Blog · Updated October 2026
Washington, DC Pay Transparency Law: What Employers Must Know
DC's Wage Transparency Omnibus Amendment Act has applied since June 30, 2024. It covers every employer, requires a pay range in all job listings, and adds a healthcare-benefits disclosure before the first interview.
The District of Columbia’s Wage Transparency Omnibus Amendment Act of 2023 took effect on June 30, 2024. It has no employer-size threshold and some of the higher fines among the jurisdictions with posting laws: $1,000 to $20,000, rising with repeat offenses.
Quick facts
- Law
- Wage Transparency Omnibus Amendment Act of 2023
- Effective date
- June 30, 2024
- Employer threshold
- None
- Required: pay range
- Yes: the projected minimum and maximum salary or hourly pay, in all job listings
- Required: benefits
- Not in the posting, but healthcare benefits must be disclosed before the first interview
- Penalty
- $1,000 to $20,000, escalating by offense
- Enforced by
- DC Office of the Attorney General
The pay range in every listing
Every job listing and position description must include the minimum and maximum projected salary or hourly pay. The range should reflect what the employer believes in good faith it would pay when the listing is published. Open-ended phrasing like “$80,000+” or “depending on experience” doesn’t give a maximum and falls short.
Healthcare benefits before the first interview
DC adds a step most states don’t have: before the first interview, the employer must tell the applicant about the healthcare benefits that come with the job. Many employers satisfy this by putting a benefits summary in the posting itself, which also covers the states that require benefits in the posting.
Penalties
The Office of the Attorney General enforces the law, with penalties from $1,000 to $20,000 that escalate with repeat offenses. See how DC compares with other states in pay transparency fines by state.
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington, DC require salary ranges in job postings?
Yes. Since June 30, 2024, every DC employer must include the projected minimum and maximum salary or hourly pay in all job listings and position descriptions.
Does DC's law cover small employers?
Yes. There is no employer-size threshold.
Do DC employers have to disclose benefits?
Yes, healthcare benefits must be disclosed to applicants before the first interview. The law doesn't require benefits in the posting itself, but putting them there is the simplest way to comply.
What is the penalty for violating DC's pay transparency law?
Penalties range from $1,000 to $20,000, escalating with repeat offenses, enforced by the DC Office of the Attorney General.
See the Washington, DC law reference page for the rule as our validator applies it, or compare every state in the state-by-state table.
Hiring in DC? Check a posting with the PayTransparency validator, free with no signup, and see whether the range and benefits language hold up in DC and every other state the posting can reach.
This guide summarizes the statute and published guidance. It isn’t legal advice.