Rhode Island pay transparency law: ranges on request and at hire
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Rhode Island does not require pay ranges in job postings. Since January 1, 2023, it has required employers to give an applicant the wage range for the position on request, and says they should provide it before discussing compensation. Employers must also give employees the range for their own position at hire, when they move into a new position, and whenever they ask. The same section bans salary history questions, and repeat violations carry civil penalties of up to $5,000 on top of damages.
This is not legal advice. The details below were checked against the Rhode Island General Assembly's published text of R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-6-22 and the related enforcement sections, §§ 28-6-19 through 28-6-21, as of October 2026. Confirm your situation with a lawyer licensed in Rhode Island before you rely on it.
The statute
The rule is § 28-6-22, "Wage history and wage range," part of Rhode Island's pay equity chapter. It was added by Public Laws 2021, chapters 168 and 169, effective January 1, 2023, as part of a broader update to the state's equal pay law. The Department of Labor and Training (DLT) carries out the chapter and may issue guidance on what wage-range information employers provide.
Who is covered
The chapter uses the definition of employer in § 28-14-1, the state's wage payment law, which has no employee-count threshold. "Employment" in the chapter means employment in which "all or the greater part of the work is to be performed within the state." So the question for a remote role is where most of the work happens: a remote employee working mainly from Rhode Island is covered; one working mainly from Connecticut is governed by Connecticut's rules.
What Rhode Island requires, and when
| Who | When the wage range is owed |
|---|---|
| Applicant for a position | On the applicant's request; the employer "should provide" it before discussing compensation |
| New employee | At the time of hire |
| Employee changing roles | When the employee moves into a new position |
| Any current employee | Whenever the employee requests the range for their position |
The applicant duty has a mandatory part and an advisory part. Providing the range on request is a "shall." Providing it before discussing compensation is a "should." In practice, recruiters should treat both the same way: give the range before you ask the candidate what they are looking for. A candidate who has heard your range first gives a more useful answer, and you avoid any argument about whether a request was made.
The employee duties are not optional and are easy to miss. Add the range for the role to the offer letter or onboarding packet so the "at the time of hire" duty is met in writing, and add it to promotion and transfer letters for the "new position" duty.
What a wage range is
Section 28-6-17 defines the wage range, for an applicant, as the range the employer "anticipates relying on in setting wages for the position," which may reference an applicable pay scale, a previously determined range for the position, the actual range of wages for those currently holding equivalent positions, or the budgeted amount. Note that "wage" in this chapter is defined to include benefits, but § 28-6-22 itself asks only for the wage range.
The salary history ban
Under § 28-6-22(a), no employer may:
- rely on an applicant's wage history when deciding whether to consider them for employment;
- require that prior wages meet a minimum or maximum as a condition of being considered;
- rely on wage history in setting the applicant's pay on hire; or
- seek the wage history of an applicant.
After an initial offer with compensation, the employer may rely on wage history the applicant volunteered without prompting to support a higher wage, and may confirm it for that purpose, as long as the higher wage does not create an unlawful pay differential. A background check that does not affirmatively seek wage history is allowed, but any wage history it turns up may not be used to set pay. Employers may also verify volunteered information about unvested equity or deferred compensation the applicant would forfeit by leaving. For expectation questions that stay clear of history, see salary expectation questions.
Subsection (e) bars refusing to interview, hire, promote or employ someone, or retaliating against them, because they did not provide wage history or because they asked for the wage range.
Enforcement and penalties
An applicant, employee or former employee may file a complaint with the DLT director or file a civil action in court (§ 28-6-19). Claims must generally be filed within two years of when the claimant knew or should have known of the practice, or three years for a sworn complaint showing a willful and wanton violation.
| Remedy | Amount |
|---|---|
| Damages (§ 28-6-20(b)) | Compensatory damages, or special damages not to exceed $10,000; equitable relief; reasonable attorney's fees and costs |
| Civil penalty, first violation (§ 28-6-21) | Up to $1,000, paid to DLT |
| One prior violation within five years | Up to $2,500 |
| Two or more prior violations within seven years | Up to $5,000 |
In setting damages or penalties, the decision-maker considers the size of the employer's business, its good faith, the gravity and history of violations, and whether the violation was an innocent mistake or willful. A penalty may be lowered if the employer completed a self-evaluation as defined in § 28-6-24. Civil penalties could not be assessed from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2024; that grace period is over.
Putting it into practice
Because Rhode Island's duty is triggered by conversations rather than ads, compliance depends on recruiters and hiring managers, not on posting templates. Three practical steps:
- Set the range before screening starts. A candidate can ask at any point, and the statute says the range should come before compensation is discussed. A recruiter who has to say "let me find out" after the candidate asks is already behind.
- Open the pay conversation with the range. Example only: "The range for this role is $62,000 to $74,000. Where does that sit against what you are looking for?" That gives the range first and then asks an expectation question, not a history one.
- Put it in writing at hire. The employee duty at hire is easiest to prove with a sentence in the offer letter stating the wage range for the position, separate from the specific salary offered.
Staffing firms should remember that an employer that learns a candidate's pay history through its recruiter has still sought it. Strip current-pay fields out of intake forms and submittal templates for Rhode Island roles.
Proposals to require ranges in postings
Rhode Island bills to require ranges in job postings have been introduced, including 2023's H 5708 and S 0473, which would have applied to employers with 30 or more employees. We found no enacted posting requirement as of October 2026. Neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut both now require ranges in postings, so a Rhode Island employer hiring in the region is likely posting ranges already; see the Massachusetts guide and the Connecticut guide.
A Rhode Island checklist
RHODE ISLAND CHECKLIST (R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-6-22)
Applicants
[ ] Wage range ready for every open role before screening starts
[ ] Range given before any discussion of compensation
[ ] Range given promptly to any applicant who asks
[ ] No wage-history questions; no prior-pay minimums or maximums
Employees
[ ] Range for the position stated in the offer letter or at hire
[ ] Range stated when an employee moves into a new position
[ ] Process for answering an employee's request for their range
Records
[ ] Source of each range kept (pay scale, prior range, current pay,
or budget)
For the full state comparison, see pay transparency laws by state.
Questions people ask
Does Rhode Island require pay ranges in job postings?
Not as of October 2026. R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-6-22 requires the wage range to be given to an applicant on request, and says the employer should give it before discussing compensation. Bills to require ranges in postings have been introduced, but we found none enacted.
When must a Rhode Island employer give a current employee their wage range?
At the time of hire, when the employee moves into a new position, and whenever the employee asks during their employment.
What are the penalties under Rhode Island's wage range law?
An employer that violates § 28-6-22 can be liable for compensatory damages or special damages up to $10,000, equitable relief and attorney's fees, plus a civil penalty to the Department of Labor and Training of up to $1,000 for a first violation, rising to $5,000 for repeat violations.
Can Rhode Island employers ask about salary history?
No. Employers may not seek an applicant's wage history or rely on it to decide whether to consider them or what to pay them. After an initial offer, an employer may rely on history the applicant volunteered, without prompting, to support a higher offer.