Massachusetts Pay Transparency Law: What Employers Must Know

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed the Wage Transparency Act into law in July 2024, with an effective date of October 29, 2025. The law requires employers with 25 or more employees to include a salary range in every job posting. Massachusetts is notable for its penalty structure — at up to $25,000 per violation, it is second only to New York City in maximum per-violation exposure.

Quick facts

Law

Massachusetts Wage Transparency Act (H. 4109)

Effective date

October 29, 2025

Employer threshold

25 or more employees

Required: salary range

Yes — minimum and maximum salary or hourly rate

Required: benefits

No

Applies to remote roles

Yes — if the role can be performed in Massachusetts

On-request disclosure

Yes — employees and applicants can request salary range for their role at any time

Penalty

Up to $25,000 per violation (civil fine)

Enforced by

Massachusetts Attorney General

Why the penalty structure matters

Most state pay transparency laws cap per-violation penalties in the $1,000-$10,000 range. Massachusetts at $25,000 is an outlier — only NYC’s $250,000 cap is higher. For a company with 30 open roles that all lack salary ranges, maximum exposure in Massachusetts alone reaches $750,000.

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office has historically been active in wage enforcement. Companies that have been responsive to enforcement in other states should treat Massachusetts compliance as a priority.

What counts as a valid salary range

Massachusetts requires a “good-faith salary range” — the minimum and maximum salary or hourly compensation that the employer reasonably expects to pay for the position. The same standards that apply in other states apply here: a single figure, vague language like “competitive pay,” or an unreasonably wide range all fail to satisfy the requirement.

For roles where compensation includes significant variable components like commission or equity, the base salary range must still be disclosed separately. The variable components can be noted in addition but do not replace the base salary disclosure.

The on-request disclosure requirement

Beyond job postings, Massachusetts also requires employers to provide salary range information on request. Any employee or applicant can ask for the salary range for the role they hold or are applying for, and the employer must provide it. This is separate from the posting requirement and applies regardless of company size — even employers with fewer than 25 employees must respond to on-request salary range inquiries.

Who is covered

The posting requirement applies to employers with 25 or more employees in Massachusetts. Employee count includes full-time, part-time, and temporary workers. Remote employees based in Massachusetts count toward the threshold even if the company is headquartered elsewhere.

The law covers any job posting for a role that will be performed in Massachusetts, including remote roles. Companies headquartered outside Massachusetts that post remote-US roles accessible to Massachusetts workers are covered.