New Jersey is the latest state to enact a pay transparency law. As of June 1, employers with 10 or more workers doing business in the state, and that take applications for employment within New Jersey, must share information about salary and benefits when they post new jobs or transfer opportunities with their organizations.
Gov. Phil Murphy, who signed the New Jersey bill into law last November, said the legislation is part of his administration’s “efforts to make the Garden State more equitable, ensuring that critical salary and benefits information and career advancement opportunities are accessible to our workers,” according to a May 29 press release from his office.
This latest law is part of a broader movement to require employers to share more information about how they pay employees in the hopes it will even the playing field during salary negotiations, and help close pay gaps.
What New Jersey’s pay transparency law requires. Covered employers must now include the following information when they post new jobs or transfer opportunities with their organizations:
- Either the hourly wage or salary, or a range, for the position;
- A description of benefits; and
- Any other compensation programs for which an employee would be eligible if they took the position
Salary or hourly wage ranges also must have a start and end point, according to guidance published by New Jersey’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Posting that a job simply pays “up to $35.00 per hour,” for example, is insufficient.
Quick-to-read HR news & insights
From recruiting and retention to company culture and the latest in HR tech, HR Brew delivers up-to-date industry news and tips to help HR pros stay nimble in today’s fast-changing business environment.
New Jersey is among a handful of states that require businesses to share information about the benefits they offer employees, in addition to compensation. The law asks employers to provide a “general description” of benefits, while avoiding phrases that lack details, such as “health insurance and more.” Colorado, Illinois, and Washington are among the states that also require employers to publish a description of their benefits.
As part of the New Jersey law, employers must also make “reasonable efforts” to notify employees of promotion opportunities in their departments when they arise.
Say how you pay. Fourteen states and Washington, DC will have pay transparency laws on the books by the end of 2025. The wave of legislation in recent years has spurred more employers to include salary ranges when they post open roles, even if they’re not based in jurisdictions where it’s required. As of February 2025, 53% of job postings from New Jersey employers included salary information, according to data from the career site Indeed.
Some experts have questioned whether pay transparency laws can affect employee motivation and engagement. For instance, one recent study found disclosing not only pay, but also performance rank, can influence how aggressive workers are in negotiating salaries, with top performers more likely to ask for significantly higher raises. As such, the professor who led the study told HR Brew that pay transparency warrants a “nuanced” approach, with employers carefully considering how to share compensation information.
