Finding a healthcare job – or any job — can be daunting, despite the high demand for skilled healthcare professionals. While many hospitals and healthcare systems continue to face staffing shortages, many are slow to hire due to long, complicated hiring processes. A lengthy hiring process can lead to increased competition for fewer available positions. If you have been job hunting recently, you know that this process can feel unpredictable and full of unknowns. But one thing that shouldn’t be a mystery is how much you’ll be paid. That’s where pay transparency comes in.
What is pay transparency?
Pay transparency means employers openly share compensation information, including hourly or annual salary ranges, as part of the job listing. It’s a movement designed to close wage gaps across generations, race, and other demographics, and has become a key tool in job searching. It helps professionals in any industry understand pay, enabling fair salary negotiations in the job search and hiring process.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 82% of workers in the United States are more likely to apply for a job when they know the pay range. This trend of pay transparency is still relatively new, but it’s growing. Currently, 14 states, the District of Columbia, and certain cities have laws requiring salary transparency from employers.
Why pay transparency matters
Pay transparency is important for healthcare professionals because it protects them during the job-seeking process. When you know exactly what a potential job pays, you can more effectively compare different offers and choose the right job for you and your financial needs. This is because the cost of living and other expenses can vary significantly by city, which is why pay transparency is especially important for healthcare professionals who travel or move to another city or state for work. Knowing a job’s pay rate is essential for travel nurses and other professionals to make an informed decision.
Pay transparency also matters for hospitals and healthcare employers. It helps them to reach the right people for the job, reducing the time spent on pay negotiations.
Pay transparency nationally
Pay transparency looks different from state to state. Depending on the company and local laws, some companies list all wage information on job postings and others share wage information during interviews or only when an applicant requests it. What kind of information is included in pay information varies, too. Some employers may disclose more than just salary ranges, and reveal internal pay structures, employee benefits, and any possible bonuses.
History of pay transparency
Pay transparency is a growing trend, but many parts of the country still lack it. Employers historically have not shared wage details with job candidates for various reasons. A lack of pay transparency reduces job seekers’ bargaining power during interviews and negotiations. This approach has been financially advantageous for employers. Additionally, hiding pay disparities and wage gaps becomes easier without transparency.
Many employers have traditionally resisted pay transparency to prevent current employees from knowing what their coworkers make or what new applicants are being offered. There are more reasons employers resist pay transparency. Concerns about internal employees becoming resentful of pay, risk of discrimination claims, and loss of competitive advantage to rival companies are other reasons.
Pay transparency in healthcare began picking up momentum during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitals needed skilled healthcare workers and were willing to share wage information to attract the right employees. With growing legislative pressure, employee demand, and the need to improve employee attraction and retention, more and more hospitals and healthcare facilities are adopting pay transparency.
Current pay transparency laws by state
There is currently no federal law requiring companies to provide pay transparency. A bill (HR1599) called the Salary Transparency Act was introduced into the House of Representatives in 2023, but it has not been passed.
At this time, the following states have their own pay transparency laws:
- California: Employers with 1 to 14 employees must disclose salary ranges to applicants and current employees. Companies with 15 or more employees must provide salary ranges in all job postings. California is continuing to refine its pay transparency laws.
- Colorado: As part of its Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, all Colorado companies with at least one worker in the state must announce all job opportunities to every employee and provide the salary ranges.
- Connecticut: All employers must disclose the pay range on job postings as of October 2021.
- District of Columbia: All employers must provide a minimum and maximum salary or hourly pay on job postings.
- Hawaii: All businesses with at least 50 employees must provide salary and hourly wages on every job posting.
- Illinois: All employers with at least 15 employees must provide a salary range on all job postings.
- Maryland: All employers must provide salary ranges when requested by a job applicant.
- Massachusetts: As of October 29, 2025, all employers with 25 or more employees must disclose pay ranges for all job postings.
- Minnesota: Employers with 30 or more employees must disclose a salary or hourly pay range on all job postings.
- Nevada: All employers must provide job applicants with salary information during or after the interview as of October 2021.
- New Jersey: Employers with 10 or more employees must include a pay range and annual benefits on all external and internal job postings.
- New York: Employers with 4 or more employees must disclose salary ranges on all advertised job postings.
- Rhode Island: Employers with at least one employee must disclose salary ranges to all job applicants before discussing a job offer.
- Vermont: Employers with 5 or more employees must disclose the hourly wage or salary range for all job postings.
- Washington: Employers with 15 or more employees must include salary ranges on all job postings.
StaffDNA® champions pay transparency
While pay transparency laws are becoming more common, there is still a long way to go. Many employers who share pay information do so only because they are required by law.
StaffDNA is committed to supporting healthcare workers to take control of their careers. As part of this commitment, StaffDNA is the first healthcare career management platform to provide full transparency for salary and benefits upfront for every job listed, without having to register or provide any personal data or information.
To help job seekers make informed decisions, StaffDNA has developed technology that enables healthcare professionals to understand benefit options when seeking employment. With the StaffDNA My Rate™calculator, there’s no more hidden numbers or complex math to figure out what your future paycheck will look like. This pay and benefits calculator allows you to determine your hourly wage, take-home pay, lodging stipend, and travel allowance. This helps you to spot high-paying opportunities right away and find the right job for you.
When you’re job searching, make sure you’re working with a recruiting company or using advanced technology that discloses pay rates. Making the right decision about a job as a healthcare professional is difficult enough – not having pay information up front shouldn’t hold you back.
