What is pay transparency?
Pay transparency covers the practices that make pay visible: posting a range in job ads, answering candidates' pay questions, and sometimes publishing pay gap reports. In recruiting, the central topic is stating compensation in job postings, which has become mandatory in several jurisdictions.
Why does pay transparency matter?
- For candidates: knowing right away whether the job fits their needs avoids entire processes that fail at the offer stage.
- For employers: fewer offers declined over pay, a better offer acceptance rate and a reputation for honesty.
- For fairness: a public range limits unjustified gaps between people hired for the same role.
Examples by jurisdiction
Ontario. Since January 1, 2026, employers with 25 or more employees must include the expected compensation or a range in every public job posting. The range cannot span more than $50,000 a year. The rule does not apply when expected compensation exceeds $200,000 a year. The same rules require stating whether the posting is for an existing vacancy, disclosing the use of artificial intelligence in selection, and prohibit requiring Canadian experience.
British Columbia. Since November 1, 2023, all provincially regulated employers must include the wage or salary, or a range, in public job postings. According to the B.C. government, the information must reflect the employer's reasonable expectation at the time of posting, and candidates can still negotiate outside the range.
Quebec. The Pay Equity Act addresses gaps between predominantly female and predominantly male job classes; it does not require pay in job postings. Posting a range is still good practice, and a firm recruiting for roles in Ontario or B.C. must follow those provinces' rules.
United States. Several states have rules. In Colorado, the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act requires posting the base pay range and a general description of benefits, and also covers remote roles that could be performed in Colorado. In California, employers with 15 or more employees must include the pay scale, meaning a good faith estimate of the range they reasonably expect to pay (Labor Code 432.3). Other states and cities have adopted similar rules: check the law for each work location.
These points summarize official sources reviewed in September 2026. They are general information, not legal advice.
Best practices
- Post a real range. A range of $40,000 to $140,000 tells the candidate nothing and, in Ontario, exceeds the allowed spread.
- Keep every platform consistent. A posting published on several job boards should carry the same range everywhere.
- Prepare for questions from current staff. A public range prompts internal questions: review your own gaps first.
- Keep records. Ontario requires keeping public job postings and application forms for three years.
With RecruitEasy
RecruitEasy's job form includes a compensation field shown on the public posting. Multiposting a posting to several job boards is in development and not yet available. Public postings also carry an AI use notice by default, which an organization can only remove by attesting that it has fewer than 25 employees. The 2026 HR compliance deadlines guide for Canada covers the rest of the calendar.