Minnesota Pay Transparency Law: What Employers Must Know

Minnesota’s posting requirement, Minn. Stat. § 181.173, was enacted through the 2024 Omnibus Labor & Industry Policy bill (SF 3852, Chapter 110), signed May 17, 2024. It places Minnesota in the group of states that require more than a bare range: postings must also carry a general description of all benefits and other compensation. See how it compares with every other state posting law.

Quick facts

Law

Minn. Stat. § 181.173, enacted via SF 3852 (2024, Chapter 110)

Effective date

January 1, 2025

Employer threshold

30 or more employees at one or more Minnesota sites (in-state count)

Required: salary range

Yes — good-faith minimum and maximum; cannot be open-ended; a fixed rate is allowed instead

Required: benefits

Yes — general description of all benefits and other compensation, including health and retirement

Third-party postings

Covered — recruiter postings on the employer’s behalf must comply

Applies to remote roles

Not expressly addressed — treat as ambiguous and include a range

Penalty

No amounts specified in the statute

Enforced by

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry; Attorney General

The range cannot be open-ended

Minnesota is explicit where some states are silent: the posted range must have both a minimum and a maximum, set in good faith. “$60,000 and up” or “up to $95,000” both fail. The one exception is a position that genuinely pays a single amount — there, the employer may state the fixed pay rate rather than construct an artificial range.

The threshold is counted in Minnesota

Coverage requires 30 or more employees at one or more Minnesota sites. This is an in-state count: a national company with 500 employees but only a 12-person Minneapolis office is not covered, while a 35-person company entirely within Minnesota is. Note the contrast with New Jersey, which counts a company’s total workforce wherever located.

The statute does not expressly address remote roles. Until the Department of Labor and Industry or the courts clarify, the conservative reading is that a posting open to Minnesota-based remote candidates from a covered employer should carry the disclosures.

No fine schedule — but not toothless

Unlike Illinois ($500–$10,000 per violation) or Massachusetts (up to $25,000), § 181.173 sets out no penalty amounts. Enforcement runs through the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry and the Attorney General, who retain their general enforcement tools. For multistate employers the practical takeaway is unchanged: the posting standard is the same one Colorado and Washington already hold you to, so complying costs little beyond what those states require.

Frequently asked questions