Work · Pay transparency
Pay Transparency Law in Illinois
Whether an employer in Illinois must disclose the salary range, where it has to appear, who it covers, and what to do if a posting hides the pay. This is separate from your right to discuss wages with coworkers. Cited to the statute.
What the pay transparency law requires in Illinois
Who must disclose the range, where it has to appear, and the situations the rule does not reach.
Pay-transparency law is expanding fast, with new states and effective dates arriving regularly. The Illinois posting rule is recent, so guidance and penalty practice are still developing. Confirm the current requirement and any threshold change before relying on it.
| What the law requires | What it means |
|---|---|
| Pay scale and benefits in the posting (15 or more employees) | Under 820 ILCS 112/10, an employer with 15 or more employees must include the pay scale and benefits in any specific job posting for a position performed at least in part in Illinois or reporting to a supervisor, office, or worksite in the state. Illinois goes past a bare salary range and asks for a description of benefits too. |
| What pay scale and benefits means | The term means the wage or salary, or the wage or salary range, plus a general description of the benefits and other compensation, including bonuses, stock options, or other incentives, that the employer reasonably expects in good faith to offer. A general benefits summary satisfies the second half. |
| Third-party postings and on-request disclosure | A posting made by an outside party the employer engaged is covered the same way. If a covered employer has not made a posting available to an applicant, it must disclose the pay scale and benefits before any offer or discussion of compensation, and at the applicant request. |
| Where it does not apply | What it means |
|---|---|
| Employers with fewer than 15 workers | The posting requirement applies only to an employer with 15 or more employees. A smaller Illinois employer is outside the posting rule, though other parts of the Equal Pay Act, such as the ban on asking for salary history, still apply broadly. |
| Positions filled internally without a posting | If a covered employer does not make a posting for a role, it must still give the pay scale and benefits to an applicant before any pay discussion and on request. Separately, it must tell current employees about promotion openings within 14 days of an external posting. |
| Roles with no Illinois connection | The duty attaches when the work will be performed at least in part in Illinois, or reports to a supervisor, office, or worksite in the state. A remote job with an Illinois reporting line is covered; a role with no Illinois work or reporting is not. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if a job in Illinois hides the pay range. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Expect benefits as well as pay in the posting
An Illinois posting by an employer with 15 or more workers should list the pay scale and a general description of benefits. A posting that shows neither likely does not comply with 820 ILCS 112/10.
- Ask before any pay discussion
If no posting was made available to you, a covered employer must give you the pay scale and benefits before making an offer or discussing pay, and on your request. Ask in writing if it is not offered.
- Check the Illinois connection for remote roles
A remote job that reports to an Illinois supervisor or office is covered. If such a posting omits the pay scale and benefits, that is worth questioning.
- Report to the Illinois Department of Labor
The Illinois Department of Labor enforces the posting rule. If a covered employer leaves out the pay scale and benefits, you can file a complaint, and penalties can follow.
If a posting omits a required pay range, the state labor department takes complaints and can explain how the rule is enforced and any penalty.
→ Illinois Department of Labor · Equal Pay Act Salary TransparencyThis is general legal information, not legal advice. Coverage turns on employer size and where the job can be performed, so confirm your situation against the statute.
What workers in Illinois get wrong about pay transparency
Illinois asks for more than a number. Under 820 ILCS 112/10, an amendment to the Illinois Equal Pay Act that took effect on January 1, 2025, an employer with 15 or more employees must include the pay scale and benefits in any specific job posting for a role performed at least in part in Illinois, or one that reports to a supervisor, office, or worksite in the state. Pay scale and benefits means the wage or salary, or a range, together with a general description of benefits and other compensation such as bonuses, stock options, or incentives the employer expects in good faith to offer. Postings made by an outside party the employer hired are covered too. If a covered employer skips a posting, it still must give the pay scale and benefits to an applicant before any offer or pay discussion, and on request, and it must tell current employees about promotion openings within 14 days of an external posting. The state Department of Labor enforces the rule.
Common questions
Does Illinois require salary ranges in job postings?
Yes. Under 820 ILCS 112/10, effective January 1, 2025, an employer with 15 or more employees must include the pay scale and a general description of benefits in a job posting for work performed at least in part in Illinois.
Do employers have to post salary in Illinois?
Employers with 15 or more employees must post the pay scale and benefits for covered roles. If no posting is made, the employer must still disclose them to an applicant before any pay discussion and on request.
What does pay scale and benefits mean in Illinois?
The wage or salary, or a wage or salary range, plus a general description of benefits and other compensation such as bonuses, stock options, or incentives the employer reasonably expects in good faith to offer.
Does the Illinois rule cover remote jobs?
Yes, when the work is performed at least in part in Illinois or the role reports to a supervisor, office, or worksite in the state. A remote job with an Illinois reporting line is covered.
What if an Illinois posting has no pay scale?
A covered posting without the pay scale and benefits likely violates the statute. You can file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Labor, which enforces the rule and can impose penalties.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.