?+

What counts as a good-faith range?+

What changed in Connecticut in October 2026?+

Sources

Let's fill your interview seats.

Do pay transparency laws apply to Facebook ads?

Do I need a range on a hiring-event flyer?

What counts as a good-faith range?

What changed in Connecticut in October 2026?