Publication Date: June 18, 2025
🕒 5 minute read
Employee compensation in the U.S. has long been kept behind closed doors. Traditionally, salary discussions were seen as taboo, and most job postings stayed silent on pay until the final stages of the hiring process. But today, the rise of pay transparency laws—combined with workplace trends like remote work, virtual hiring, and a more geographically distributed workforce—has triggered a major shift in how companies talk about (and share) wages. These changes are putting pressure on employers to be more upfront about pay expectations from the very beginning of the recruiting process.
The hotly debated question of wage transparency seems simple—but like most things in HR, the answer of whether or not to post pay is… “it depends.”
As transparency evolves from a “nice-to-have” to a legal expectation in many regions, HR professionals and business leaders are being pushed to navigate these changes in a way that promotes equity without igniting internal chaos.
At Cooper People Group, we work closely with organizations navigating talent acquisition and internal equity—and yes, we definitely have some thoughts on this nuanced issue.
The Case For Posting Wages
At its core, pay transparency promotes equity, honesty, and efficiency. When wage ranges are posted:
- Candidates can self-select into the application process, filtering out those whose expectations don’t align.
- It reflects a commitment to fair pay practices and helps build trust with potential employees.
- It can speed up the hiring cycle, particularly for entry-level and frontline roles.
According to SHRM, 70% of organizations that list pay ranges say doing so increased applications, and 66% saw an improvement in candidate quality [source: SHRM survey].
If companies like McDonald’s are including wages on their job boards, there’s little reason smaller organizations can’t adopt a similar level of openness—especially for roles with well-established pay norms.
When It Can Backfire: Internal Fallout and Cultural Readiness
Despite its benefits, posting wages can cause internal disruption if implemented hastily or without context. As CPG Founder & Chief People Office Lisa Cooper puts it:
“If the team doesn’t already have an understanding of pay ranges, grades, structures, and processes, and the first time they see published wages is on a job board, it can create feelings of tension, inequity, jealousy, etc.”
If your internal teams have limited understanding of your compensation philosophy—how pay is structured, what determines raises, how roles are graded—their first exposure to wage ranges on public job boards may be met with:
- Mistrust (“Why is this new hire making almost as much as me?”)
- Jealousy and resentment
- Speculation and comparisons, especially in leadership or exempt-level roles
This can lead to confusion and morale issues, particularly if employees feel left out of the broader compensation conversation. It also puts employers in a tough spot during salary negotiations. When the full range is posted, candidates often anchor their expectations at the top—regardless of experience. If your intent isn’t to hire at the top of market, you’ve essentially set yourself up to negotiate against your own ceiling.
In these cases, companies may be better served by narrowing the posted range or even listing only a midpoint. This sets more realistic expectations and minimizes the chance of inadvertently signaling internal pay practices—intel that your competitors may gladly take note of.
A Strategic Approach: Build Internal Transparency First
Before going public with salary ranges, employers should first focus on internal transparency. Rather than rushing to public wage disclosures, begin by:
- Educating your team on pay structures, including how compensation is determined across different roles and levels.
- Implementing a transparent internal compensation philosophy that’s communicated clearly and consistently, including documenting legitimate reasons for pay differences (experience, education, and location).
- Reviewing current employee compensation for fairness and consistency before posting external ranges.
- Training managers on how to discuss compensation constructively.
- Aligning with compliance requirements (if applicable in your region).
Without this internal alignment, even well-intentioned postings can spark resentment—especially when team members see new hires potentially earning more for the same work.
Compliance and Legal Considerations
In some jurisdictions, wage transparency isn’t optional. Several states have enacted pay transparency laws requiring employers to disclose wage ranges in job postings.
Key legal factors to watch:
- Location-based laws: Compliance is often tied to where the job is located or where the candidate resides.
- Remote roles can still trigger multi-state compliance requirements, and transparency laws may apply if your job is open to candidates in regulated states.
- Many states require disclosure upon request.
- Salary history bans are in place in more than 20 states, prohibiting employers from asking candidates about past earnings.
What happens if you don’t follow regulations in your region? Well…violations can be costly. Colorado, for example, levies fines of $500–$10,000 per offense.
At a Glance: When to Post Wages (and When to Pause)
| Role Type | Recommend Posting Wage? | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Frontline/Hourly | ✅ Often Yes | Competitive, efficient, high-volume hiring |
| Entry-Level | ✅ Often Yes | Clear expectations, limited pay variation |
| Technical Roles | ⚠️ Depends | Consider market rates, internal equity |
| Exempt/Leadership | ❌ Usually No | High variability, more complex comp considerations |
If you choose to post, avoid overly broad ranges—a $90K–$900K range does more harm than good. Ensure posted ranges are based in good faith and reflect base salary only, not total compensation
And remember – every business and every role is unique, and your trusty HR advisor can help you navigate your specific postings.
Final Thoughts: Be Intentional, Be Transparent—Internally First
Posting wages isn’t just a checkbox for job ads—it’s a reflection of your culture, your values, and your readiness for transparency. Start inside. Build understanding. Educate your teams. Then, move outward with consistency, fairness, and strategic intent. Before you hit “publish” on that next job posting with a salary range, ask:
- Is your internal compensation strategy clearly defined?
- Have your current employees been educated on how pay is determined?
- Are you compliant with all applicable laws?
- Are you prepared to explain why someone earns what they earn?
The move toward wage transparency is not just a compliance necessity—it’s an opportunity to align your compensation philosophy with your values. Start internally, move with intention, and let transparency be a tool—not a trap.
Want to talk about how to prepare your company for pay transparency? Let’s connect! We help organizations build sustainable compensation strategies that work—for both people and performance.
