Read about potential changes to pay transparency laws at the federal level, as well as key aspects of states' transparency laws.

Read a breakdown of each state's pay transparency laws.

Pay transparency laws in the US are evolving quickly, as some states introduce them for the first time and others update existing legislation. This resource has an updated list of key pay transparency legislation in states across the country, as well as general explainers about what each of those laws dictate. Check it out here.

More than 5 states have enacted salary transparency laws, and at least 15 states are considering it.

Pay transparency is a relatively new legal phenomenon, so studies on its impact are limited. However, this article details a few early studies that suggest pay transparency legislation could help decrease the gender pay gap, increase labor participation rates, and reduce employer recruiting costs. Learn more here.

Generally speaking, pay transparency occurs when an employer provides compensation information.

Generally speaking, pay transparency occurs when an employer provides compensation information. But that idea can take many different forms in different states with different pay transparency laws depending on what each specific law dictates. To learn about more pay transparency basics like the ones above, read this article.

One of the driving forces behind an increase in pay transparency laws is their ability to help close the gender pay gap.

Since 2018, pay transparency laws have been enacted in more than a few states and cities across the US. But what's driving the trend, from a legal perspective? This law review article attempts to answer that question, citing factors such as the Great Recession and the gender pay gap—click here to learn more.

The impact of knowing your coworker’s salary

In 2025, five more states enacted pay transparency laws, requiring employers to disclose salaries in job postings. The goal? Reduce wage gaps and promote fairness. But despite these laws, 42% of job listings still hide pay details.

In 2021, Colorado became the first state in the US to require companies to publicly disclose salary ranges on job postings.

In 2021, Colorado became the first state in the US to require public disclosures of salary ranges. Flash forward a few years, and other places in America would get salary transparency laws, too, like Washington state, New York City, and California. But the salary transparency movement might have a downside: Some researchers believe it could hurt wage growth for workers over time. Watch this video to learn more.

Research shows that increased pay transparency could result in lower wage growth and a potential decrease in worker bargaining power.

Research on pay transparency's impacts has been limited given the short amount of time since American states began passing pay transparency legislation. However, this early study from researchers out of Brown and Harvard found that increasing pay transparency could have the potential to decrease worker bargaining power, resulting in lower average wages for employees. Read the research here.

Despite being completely legal to discuss salaries with your coworkers, the practice largely remains taboo in the US, particularly amongst older workers.

Pay transparency—once considered taboo—is gaining momentum. Despite being legally protected since 1935, open salary discussions have only recently become more common, especially among younger workers. This overview explores how cultural norms, economic shifts, and new state laws are reshaping the conversation around what we earn.

Read a breakdown of the pros and cons of pay transparency.

While the benefits of pay transparency may seem plentiful to some, there are a few less obvious downsides. For instance, some argue companies that implement pay transparency could end up hiring fewer people or pitting employees against each other. For a full list of perceived pros and cons of pay transparency, click here.

Pay transparency advocates claim that increased awareness about how much coworkers are being paid helps stop speculative judgments about other team members' pay based on faulty data points, like what type of car a coworker drives.

The star of this Harvard Business Review video interviews experts—from an organizational psychologist and business professor to a TikToker who asks people how much money they make—to get to the bottom of core issues about pay transparency. Why is talking about money becoming less taboo? How do pay transparency laws impact workers, employers, and office culture? Watch this video to find out.

Listen to a pay transparency expert breakdown what she's learned about negotiating a higher salary.

Maybe you've seen one of Hannah Williams' videos on social media. On her viral "Salary Transparent Street" accounts, Williams stands on the street with a microphone and asks passersby to tell her how much money they make per year. This podcast interview with Williams details what she's learned about pay transparency in the process. Listen to it here.

Federal law requires payday lenders to meet certain transparency requirements, but states have their own regulations

Federal law treats payday lending like other lines of credit, meaning it requires lenders to disclose the loan's interest rate and its "finance charge," a dollar amount expressing the full cost of the loan. But states have their own regulations around payday lending, hence why it isn't allowed in every state and why the industry looks so different across the country. These regulations are often part of a state's usury laws.

Read a profile about a company that makes everyone's salaries public knowledge in an effort to curb the gender pay gap.

At social media management platform Buffer, employees have been able to see each other's salaries since the year 2013. This article explains how Buffer's decision to make these numbers public has impacted the social media company's workplace culture, internal wage growth, and more. Read the article here.

Read why some states are considering imposing a flat tax rate that isn't adjusted by income

Wisconsin was the first US state to impose a state income tax, close in time to when the federal income tax went into effect. Many states followed suit, but nine states to this day still don't levy wage-related taxes.

An animation of how the minimum wage changed every year from 1968 to 2018

In the United States, both the federal and state minimum wages have changed a lot over the years. See how—both in each state and at the federal level.

The federal minimum wage in the US has been $7.25 per hour since 2009

While some argue that raising it is essential for reducing poverty, others fear it could lead to inflation and job cuts. The complexity deepens with states setting their own minimum wages—some even below the federal rate—leading to a patchwork of wage laws.

Members of the United States Congress earn $174,000 annually

Members of the United States Congress have received the same pay since 2009. Leadership roles are more lucrative, and lawmakers become eligible for a federal pension after five years, with benefits tied to the length of service and salary.

Explore an interactive chart that shows peoples' annual salaries by occupation

The median salary for full-time workers in the United States was roughly $49.5K in 2024. An interactive chart details how salaries differ by occupation.

In 2019, Congress passed the Secure Act to reform key aspects of the US tax code

Key Secure Act provisions included raising the age at which mandatory distributions take effect (to increase saving), allowing larger catch-up contributions for older individuals, and allowing employers to directly match contributions in a Roth 401(k).

Since its inception in 1938, Congress has raised the federal minimum wage 22 times

If you want all the details about when and why these rate increases happened check out this resource from the US Department of Labor.

The first federal minimum wage wasn't set until 1938, when it was 25 cents per hour.

See every time the minimum wage has been raised.

27 states have right-to-work laws

That means employees in those states can choose whether or not to join a union at their workplace. Right-to-work laws also make it optional for employees in unionized workplaces to pay fees associated with union membership.

Understanding the low corporate tax rate in the US

Corporate taxes, which make up roughly a third of the federal government's revenue, have been calculated using a flat 21% rate since the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act of 2017. The current rate is considered low both by historic standards (it averaged over 50% in the 1950s and 1960s) and compared to other countries.

States are creating legislation to try to better protect their healthcare workers

State lawmakers and hospitals are scrambling to protect the nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers that are increasingly experiencing workplace violence. Dozens of states have passed laws or are working on bills that aim to curb hospital and clinic violence by requiring detailed violence prevention plans from employers, increasing legal penalties for those who attack healthcare workers, or taking steps like requiring hospitals to have a law enforcement officer—not just a security officer—on-site.

Many states require higher direct wage amounts for tipped employees than the federal requirement

Employers of "tipped employees" are required to pay them $2.13 per hour in direct wages if that amount, combined with the tips, at least equals the federal minimum wage of $7.25. If the employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 per hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer has to make up the difference. However, this differs from state to state. This interactive map shows what tipped workers make per hour in every state.

There's a widespread taboo around talking about money in the US, but that taboo is widely different across the lower and upper classes, as well as amongst different races.

In the United States, asking someone how much money they make (or any questions about money, really) has long been considered rude. But where did this social norm come from originally? And why do Americans still feel so awkward talking about money? This article from The Atlantic takes a deep dive into the socioeconomic forces that created the money taboo. Read the full piece here.

The government has said Title IX does not protect transgender athletes or apply to athlete pay

In early 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender women from college athletics, suggesting the move was in line with Title IX compliance. A week later, the Department of Education said Title IX does not require equitable distribution of name, image, and likeness payments to athletes. Both instances reverse former President Joe Biden’s interpretations of the law.

Police officer salaries vary dramatically depending on where officers serve

Officer pay varies significantly across states and cities, with the highest salaries in California, New Jersey, and Washington. Factors such as local funding, cost of living, and collective bargaining agreements influence compensation.

Visualizing US state taxes in seven charts

Ever wondered how your state’s tax system compares to others? Here’s an overview of the US state tax system based on seven visualizations.

As of 2025, there are no federal laws involving privacy and smart city technologies

Advancements in cloud technology and artificial intelligence allow cities to capture, store, and analyze more information than ever before. Experts warn that the unhindered ability to collect and use this data may infringe on residents' rights and endanger them if the data gets into the hands of malicious parties.

When a state’s minimum wage differs from the federal's, the higher number wins out

Being that the federal government hasn’t raised the minimum wage in over 15 years, some states have taken matters in their own hands.

Tipped workers in ‘$2.13 states’ experience an estimated 18.5% poverty rates

In so-called “equal treatment states,” where tipped workers are subject to the normal federal minimum wage or higher rather than the tipped minimum wage, the poverty rate is 11.1%.

Explore a college affordability and transparency guide

From the US Department of Education, this portal provides everything you need to evaluate colleges. The college scorecard provides handy data on every school, from graduation rates to annual average earnings out of school, while the net cost calculator directs you to each school's calculator that allows you to estimate the cost of college based on your unique circumstances.

The Fair Labor Standards Act established a minimum wage—but it didn't cover everyone

A 1966 amendment created the “tip credit,” which allowed restaurants to pay below minimum wage if tips compensated the difference. However, this federal tipped minimum wage has remained frozen at $2.13 per hour since 1991, whereas the regular minimum wage has increased multiple times since then.

Track the unusual push for mid-decade redistricting across the US

The National Conference of State Legislatures maintains a live tracker showing where mid-decade congressional redistricting is underway, detailing which states are pursuing new maps, the legislative and constitutional methods being used, and how courts are responding as the 2026 elections approach.

The 50 best (and highest paying) jobs in America

Here are the 50 Best Jobs in America, according to Glassdoor. Where does your job fall? This report ranks jobs according to each job’s Glassdoor Job Score, determined by combining three factors: number of job openings, salary, and overall job satisfaction rating.