Salary Transparency in the Job Search: How to Find Jobs That Actually Pay (Without the Guessing Games)
- Jeffrey Inman
- Oct 1
- 6 min read
Don't have time to read the whole article? Here's the quick hits: Salary transparency isn't just a nice-to-have... it should be (and is becoming) your right as a jobseeker. Here's what you need to know: Pay transparency laws are expanding, but most employers still hide salary ranges or post useless ones like "$50k-$150k." You have more power than you think - learn which states require salary disclosure, how to research real compensation data, and what questions to ask that actually get answered. Finally, ghosting and salary games go hand-in-hand, companies that hide pay often have other red flags in their hiring process.
-- Jeffrey I
Let's be honest: applying to jobs without knowing the salary is like swiping right without seeing someone's face. You're investing time, energy, and emotional labor into applications, interviews, and "culture fit" conversations—only to find out in round three that the role pays $20k less than what you need to, you know, live.
This isn't just annoying. It's a systemic issue that wastes your time and perpetuates pay inequity. When employers hide salary information, they're often trying to lowball candidates, especially women and people of color who statistically face larger wage gaps. The outdated "tell us your salary expectations first" game is designed to make you anchor low, not to find fair compensation.
Know Your Rights: Where Salary Transparency Is the Law
The good news? Salary transparency laws are spreading faster than your anxiety about student loans. As of 2025, multiple states and cities have enacted pay transparency legislation that requires employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings.
States and cities with salary transparency laws include:
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Maryland
Nevada
New York (including NYC)
Rhode Island
Washington
Washington D.C.
Here's what this means for you: If you're applying to jobs in these locations—or to remote positions that could be performed in these states—employers are legally required to show you the pay range. If they don't? That's a red flag the size of a billboard.
But What If I'm Not in a Transparency State?
Don't worry—you still have options. Even in states without mandated disclosure, many progressive employers are adopting transparency practices voluntarily. Plus, you can (and should) ask about salary early in the process.
Visual suggestion: Map of the United States highlighting states with salary transparency laws, with a legend showing "Full transparency required," "Partial transparency," and "No requirements (yet)."
How to Research Real Salary Data (Not the BS Ranges)
When job postings do include salary ranges, they're often so wide they're basically useless. "$60,000 - $120,000 depending on experience" tells you nothing except that the company doesn't want to commit.
Here's how to get actual intel:
Use These Resources:
Glassdoor & Levels.fyi: Real salary reports from actual employees (Levels.fyi is especially good for tech roles)
Payscale & Salary.com: Industry-specific compensation data
LinkedIn Salary Insights: Shows salary ranges based on job title, location, and experience level
H1B Salary Database: If you're looking at companies that sponsor visas, this public database shows exactly what they're paying
Professional associations: Many industry groups publish annual salary surveys
Pro tip: Cross-reference at least three sources. If Glassdoor says one thing and three former employees on Reddit say another, trust the pattern, not the outlier.
The Questions That Actually Get You Answers
Asking about salary shouldn't feel like you're asking for a kidney. Here's how to bring it up professionally and early:
In your initial screening or first conversation: "To make sure we're aligned before investing more time, what's the budgeted salary range for this position?"
If they deflect with "What are your salary expectations?": "I'm looking for roles in the $X-Y range based on my experience and market research. Does this position fall within that range?"
If they say "It depends on experience": "I understand. Can you share the full range the company has budgeted for this role, from minimum to maximum?"
If they still won't tell you: This is your cue to seriously reconsider whether you want to work somewhere that plays games before you're even hired.
Visual suggestion: A flowchart titled "The Salary Conversation Decision Tree" showing different responses and how to navigate each scenario.
Red Flags vs. Green Flags in Salary Discussions
Not all employers handle compensation conversations the same way. Here's what to watch for:
🚩 Red Flags:
Refusing to discuss salary until final round interviews
Insisting you share your current or previous salary first (this is actually illegal in many states)
Posting ranges so wide they're meaningless
Getting defensive or annoyed when you ask about pay
✅ Green Flags:
Salary range listed in the job posting
Transparent about benefits, equity, and total compensation package
Willing to discuss pay in the first conversation
Clear about how raises and promotions work
Why "Negotiable" Isn't Good Enough
You'll see a lot of job posts that say "salary negotiable" or "competitive compensation." Translation: "We're going to try to pay you as little as possible."
"Competitive" and "negotiable" are corporate jargon designed to sound good while revealing nothing. A truly competitive employer will show you the receipts upfront. They'll say, "We pay in the 75th percentile for this role based on [specific market data]."
Don't settle for vague promises. Ask for specifics.
Why This Matters to Everyone Entering the Workforce
Salary transparency isn't about being materialistic or difficult - it's about respect. When employers hide compensation information, they're essentially saying your time isn't valuable enough to deserve honesty upfront.
For early-career jobseekers, this power imbalance is even more pronounced. You might not have years of negotiation experience or a robust professional network to help you figure out what's fair. Pay transparency levels the playing field and ensures you're not undervaluing yourself before you even start your career.
Beyond your individual paycheck, salary transparency also fights systemic inequity. When pay is hidden, wage gaps persist. When it's public, employers are held accountable. Your insistence on transparency doesn't just help you - it helps everyone who comes after you.
The enterN Difference: Ensuring Salary Transparency
Here's the tea: companies that play salary games usually have other broken hiring practices too. Ghosting candidates? Check. Biased resume screening? Probably. Endless hoops with no feedback? You bet.
enterN was built specifically to eliminate this nonsense.
How do we ensure salary transparency?
Preference-Based Profiles: It starts with you: you set your salary expectations and must-haves upfront. Not only can you filter out employers that don't align with your mission, vision, or vibe, but you can also count on seeing the companies and opportunities that align to your requirements first, every time you log in.
Mutual Interest System: Think Hinge meets the job search. Just like dating apps got rid of one-sided rejection, our swipe system means you only talk to employers who are genuinely interested and aligned with your requirements. If they can't meet your salary range, we don't waste time matching.
Mandatory Pay Info: Our system makes sure that every job posting follows a uniform format so jobseekers know where to look every time for the stuff that matters most to them. Part of that format is not only disclosing if the role is salary or hourly, but what the pay range actually is for entry-level talent.
Anti-Ghosting Tech: We hold employers and jobseekers accountable with responsiveness scores and transparency standards. If either routinely dodges mutually matched connections, we bring the receipts.
Small Changes, Big Impact
The job search doesn't have to be a guessing game where you're expected to pour hours into applications without knowing if the salary is even livable. You're not asking for too much when you want transparency—you're asking for basic respect.
You have skills. You have potential. You have value that goes way beyond what some outdated ATS system can measure. And you deserve employers who see that and are willing to prove it by being upfront about compensation from day one.
Don't settle for salary secrecy. Don't accept "competitive pay" as an answer. Don't let anyone make you feel entitled for wanting to know what you'll be paid for your work.
The hiring process is changing, and you're leading that change just by refusing to accept less. Keep pushing for transparency. Keep asking the hard questions. Keep knowing your worth.
You've got this.
Want to work with employers who actually care about salary transparency?
Join the waitlist at: https://www.enter-n.com and be the first to access a hiring platform that eliminates pay secrecy, ghosting, and bias.
Want to learn more about this topic? Add these to your feed:
https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/talent-acquisition/pay-transparency-laws-2025-what-employers-need-know | Pay Transparency Laws in 2025: What Employers Need to Know, SHRM Editorial Staff
https://www.payscale.com/research-and-insights/pay-transparency/Â | The State of Pay Transparency, PayScale Research Team
Podcast:
The Fairer Cents Podcast – Episodes on salary negotiation and pay equity, hosted by Tori Dunlap (Her First $100K)
Book:
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss – While focused on negotiation broadly, it has excellent tactics for salary discussions
Creator:
@GorickNg on Instagram and LinkedIn – Harvard career advisor who regularly posts about salary negotiation and transparency for early-career professionals