Wage Transparency is Coming to Massachusetts: Is Your Business Ready?

Summary:

• Payroll is a process involved in calculating wages, applying deductions, and distributing pay to employees. Payroll for hourly teams can be more complex because of variable schedules and multiple pay rates.  
• Payroll can be simplified with payroll software. But it can be tricky to find the best one. 
• Payroll software can streamline the process, provided it has the functionality to ensure the accuracy of wage information and calculations. 

Massachusetts has officially joined the growing list of states mandating pay transparency. Beginning October 29, 2025, employers with 25 or more employees must include salary ranges in job postings, provide them to applicants, and share them with current employees upon request.

Earlier in the year, beginning February 1, 2025, businesses with 100 or more employees that already file federal EEO-1 reports must also submit those reports to the Commonwealth.

Both measures fall under An Act Relative to Salary Range Transparency signed by Governor Healey on July 31, 2024. 

Also read: A Guide to State and Local Pay Transparency Laws [2025]

What the Wage Transparency Covers

The Wage Transparency Act in Massachusetts focuses on two key areas: pay range disclosure and EEO workforce reporting.  

Pay Range Disclosure Requirements

Starting October 29, 2025, employers with at least 25 employees must disclose pay ranges in job postings and must provide pay information upon request of current employees. The pay range refers to the annual or hourly wage range that an employer reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for such a position at that time. 

Employees and applicants have the right to receive the pay range when applying for a role, being promoted or transferred, or upon request for their current position. Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who exercise these rights.

Although the law’s disclosure requirement takes effect in 2025, employers can voluntarily begin complying earlier.

EEO Reporting Requirements

Beginning February 1, 2025, private employers with 100 or more employees that already submit an EEO-1 report to the federal government must also send their most recent report to the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth each year.

This requirement aims to improve statewide visibility into workforce diversity and pay equity, helping the state identify and address wage disparities across industries.

Practical Ways to Ensure Compliance

Pay transparency laws like Massachusetts’ Wage Transparency Act are changing how businesses handle compensation. While adapting to new regulations can feel complex, the right systems can turn compliance into an advantage. Workforce.com can help you do exactly that. Here are some of the ways: 

Standardize pay ranges in job postings

Every job posting should include a pay range, one that’s consistent with internal pay bands and defensible under the law. 

Workforce.com’s Applicant Tracking System (ATS) allows HR teams to add and display pay ranges directly in job postings, helping organizations comply with wage transparency requirements not only in Massachusetts but also in other states. 

Centralizing pay and job information

Workforce.com is an all-in-one system that houses scheduling, timekeeping, and payroll data in a single platform. With all pay and job information in one platform, HR and hiring teams have a single source of truth for wages across locations and roles. This makes it easier to verify pay range accuracy before posting job vacancies, respond to pay range request inquiries from current employees, and submit consistent payroll reports. 

Conduct regular pay audits

Pay transparency often goes hand in hand with pay equity. Regularly reviewing your compensation data helps ensure fairness and compliance.

Workforce.com provides reporting tools that let you analyze pay distribution across roles and locations, making it simple to track pay rates, identify discrepancies, and stay aligned with both state and federal reporting requirements.

Pay transparency laws are changing the way businesses talk about compensation. For employers, it’s an opportunity to build trust and demonstrate fairness, not just another compliance box to tick. 

With Workforce.com, businesses can manage pay ranges, job data, and workforce reports in one place, making it easier to stay consistent and confident as new laws take effect.

Discover how Workforce.com can help your business comply with labor laws, such as pay transparency rules, with an all-in-one platform. Book a call today.