Imagine knowing exactly what you’ll earn before you apply for a job. No guessing and no wasting time on roles that can’t meet your financial needs.
Job searching is hard enough. Applying blindly shouldn’t be part of the process. Yet for decades, job seekers were expected to invest time and energy into applications without knowing whether the role would even be enough to pay their bills.
Now think about how your pay compares to your coworkers doing the same job. That visibility gives employees powerful leverage. When you know where you stand, you can advocate for a pay raise using real data, not assumptions. Having salary data turns asking for a raise into an informed, confident discussion.
From job seeking to getting a raise, pay transparency is solving a key piece of the hiring and career advancement puzzle. Full pay transparency is one of the most important hiring trend shifts in decades.
Why pay data matters for healthcare employers
For healthcare employers, there’s more to pay transparency than being compliant with local law. Naturally, employers must carefully follow local pay transparency laws to avoid regulatory fines. But the benefits go well beyond compliance.
When healthcare employers are transparent about salary and benefits, they are more likely to attract top-level talent, especially if they have desirable compensation packages. Disclosing salary ranges upfront can also shorten and simplify compensation negotiations, resulting in a faster and more cost-efficient hiring process.
Pay transparency can also build trust among a healthcare system’s workforce by creating a more equitable workplace. When pathways to higher pay are clearly defined, pay transparency can also boost retention and performance as employees seek to improve their skills and qualify for those roles.
It’s important to note that pay transparency applies to all industries, not just healthcare, and that laws can vary between states. For example, while some states require all businesses to disclose salary information, others only require larger businesses to do so. Some require that employers list salary information in all job listings, while others are only required to provide that information upon request. Several states also specifically prohibit employers from asking about a job seeker’s pay history, or from punishing employees for talking about pay.
Here’s a breakdown of current and upcoming pay transparency laws in the U.S.
| State | Employers Affected | Details |
|---|---|---|
| California | All employers | Pay scale must be included in job listings if a company has 15 or more employees. Smaller companies must disclose salary ranges to current employees and job applicants. Current employees must be given pay scale if requested. |
| Colorado | All employers | Compensation must be disclosed in all job postings. |
| Connecticut | All employers | Pay ranges must be disclosed if requested by a job applicant. |
| Delaware (goes into effect Sep. 26, 2027) | With more than 25 employees | Salary and benefits must be disclosed in all job postings. |
| District of Columbia | All employers | Salary range must be disclosed in job postings. Healthcare benefits must be disclosed before first interview. |
| Hawaii | With 50 or more employees | Pay scale must be included in job postings. |
| Illinois | With 15 or more employees | Wage scale and benefits descriptions must be included in job postings. |
| Maryland | All employers | Wage ranges must be included in job postings and made available to job seekers when requested. |
| Massachusetts | With 25 or more employees | Pay range must be disclosed in all job listings. |
| Minnesota | With 30 or more employees | Pay range and general benefits description must be included in all job postings. |
| Nevada | All employers | Salary information must be shared with job applicants. |
| New Jersey | With 10 or more employees | Salary range and benefits description must be included in all job listings. Jersey City has additional requirements. |
| New York | With 4 or more employees | Salary range must be disclosed in all job listings. Ithaca, New York City, and Westchester County have additional requirements. |
| Ohio | Varies | The cities of Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo have local pay transparency laws |
| Oregon | All employers | At time of hire, employers must provide payroll code, pay rate, and itemized deduction explanations. |
| Rhode Island | All employers | Pay ranges must be disclosed if requested by a job applicant. |
| Vermont | With 5 or more employees | Salary range must be disclosed in all job listings. |
| Washington | With 15 or more employees | Salary range must be disclosed in all job listings. Internal transfer and promotion pay rates must be disclosed if requested. |
In addition, Alaska, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia have introduced pay transparency bills that have not yet been passed into law.
Why pay transparency matters for job seekers
Pay transparency can greatly improve job seekers’ employment searches. Applicants don’t have to worry about wasting their time applying and interviewing for roles that don’t meet their salary needs. When multiple options transparently display salary and benefits information, it also makes it easier for qualified applicants to weigh their options and choose the one that best fits their needs, based on compensation and other factors.
This can significantly streamline the job search, helping job seekers find a role more quickly and giving them greater confidence that a role is truly right for them. Employees can enter a new role knowing they are being paid fairly for their work.
Pay transparency creates win-wins
StaffDNA® has always believed in pay transparency and its ability to create win-wins for both healthcare employers and job seekers. On our platform, we’ve always provided pay details so candidates can quickly compare opportunities — and so healthcare employers can ensure they’re offering fair and competitive compensation packages that will attract top talent.
For job seekers in particular, when you use the MyRate™ benefits calculator in the StaffDNA app, you can get an even deeper dive into pay transparency with an in-depth understanding of your full pay and benefits package, including hourly wages and take-home pay, as well as lodging stipends and travel allowances. By finding the right opportunities and benefits packages, you can continue your job search with confidence.
