Maine has enacted a new wage transparency law, LD 54, which will require employers with ten or more employees to include pay ranges in all job postings starting July 13, 2026. The law mandates that the “range of pay” must be specified in both electronic and printed job advertisements.
The legislation is intended to provide greater clarity and fairness in the hiring process by ensuring that prospective employees have access to information about potential wages before applying for a position. This move aligns Maine with nearly two dozen other states that have adopted similar requirements for wage transparency in job ads.
Under LD 54, the required “range of pay” may be based on an applicable pay scale, previously determined range of wages for the position, actual wages paid to current employees in equivalent positions, or the budgeted amount for the role. However, jobs compensated solely by commission are exempt from this requirement; such postings must indicate that compensation is commission-based only. Employers must also disclose pay ranges to current employees upon request and keep records of each employee’s positions and pay history during employment and for three years after termination.
The new law does not clarify whether its threshold applies only to Maine-based employees or company-wide totals. For comparison, Massachusetts’ similar statute applies to employers with at least twenty-five workers within the state while New York’s covers those with four or more employees.
Employers are advised to review their job posting practices and recordkeeping procedures ahead of the effective date. The law provides immediate funding for a Department of Labor inspector position dedicated to enforcing compliance. Employers should assess their readiness now as Maine is expected to strictly implement these requirements.
