Where a posting law applies, the range must generally be a good-faith estimate of what the employer reasonably expects to pay for that role. California tightened its definition to say exactly that with effect from January 2026. Several states also require a description of benefits alongside the range, and some require internal promotion opportunities to be announced to existing staff.
Good faith is the operative phrase
The standard is not what an employer could conceivably pay in an extreme case. It is what they expect to pay for the role as advertised. That wording is what makes a $60,000 to $250,000 posting legally doubtful rather than merely unhelpful.
California’s amendment, effective January 2026, states the test directly — a good-faith estimate of the salary or hourly range the employer reasonably expects to pay. Making the standard explicit in statute makes it easier to enforce and harder to argue around.
What else has to be in the posting
Colorado requires a general description of benefits and other compensation, not just the wage range, and requires employers to make reasonable efforts to announce openings to existing employees before filling them. Illinois requires a benefits description too, and notice of promotion opportunities within a set period after posting.
These additions matter because a range in isolation is only part of a package, and a state that requires the benefits description is requiring something closer to the real number.
What a range does not commit the employer to
Paying you the top of it. A lawful posting can be entirely accurate and you can still be offered the bottom. The range tells you the band exists and roughly where it sits; where in it you land is the negotiation.
Reading a compliant posting well
A narrow range usually means a defined level with little room. A wide one often covers several levels in a single posting, which means the first conversation should establish which level you are being considered for — that single question is worth more than any amount of arguing about the range itself.
If the range looks unreal
Ask which level the role sits at and where in the range an offer would fall. An employer subject to a good-faith requirement should be able to answer both without difficulty.
Common questions
Does a posted range have to be realistic?
Where a posting law applies, it generally has to be a good-faith estimate of what the employer reasonably expects to pay for that role.
Are extremely wide ranges legal?
They are legally doubtful under a good-faith standard and enforcement has been increasing. California made the test explicit in statute effective January 2026.
Does the posting have to mention benefits?
In some states, yes. Colorado and Illinois both require a general description of benefits alongside the range.
Am I entitled to the top of the range?
No. A posting can be entirely lawful and the offer can still come at the bottom of the band.
What should I ask about a wide range?
Which level the role sits at, and where in the range an offer would fall. Both are fair questions and the answers matter more than the range.