Must I Post Salary Ranges on Every California Job Ad?

Yes! (if you employ 15 or more workers), and bigger companies have extra duties.

Under SB 1162:

• A pay-scale (not just “competitive pay”) must appear in all public postings.
• Employers with 100+ employees or labor-contractor workers must file an annual Pay-Data Report with the Civil Rights Department (CRD) by mid-May.
• Record-keeping: retain pay-history documents for three years or face a rebuttable presumption of violation. Penalties run $100-$200 per violation for missing ranges and up to $200 per employee for late reports.

Example

A Huntington Beach digital-marketing agency (with 25 staff) posts “SEO Specialist-DOE” on LinkedIn. It also forgets the 2025 pay-data report. Labor regulators assess $5,000 for 25 defective ads ($200 each) plus $5,000 for the late filing-ten grand that could have funded the new hire.

Best practices

• Define realistic ranges before the posting goes live.
• Sync Applicant Tracking Systems (“ATS”), Human Resources Information Systems (“HRIS”), and recruiting platforms so edits cascade.
• Calendar Central Registration Depository (“CRD”) report deadlines and assign a single point of contact.

Need help fine-tuning ranges, handling exemptions, or filing on time? AEI Law, P.C. drafts compliant postings, trains HR teams, and manages CRD submissions so you can recruit without regulatory drama.