October 29, 2025
The Massachusetts Act Relative to Salary Range Transparency goes into effect today. Signed in 2024 by Governor Healy, this law attempts to close the wage gap, increase equity, and normalize pay transparency.
Massachusetts is just one of many states and municipalities who have enacted or are working towards pay transparency laws. In 2022, New York City enacted a similar law which prompted neighboring states to be more transparent in disclosing pay in order to stay competitive with New York. Despite no formal requirement in Massachusetts until today, many companies were already aware of the steep competition, especially in highly-skilled tech jobs.
Key Requirements of the Law
Employers with 25 or more employees will be required to disclose base salary ranges in job postings and job ads. This requirement also extends to third parties, including recruiters like Talener. Current employees will also be able to request the salary range for their own job. Ranges must be in good faith and present what a company will “reasonably” pay for the position.
- Applies to employers with 25 or more employees with a primary place of work in Massachusetts during the prior calendar year.
- Reporting requirements for employers with 100 or more employees (whose primary place of work is Massachusetts).
- “Employees” include full-time, part-time, seasonal & temporary employees.
- Employer headcount includes out-of-state remote employees whose primary place of work is Massachusetts.
- The pay range in a job ad or posting includes jobs that can be performed remotely to a Massachusetts worksite.
- “Good Faith” pay range is defined as the annual salary range or annual hourly range.
- Positions based on piece rate or commissions must also include a piece rate or commission range that employers are reasonably expecting to pay.
- Current employees can request the range for their specific position even if there is no vacancy for that position.
Impact & Benefits
It is likely that we will see some employers post unusually large ranges, though most companies have been expecting this type of law for some time. Overall, it is positive for both job applicants and employers to save time in the hiring process.
Job seekers are able to apply to jobs that they know they can afford and employers aren’t wasting time interviewing applicants who can’t or won’t accept an offer within the projected budget for the job. This is an opportunity for companies to streamline hiring processes and solidify personnel budgets before offers are made.
Employers will need to know what specific skill sets and experiences correspond to the level within the published range. Ultimately, this provides clarity internally and externally. The trade off, is that applicants will likely have less room to negotiate above the ceiling of the advertised range.
Transparency and Communication are Key
Overall, the keys to the success of this law and others around the country are rooted in transparency and communication. Gatekeeping salary ranges and even benefits until everyone is deep into the interview process is just bad business. Projects need to get done and goals need to be met. It isn’t a hostage negotiation – it’s an exchange of services & expertise for pay.
Talener’s VP of Client Services, Bethany Moulthrop spoke with CBS Boston about the impact of this law. For the past three years, the Talener team, including the Boston team, has integrated salary range transparency into our staffing process. When we are able to have direct conversations with our clients and candidates about compensation early in the process, trust is built and the outcomes are better for everyone.
For more detailed information on the law, visit the official Commonwealth of Massachusetts website.
