Getting Pay Range Postings Right: What New Research Tells Us

As pay transparency laws expand across the United States, more organizations are publishing salary ranges in job postings. The goal is straightforward: comply with local laws, give candidates better information, reduce hidden inequities, and support fairer pay decisions. But a newly published 2026 study by Lee, Park, and Chang in a top tier scientific journal suggests that transparency alone is not enough. How employers present pay ranges (and how much clarity they provide about likely starting pay) can shape who applies and how assertively candidates negotiate.

What the Study Examined

The study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology in 2026, examined how the width of a posted pay range affects job application preferences and salary negotiation behavior. Across four studies, including an archival analysis of millions of job postings, experiments with students and working adults, and a field experiment with real job seekers, the researchers explored whether narrow versus wide salary ranges influence candidates differently and whether those effects vary by gender.

Key Findings

• Women showed a stronger preference than men for jobs with narrower posted pay ranges.
• The study suggests this difference was largely explained by higher average risk aversion: narrower ranges felt more predictable and less uncertain.
• Applicants who selected narrower pay ranges tended to negotiate less assertively, reporting greater satisfaction with midpoint offers, lower likelihood of negotiating, and lower counter offers.
• When employers added explicit context about the typical starting salary and the criteria used to determine pay, the gender gap in preferences for narrow versus wide ranges diminished.

Why This Matters for Employers

These findings add an important layer to the pay transparency conversation. Posting a salary range may increase openness, but a range that is too broad can still leave candidates unsure about what they are likely to earn. That uncertainty may influence applicant behavior in ways employers do not intend. In practical terms, a wide range may attract candidates who are comfortable with ambiguity while discouraging others who value predictability, even when both groups are equally qualified.

The research also highlights a downstream effect that deserves attention: the structure of the range may influence negotiation behavior before a conversation about compensation even begins. If applicants who prefer narrower ranges also negotiate less aggressively, organizations may unintentionally reproduce pay differences despite adopting transparency practices intended to improve fairness.

What Organizations Can Do

• Provide context, not just a range. When possible, explain the typical starting salary and the factors used to determine where an offer falls within the range.

• Avoid unnecessarily broad ranges. Extremely wide ranges may technically satisfy transparency requirements while still creating confusion for candidates.

• Train recruiters and hiring managers. Ensure they can clearly explain how compensation decisions are made and what candidates can reasonably expect.

• Review candidate experience through an equity lens. Consider whether the way ranges are presented may affect who applies, who opts out, and how negotiation dynamics play out.

The Bottom Line

Pay transparency remains an important step toward fairer hiring and compensation practices. But this research is a reminder that disclosure quality matters as much as the disclosure itself. Employers that pair salary ranges with clear, credible information about expected pay and decision criteria are better positioned to build trust, attract broader talent pools, and support more equitable outcomes from the start.

Source: Lee, A. J., Park, T.-Y., & Chang, S. (2026). The implications of pay range transparency on job application preferences and negotiations. Journal of Applied Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001360