Salary Range

What is a Salary Range?

A salary range is the minimum and maximum pay an employer discloses for a specific role, most often shown in a job posting. Indeed describes it as a figure employers use both to set expectations with candidates and to guide their own internal budgeting for the role.

This is the same concept HR teams refer to internally as a pay band, just presented externally to candidates rather than used for internal compensation planning.

Which States Require Salary Ranges in Job Postings?

A growing number of states now legally require employers to disclose a salary range before or during the application process, and the list keeps expanding each legislative session.

Requirement Type	Example States	What It Covers
Range required in every posting	California, Colorado, New York, Washington, Illinois	Applies to most job ads, including remote roles
Disclosure upon request or offer	Connecticut, Nevada, Rhode Island	Employers must share range if asked or before hire
No statewide requirement	Most other states	Disclosure remains voluntary, though increasingly common

Remote postings complicate this picture further. If a remote role can be performed from a state with a disclosure law, that law typically applies regardless of where the employer is headquartered, which is why salary ranges have become far more common even in states without their own mandate.

Why Are Posted Salary Ranges Often So Wide?

Employers sometimes post wide ranges to preserve negotiating flexibility or to cover multiple experience levels within a single posting. Forbes notes that candidates can reasonably ask whether a role is tied to a specific pay grade within the organization, since a narrower answer often exists even when the posted range looks broad.

A wide range isn't necessarily a red flag, but it does mean the posted numbers alone won't tell you where a specific offer is likely to land relative to your base salary expectations.

How Should You Negotiate Within a Posted Salary Range?

Anchoring your ask to research rather than the range's midpoint alone tends to work best. Indeed recommends researching typical pay for the role and location, then presenting your own target range with your desired number positioned near the lower end to leave room for negotiation.

Framing the conversation around total compensation rather than salary alone also opens more room to negotiate, since benefits, PTO, or a defined path to a future merit increase can sometimes move even when the base number can't.

What if a Job Offer Falls Outside the Advertised Range?

It happens more often than candidates expect, sometimes because role requirements shifted during the hiring process. Indeed advises confirming the original posting, then directly asking what changed rather than assuming the lower number is final; employers may adjust other elements of the offer, like PTO or remote flexibility, even if the base salary itself doesn't move.

For employers, consistently posting ranges that don't match actual offers erodes candidate trust and can contribute to early turnover if new hires feel misled about their starting pay before their first day.

Discover how our HR solutions streamline onboarding, boost employee engagement, and simplify HR management

Book Your Free Demo

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is a job's posted salary range legally binding?

A: No, but it must reflect a good-faith estimate under most state disclosure laws. Employers can still offer within the range based on experience and qualifications.

Q: Which states currently require salary ranges in job postings?

A: States including California, Colorado, New York, Washington, and Illinois require ranges in most postings, while others like Connecticut and Rhode Island require disclosure upon request or before hire.

Q: Does a remote job posting have to follow the salary range law of my state?

A: Generally yes, if the role can be performed from a state with a disclosure requirement, that state's law typically applies regardless of the employer's headquarters.

Q: What should I do if I'm offered less than the posted salary range?

A: Ask directly what changed between the posting and the offer, and consider negotiating either the base salary or other elements of the compensation package.

Q: Why do employers post such wide salary ranges?

A: Wide ranges often cover multiple experience levels within one posting or preserve negotiating flexibility, though candidates can ask about the specific pay grade tied to the role.