Work · Pay transparency
Pay Transparency Law in New York
Whether an employer in New York 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 New York
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. New York guidance and the interaction with the New York City rule continue to develop, so confirm the current requirement and any threshold change before relying on it.
| What the law requires | What it means |
|---|---|
| Pay range in job advertisements | Under Labor Law Section 194-b, no employer may advertise a job, promotion, or transfer opportunity performed at least in part in New York without disclosing the compensation or a range of compensation and the job description, if one exists. The rule reaches both outside and internal postings. |
| What the range must contain | Range of compensation means the minimum and maximum annual salary or hourly range the employer in good faith believes to be accurate at the time of the posting. A good-faith range with a real floor and ceiling is required, not a placeholder or an open-ended figure. |
| Covers employers with four or more workers | The statewide rule applies to an employer with four or more employees. A commission-only position complies by stating that compensation is based on commission. Employers must also keep records showing the history of compensation ranges and job descriptions. |
| Where it does not apply | What it means |
|---|---|
| Employers with fewer than four workers | The statewide disclosure rule applies to an employer with four or more employees. A very small employer below that count is outside Section 194-b, though a local law, such as the New York City rule, may still reach it. |
| Positions performed entirely outside New York | The duty attaches only when the job, promotion, or transfer will physically be performed at least in part in New York. A role with no New York work and no reporting line into the state falls outside the statute. |
| Remote roles that report into New York | A remote position counts as performed at least in part in New York when it reports to a supervisor, office, or worksite in the state. Such a posting must carry the range even if the worker sits elsewhere. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if a job in New York hides the pay range. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Expect a range on the ad, not just on request
A New York posting for a role performed at least in part in the state should show a good-faith minimum and maximum. If the advertisement lists no range, it likely does not comply with Section 194-b.
- Check whether a remote role reports into New York
If a remote job reports to a supervisor or office in New York, the range must be disclosed. Ask where the role reports if the posting is silent on pay.
- Watch for New York City postings
For a job based in New York City, both the city and the state rules can apply. A city posting without a range may violate the city law as well, which the City Commission on Human Rights enforces.
- Report a missing range to the state Department of Labor
The New York State Department of Labor administers Section 194-b. If a covered posting omits the range, you can raise it with the Department, which can investigate and seek penalties.
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.
→ New York State Department of Labor · Pay 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 New York get wrong about pay transparency
New York requires the pay range on the advertisement, not just when someone asks. Under Labor Law Section 194-b, effective statewide on September 17, 2023, an employer with four or more employees may not advertise a job, promotion, or transfer that will physically be performed at least in part in New York without disclosing the compensation or a range of compensation and, if it exists, the job description. The range has to be a real minimum and maximum the employer in good faith believes is accurate at the time of posting, not an open-ended figure. A commission-only role can meet the rule with a plain statement that pay is based on commission. The reach extends to remote positions that report to a supervisor, office, or worksite in New York. New York City has its own, earlier rule on top of the state one. Employers must keep records of the ranges and descriptions they post, and the state Department of Labor enforces the requirement.
Common questions
Does New York require salary ranges in job postings?
Yes. Labor Law Section 194-b requires an employer with four or more employees to disclose a range of compensation, and the job description if one exists, in any advertisement for a job, promotion, or transfer performed at least in part in New York.
Do employers have to post salary in New York?
Employers with four or more employees must include a good-faith minimum and maximum salary or hourly range on advertisements for covered roles. The disclosure has to be on the advertisement itself.
Does the New York rule cover remote jobs?
Yes, when a remote position reports to a supervisor, office, or worksite in New York it counts as performed at least in part in the state, so the range must be disclosed.
Is the New York City law different from the state law?
Yes. New York City has its own pay-transparency law that predates the statewide rule and is enforced by the City Commission on Human Rights. A job in the city can be subject to both.
What if a New York posting has no salary range?
A covered advertisement without a range likely violates Section 194-b. You can raise it with the New York State Department of Labor, which enforces the statute and can seek 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.