Ontario pay transparency: the $50,000 range rule for job postings, with examples
Updated 2026-10-30. Rules current to October 23, 2026. A plain-language summary, not legal advice. EmployerReady is not affiliated with the Government of Ontario.
Ontario’s pay transparency rule is one sentence in the Employment Standards Act and two numbers in a regulation. Since January 1, 2026, an employer with 25 or more employees on the day a job is posted must include in any publicly advertised posting the expected compensation or a range of expected compensation (ESA s. 8.2). A range may not be wider than the equivalent of $50,000 a year (O. Reg. 476/24 s. 4). Positions paying more than $200,000 a year are exempt (s. 3). This guide covers the pay rule only; the companion job posting rules guide covers AI disclosure, the vacancy statement, Canadian experience and interview notices.
Which postings
The rule applies to a “publicly advertised job posting”: an external posting that you or someone acting for you (a recruiter, a job board) advertises to the general public in any manner. It does not apply to a general recruitment campaign or help-wanted sign that does not name a specific position, to a posting restricted to your existing employees, or to a position where the work is performed outside Ontario (O. Reg. 476/24 s. 2(1)). If you use a recruiter or a third-party job board, the government’s guide says you remain responsible for the posting meeting the rules.
Pay or range: your choice
You may state a single expected amount or a range. You are not required to include both. If you state a range, the top minus the bottom may not exceed the equivalent of $50,000 a year.
| Posting says | Spread | Result |
|---|---|---|
| $85,000 to $135,000 | $50,000 | Allowed (the government’s own example). |
| $85,000 to $140,000 | $55,000 | Not allowed; narrow the range or state one figure. |
| $62,000 a year | None | Allowed. A single figure is always within the limit. |
| $210,000, or $170,000 to $210,000 | n/a | Exempt. Expected pay, or the top of the range, is more than $200,000. |
The regulation states the limit as an amount “equivalent to $50,000 annually” but does not say how to convert an hourly range; a cautious reading converts it using the hours the job involves. A posting that says “$22 to $48 an hour, 40 hours a week” works out to roughly $45,800 to $99,800 a year, a spread of about $54,000, and on that reading would be over the limit. The same hourly range at 20 hours a week would be within it. Stating the expected hours in the posting removes the ambiguity. The range cap applies only to what you publish. The ESA does not stop you from having a wider internal pay band, and it does not oblige you to hire at the posted pay or within the posted range.
What counts as compensation
The regulation defines compensation as wages. The government’s guide lists what that includes and excludes.
- Included: hourly rate, salary, commission, piece-work rate, and bonuses tied to hours of work, production or efficiency.
- Excluded: tips, travel expense reimbursements, stock options, and bonuses that are both discretionary and unrelated to hours, production or efficiency.
If the package has more than one type of included pay, the posting must give information about each type. An hourly rate plus commission needs information about both. You do not have to detail commission rates or bonus structures: “the successful candidate can expect to earn up to $20,000 in sales commissions” is enough. Where a dollar amount cannot be given, describe how the pay is earned, for example “a bonus of up to 10% of annual salary, based on individual performance”.
Records
Keep a copy of every publicly advertised posting and any associated application form for three years after public access to the posting is removed (ESA s. 15(7.1)). Anything the posting links to is part of the posting and must be kept too, and each revised version is a posting in its own right.
Watch item
The ESA provides that s. 8.2 will be repealed on a day named by proclamation. As of October 23, 2026, no proclamation has been made and the rule is in force. Our rule-change watch checks the e-Laws text daily; see how we keep rules current.
Sources
- Employment Standards Act, 2000 (s. 8.2 compensation information; s. 15(7.1) records)
- O. Reg. 476/24, Rules and Exemptions re Job Postings (s. 1 application; s. 2 definitions; s. 3 exemption; s. 4 range limit)
- Your guide to the ESA: publicly advertised job postings (ontario.ca examples)
Common questions
Do Ontario job postings have to include salary?
Since January 1, 2026, employers with 25 or more employees on the day of posting must include the expected compensation or a range of expected compensation in any publicly advertised job posting (ESA s. 8.2). Positions with expected pay, or a range topping out, above $200,000 a year are exempt.
How wide can a salary range be in an Ontario job posting?
No more than the equivalent of $50,000 a year (O. Reg. 476/24 s. 4). $85,000 to $135,000 is allowed; $85,000 to $140,000 is not.
Does the $50,000 limit apply to hourly pay ranges?
Yes. The limit is stated as an annual equivalent, so it applies to hourly ranges too. The regulation does not say how to convert; a cautious approach uses the hours the job involves, and stating expected weekly hours in the posting makes that clear.
Do I have to disclose bonuses and commission in the posting?
If they are part of expected compensation, yes. Compensation means wages and includes commission and bonuses tied to hours, production or efficiency. Tips, expense reimbursements, stock options and purely discretionary bonuses are excluded. You can describe how variable pay is earned rather than giving a formula.
Can I pay outside the range I posted?
The government’s guide says the requirement does not oblige an employer to offer employment at the posted compensation or within the posted range, and the ESA does not prohibit an internal pay range wider than $50,000. The limit is on what the posting says.