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Washington pay transparency law: what it requires and who posts pay
Washington requires employers with 15 or more employees to give a wage scale or salary range and the benefits in job postings, a rule in effect since Jan. 1, 2023. As of Oct 17, 2026, 78.6% of the 19,283 LAYIQ postings placed in Washington state a pay range, against 30.4% in the 36 states shown without a rule in our law table.
Who posts pay in Washington
As of Oct 17, 2026, LAYIQ lists 19,283 postings placed in Washington. 15,151 of them state a US dollar annual or hourly pay range or single figure.
- LAYIQ postings placed in the state
- 19,283
- Of those, stating pay
- 15,151
- Share stating pay
- 78.6%
Across the 36 shown states without a rule in the law table, 30.4% of postings state a pay range. The two groups differ in more than the law, such as their employers and the kinds of jobs they list, so this describes the postings and does not measure what any law does.
- A posting counts in every state where LAYIQ has placed one of its locations, so states overlap. A posting with no location placed in a state, such as some that name several places in one line and some remote postings, is in no state.
- A posting counts as stating pay when its pay is a US dollar annual or hourly pay range or single figure, recorded as a minimum and a maximum that can be equal. Monthly pay and other currencies are not counted.
- These shares do not say whether an employer follows a pay range law. A law reaches some employers and postings and not others, and LAYIQ cannot tell which apply to a posting.
- LAYIQ lists only postings from the last six calendar months, and a snapshot of what is open now over-represents postings that stay up for months.
As of . Pay ranges come from the employers' own postings.
The same numbers for every state with 200 or more postings are in the pay transparency CSV.
Download the CSVWhat the law says in Washington
The table is the part of the pay range law table that reaches this state, confirmed on official government pages as of October 13, 2026. The facts below come from the sources listed at the end of this page, each with the day LAYIQ read it. Laws change and details vary, so check the linked source or your state labor department before relying on a rule. This is general information, not legal advice.
| Jurisdiction | Who it covers | In effect since | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | Employers with 15 or more employees, for jobs a Washington-based employee could fill1 | Jan. 1, 20231 | Labor and Industries, ES.E.2 (opens in a new tab) |
What a posting has to show
- Pay and benefits, in each posting. A covered employer discloses, in each posting for each job opening, the wage scale or salary range and a general description of all benefits and other compensation to be offered to the hired applicant.1
- A range with both ends. The department says a range should run from the lowest to the highest pay the employer set before posting, and should not be open-ended, such as a salary with “and up” and no top, or an hourly rate with “up to” and no bottom.1
- Remote jobs. A posting for remote work that a Washington-based employee could do is covered, and an employer cannot avoid the rule by saying it will not accept Washington applicants. A job done entirely at worksites outside Washington is not covered, an exception the department says to apply narrowly.1
- What benefits include. The department’s list includes health care, retirement, paid time off and other benefits reported for federal tax purposes. Other compensation includes bonuses, commissions, profit-sharing and stock options. An electronic posting may link to the detail but still needs a general description.1
Browse Washington jobs by city
LAYIQ job pages for the biggest cities in Washington, each listing the openings LAYIQ has there.
- Seattle, WA (7,413 jobs)
- Redmond, WA (2,090 jobs)
How to cite
Please cite LAYIQ with the date of the law table and, for the share, the as-of date, and say the share describes the postings open at that moment. A suggested citation:
LAYIQ. “Washington pay transparency law: what it requires and who posts pay” Pay range law as of October 13, 2026; posting data as of Oct 17, 2026. https://layiq.ai/data/pay-transparency/washington
The data on this page is licensed under CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab). Credit it as “Source: LAYIQ (layiq.ai), CC BY 4.0”. A link back is welcome, never required.
Frequently asked questions
Which employers must post a pay range in Washington?
Employers with 15 or more employees that engage in business in Washington, for postings that recruit Washington-based employees. The 15 count includes employees without a physical presence in Washington if the employer has one or more Washington-based employees.1
When did Washington’s job posting rule start?
Beginning January 1, 2023, most employers have had to disclose the wage scale or salary range, and the benefits and other compensation, in each posting.1
Does a Washington job posting have to list benefits too?
Yes. A general description of all benefits and other compensation to be offered to the hired applicant is required with the pay.1
What share of Washington job postings on LAYIQ state a pay range?
As of Oct 17, 2026, 78.6% of the 19,283 LAYIQ postings placed in Washington state a US dollar annual or hourly pay range or single figure. It describes the postings LAYIQ lists and does not say whether an employer follows the law.
Sources
- Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. Administrative Policy ES.E.2: Job Posting Requirements (opens in a new tab). Published December 3, 2025. Accessed October 17, 2026.