Do you have to post a salary range in California job postings?

Generally yes, if the role could be filled from California. The Labor Commissioner's guidance says the pay scale must appear in the posting if the position may ever be filled in California, in person or remotely. The 15-employee threshold counts employees inside and outside the state, as long as at least one works in California. Employers who want to exclude California entirely sometimes say so expressly in the posting, but confirm that approach with counsel — it has not been squarely blessed by the state.

The obligation follows the posting. An employer with 15 or more employees that engages a third party to post or announce a job must provide the pay scale to that third party, and the statute says the third party must include it in the posting. Using an agency or aggregator does not remove the range requirement.

Generally no. The Labor Commissioner's FAQ says only the salary or hourly wage range is required — bonuses, tips and benefits do not have to be posted, though you can include them voluntarily. One exception: if the position is paid by commission or piece rate, that rate or range generally must be included, because it is the core pay for the job. Note that for equal-pay claims (a separate provision), SB 642 broadened "wages" to cover essentially all forms of compensation.

The Labor Commissioner enforces Labor Code § 432.3. A person can file a complaint within one year of learning of a violation, and penalties can range from $100 to $10,000 per violation. A person can also bring a civil action, but the statute describes that remedy as injunctive relief and other relief a court deems appropriate, rather than automatic dollar damages. For a first posting violation, no penalty applies if the employer shows all open postings have been updated with pay scales.

SB 642, signed October 8, 2025, redefined "pay scale" as a good-faith estimate of the range the employer reasonably expects to pay for the position upon hire. Commentators read that as narrowing very wide ranges — the posted range should reflect what a new hire would realistically be offered, not the position's full career span. SB 642 also broadened the Equal Pay Act's definition of wages and extended its limitations period to three years (with recovery reaching up to six years of violations).

Yes. Regardless of the posting rule, an employer generally must provide the pay scale for a position to an applicant who makes a reasonable request, and a current employee can request the pay scale for their own position. These request rights are part of the same statute and are not limited by the 15-employee posting threshold, so smaller California employers are not fully outside the law.