Where a role can be performed from a state with a posting requirement, that state's rule generally applies regardless of where the employer is based. Multi-state and remote-first employers therefore tend to comply with the strictest applicable law everywhere, which is why pay transparency has spread well beyond the states that legislated it.
The rule that does the work
Coverage generally follows where the work could be done, not where the company sits. A fully remote posting open to candidates anywhere in the United States is therefore open to candidates in Colorado, California and New York, and picks up those obligations with them.
The two employer responses
Comply everywhere. Post the range on everything. Simplest, and the reason ranges appear on postings from employers with no obvious connection to a covered state.
Exclude the states. “This role is not open to applicants in Colorado.” This was common when Colorado stood alone and has become impractical as the list has grown — excluding California, New York, Washington and Illinois removes a large share of the candidate pool to avoid publishing a number.
An exclusion notice is worth reading as a signal. It says the employer would rather lose those applicants than post the range.
What this means for you as a candidate
If you are in a covered state and the posting has no range, the role may be excluded from your state, the employer may be non-compliant, or the role may genuinely not be performable where you are. Asking is reasonable and the answer is informative in all three cases.
The band question is different when remote
A remote posting with a range still needs the location question from the other direction: is that range for your location, for headquarters, or national? The same posted number can mean three different offers.
Where employers are genuinely uncertain
Multi-state coverage is an area where the law is newer than the practice, and employers get it wrong in both directions — some post ranges they need not, some omit ranges they should include. Neither tells you much about the employer beyond how carefully they read.
Common questions
Does a posting law apply to a remote job?
Generally yes, where the role could be performed from a covered state, regardless of where the employer is based.
Why do employers post ranges everywhere?
Because complying with the strictest applicable law on every posting is simpler than tracking which states each role reaches.
What does a state exclusion notice mean?
That the employer would rather lose applicants from that state than publish a range. It is legal and it is a signal.
There is no range on a posting in my state — why?
The role may be excluded from your state, the employer may not be complying, or the work may not be performable where you are. Asking is reasonable.
Is a remote range for my location?
Not necessarily. It may be a location band, a headquarters rate or a national band, and the same number means three different offers.