Pay Transparency Laws in Maryland
Maryland has pay transparency requirements
Maryland requires employers to disclose the wage range for a position to applicants upon request. Effective October 2024, employers with 15 or more employees must also include the minimum and maximum salary in job postings. Maryland bans employers from seeking salary history information.
Key details
| Pay transparency law? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Salary range in job postings? | Yes |
| Salary range on request? | Yes |
| Salary history ban? | Yes |
| Employer size threshold | 15+ employees — 15+ employees for posting requirement. Salary history ban and upon-request disclosure apply to all employers. |
| Effective date | October 1, 2024 |
| Penalties | Fines up to $600 for first violation, up to $2,500 for repeat violations. |
| Statute | Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. SS 3-304.2 (HB 649) |
Pay Transparency Laws in Maryland: what you need to know
Maryland has enacted a pay transparency law that affects how employers handle salary information. Maryland requires employers to disclose the wage range for a position to applicants upon request. Effective October 2024, employers with 15 or more employees must also include the minimum and maximum salary in job postings. Maryland bans employers from seeking salary history information. Pay transparency laws are one of the fastest-growing areas of employment regulation in the country, and Maryland is among the states leading this trend.
Maryland requires employers to include salary ranges in job postings. 15+ employees for posting requirement. Salary history ban and upon-request disclosure apply to all employers. This means that when you apply for a job in Maryland, you should be able to see the pay range before you invest time in the application process. This requirement applies to employers with 15 or more employees.
In Maryland, employers must provide salary range information upon request,. This means you can ask a prospective employer for the salary range at any point during the hiring process.
Maryland also prohibits employers from asking about your salary history during the hiring process. This is an important protection because relying on salary history can perpetuate wage gaps, particularly for women and people of color who may have been underpaid in previous positions. Employers in Maryland must base compensation on the value of the role and your qualifications, not on what you earned before.
Enforcement of Maryland's pay transparency law includes penalties for non-compliance. Fines up to $600 for first violation, up to $2,500 for repeat violations. These penalties give the law teeth and create an incentive for employers to comply proactively rather than waiting for a complaint.
For Maryland workers, understanding pay transparency laws (or the lack thereof) is important for salary negotiations. Knowing the salary range for a position gives you concrete information to negotiate from. Knowledge of the market rate for your role and experience level is one of the most powerful tools you have in any salary conversation.
More Maryland workplace laws
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Frequently asked questions about pay transparency laws in Maryland
Yes. Maryland requires employers with 15 or more employees to include salary ranges in job postings.
No. Maryland has a salary history ban that prohibits employers from asking about your previous compensation during the hiring process.
Yes. Maryland requires employers to provide salary range information upon request.
Fines up to $600 for first violation, up to $2,500 for repeat violations.
This depends on the specific provisions of Maryland law. Some states require transparency for any job that can be performed in the state, while others apply only to positions physically located there. Check the specific statutory language or consult an attorney.