Employers operating in Columbus, Ohio, have approximately six months left to prepare for a significant change in hiring practices. 
Effective January 1, 2027, the City of Columbus will begin enforcing its pay transparency requirements under Ordinance 2898-2025, which will require covered employers to include a “reasonable salary range or scale” in employment postings.
While some employers may view this as a simple change to job advertisements, the reality is that pay transparency laws often expose broader compensation, equity, and compliance issues that organizations should address before salary ranges become public.
Columbus Joins a Growing National Trend
Columbus is not alone. Over the past several years, states and municipalities across the country have adopted pay transparency laws requiring employers to disclose compensation information during the hiring process. Jurisdictions such as Colorado, California, New York, Washington, and Illinois have enacted various forms of salary disclosure requirements, reflecting a broader policy movement aimed at promoting pay equity and reducing wage disparities.
As more states adopt these laws, employers with multi-state operations are increasingly finding that maintaining separate recruiting practices for different jurisdictions is becoming administratively burdensome. Many organizations have instead elected to implement nationwide pay transparency practices, using consistent salary disclosure standards across their workforce.
For employers with operations in Columbus, the new ordinance may present an opportunity to evaluate whether a localized compliance strategy or a broader company-wide approach makes the most sense.
What the Columbus Ordinance Requires
The ordinance applies to employers with 15 or more employees and requires a reasonable salary range or scale to be included in employment postings for positions covered by the ordinance. The ordinance identifies several factors that may be considered when determining whether a salary range is reasonable, including:
- Budget flexibility;
- The anticipated experience level of applicants;
- Variations in job responsibilities;
- Growth opportunities within the position;
- Geographic cost-of-living considerations; and
- Market data for comparable positions.
Notably, the ordinance does not prescribe a specific percentage spread or formula for establishing salary ranges. Instead, employers must be prepared to demonstrate that their ranges are grounded in legitimate business considerations and are reasonably related to the position being advertised.
The ordinance also builds upon Columbus’s existing restrictions regarding salary history inquiries. Covered employers generally may not inquire about an applicant’s salary history, screen applicants based on prior compensation, or rely solely on salary history when making compensation decisions.
Why 2026 Is the Time to Prepare
Although enforcement does not begin until January 1, 2027, employers should consider using the remainder of 2026 to evaluate their compensation practices and recruiting procedures.
1. Develop a Defensible Method for Pay Ranges
One of the most significant questions raised by the ordinance is what constitutes a “reasonable” salary range. Employers should ensure that compensation ranges are supported by objective business factors, such as market surveys, internal compensation structures, experience requirements, geographic differentials, and budgetary considerations. Employers that cannot explain how a range was developed may face increased scrutiny if a complaint arises.
2. Evaluate Internal Pay Equity and Compression Risks
Public salary ranges often lead employees to compare their compensation with posted ranges for similar positions. As a result, employers frequently discover pay compression issues, inconsistencies between departments, or legacy compensation decisions that become difficult to explain once ranges are publicly available. Conducting an internal compensation review before implementation can help identify and address potential concerns before they become employee relations issues or litigation risks.
3. Review Recruiting and Hiring Processes
Employers should review job posting templates, recruiting platforms, applicant tracking systems, and hiring workflows to ensure salary ranges are consistently included where required. Human resources personnel, recruiters, and hiring managers should also be trained regarding the ordinance’s continued restrictions on salary history inquiries and appropriate compensation discussions during the hiring process.
4. Consider Multi-State Compliance Strategies
For employers operating in multiple jurisdictions, Columbus’s ordinance may be another reason to reassess recruiting practices on a broader scale. Many employers are finding that uniform compensation disclosure practices are easier to administer than maintaining different requirements for different locations. However, because transparency laws vary significantly across jurisdictions, employers should carefully evaluate whether a nationwide approach creates unintended compliance issues elsewhere.
Looking Ahead
The trend toward pay transparency shows little sign of slowing. What began as a handful of state and local requirements has evolved into a nationwide movement that continues to reshape recruiting and compensation practices.
While including a salary range in a job posting may seem straightforward, the legal and practical implications often extend far beyond the posting itself. Compensation structures, internal equity, recruiting practices, and employee relations considerations should all be evaluated as part of a comprehensive compliance strategy.
Employers should consider taking proactive steps now to position themselves for compliance and minimize potential risk in 2027.