Remote job pay transparency by state rules

Do remote job postings now need to show pay and benefits if the role can be done from a state with pay-transparency rules

No. A remote posting only has to show pay or benefits when the relevant state law covers that posting, and the coverage test is state-specific.

The part people miss is that “remote” is not one rule. Some states cover jobs tied to an in-state supervisor, office, or worksite, even when the worker sits at home elsewhere. New York says remote roles must include pay when they report to a New York supervisor, office, or worksite. Colorado covers remote jobs for covered employers. Illinois covers postings for work to be performed at least in part in Illinois, and its rule includes benefits.

The inconvenient part is that where the company is located is not the only question. New York says a fully remote role with company leadership and offices outside New York is not covered just because a supervisor happens to work from New York. Colorado says a remote job posting is covered for employers with Colorado employees, and Illinois says an out-of-state employer’s remote role can still be covered if the work is performed in Illinois or reports to an Illinois worksite.

Benefits are not required everywhere. New York’s guidance focuses on a salary or pay range. Illinois requires both pay scale and benefits in covered postings. Colorado requires compensation and benefits in covered postings. California’s pay scale rule requires a salary or hourly range, and its guidance says tangible benefits are not required in the posting itself.

That means the safe answer is not “remote jobs must always show benefits.” The real answer is, first identify which state law applies to the posting, then read that state’s disclosure rule. A posting that is legal in one state can be incomplete in another, even when the work is identical and fully remote.

A practical example helps. If a company advertises a remote role and expects the hired person to report to an Illinois worksite, Illinois requires pay scale and benefits in the posting. If the same role is truly performable anywhere and does not report to a New York worksite, New York says the posting is not covered by its pay transparency rule. If the role is covered by Colorado’s rule, the posting needs compensation and benefits.

Another mistake is assuming a job board or recruiter carries the legal burden. New York says employers remain responsible for the advertisements they agree to post, even when a third-party recruitment tool or job board is used. Illinois similarly says recruiters, agencies, and job boards involved in a specific posting must ensure the required pay and benefit information is included.

The clean workflow is simple: identify the states where the role could legally be performed, confirm whether the posting reports to an in-state supervisor, office, or worksite, then apply the strictest applicable disclosure rule. If the role touches Illinois or Colorado under their coverage tests, benefits disclosure becomes part of the posting. If the role only has a New York connection through a remote supervisor and the company leadership is elsewhere, New York’s FAQ says that alone does not trigger coverage.

For teams that post nationally, the easiest mistake is to reuse one template everywhere. That creates two problems: a posting can miss required pay or benefits in a covered state, or it can include extra detail that is not required but still needs to be accurate. The better habit is to keep a state-by-state posting matrix and update the template before the job goes live.

If you want to review your own posting process, DevConnect’s platform page is here: https://devconnectplatform.com. The legal question still comes first, because the posting has to match the state rule before it reaches any marketplace or board.

What states clearly require pay or benefits in remote postings

New York requires pay or a pay range for covered postings, including remote positions that report to a New York supervisor, office, or worksite. Illinois requires pay scale and benefits for covered postings, including remote work that is to be performed at least in part in Illinois or reports to an Illinois supervisor, office, or worksite. Colorado requires compensation and benefits in covered postings for employers with Colorado employees, including remote jobs.

Does every remote role posted nationwide need the same disclosure

No. The disclosure duty depends on the state law that reaches the posting. New York, Illinois, Colorado, and California do not use the same coverage test and do not require the same fields in every case. A single national template can be wrong in both directions, missing required details in one state and adding unnecessary details in another.

What should an employer check before publishing a remote posting

Check where the role may be performed, whether it reports to a supervisor, office, or worksite in a covered state, and whether the posting is internal, external, or published through a third party. Then apply the state rule that governs pay, pay ranges, compensation, and benefits for that posting.

Sources - New York State Department of Labor, Pay Transparency Act Frequently Asked Questions: https://dol.ny.gov/node/45456 - New York State Department of Labor, Pay Transparency Law for Employers: https://dol.ny.gov/pay-transparency-law-employers-p687 - Illinois Department of Labor, Equal Pay Act Salary Transparency: https://labor.illinois.gov/laws-rules/conmed/equal-pay-act-salary-transparency.html - Illinois Department of Labor, Equal Pay Act Salary Transparency FAQ: https://labor.illinois.gov/faqs/equal-pay-act-salary-transparency-faq.html - Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Compliance Assistance Letter to Employers, Remote Jobs Covered by EPEWA: https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/Compliance%20Assistance%20Letter%20to%20Employers%2C%20Remote%20Jobs%20Covered%20by%20EPEWA%20%5Baccessible%5D.pdf - California Department of Industrial Relations, California Equal Pay Act: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/california_equal_pay_act.htm