Salary Ranges in Job Adverts: What the UK Pay Transparency Plans Mean for Tech Employers

What the government is proposing

In July 2026 the government launched a consultation on reforming equal pay law. One of its proposals would require employers to publish pay information in job adverts or, where there is no advert, to give it to candidates in writing before the interview. As drafted, it would apply to all employers, whatever their size.

The consultation closes on 27 October 2026. Several details are still open, including how wide a pay range can be and what counts as pay information beyond basic salary. The government expects to settle those in regulations later, so any legal requirement is still some way off.

The same consultation covers wider changes, including a new Equal Pay Regulation and Enforcement Unit and a duty on organisations in outsourcing arrangements to take all reasonable steps to uphold pay equality.

How it compares with the EU rules

The EU Pay Transparency Directive goes further. EU countries were due to bring it into national law by 7 June 2026, although many have not yet finished. At the hiring stage, it requires employers to:

• give candidates the starting pay or pay range before the first interview
• stop asking candidates about their current or past pay
• use gender-neutral job titles and adverts

The UK proposal is narrower and does not currently include a ban on pay history questions. But if you employ people in an EU country, the directive's rules apply to those roles once that country has brought them into law, wherever your head office is.

Why it matters for tech hiring

Many tech adverts already show a salary, but plenty still say "competitive" or "depending on experience". In our experience, adverts with a clear range attract more relevant applications and waste less time on both sides, because candidates can rule themselves in or out before the first call. More and more candidates expect to see one.

Publishing ranges also exposes inconsistency. If the range for a new senior developer is higher than what your current senior developers earn, they will notice. That is worth dealing with before any law requires you to publish.

How to get ready now

1. Benchmark your roles against the current market so the ranges you publish are realistic. Our technology salary report is a good starting point.
2. Check pay for people already doing the same or similar work, and deal with unexplained gaps before you advertise.
3. Decide how wide your ranges will be. A range that runs from junior to principal level tells candidates very little.
4. Be clear about what is included: bonus, pension, shares, on-call pay and, for contractors, the day rate and whether the role is inside or outside IR35.
5. Stop asking candidates what they earn now. Ask what they are looking for instead, which is fairer and already required for roles covered by the EU rules.
6. Write down how starting pay is set within the range, for example by skills and experience against the job description, so offers stay consistent.
7. If you have a view on the proposals, respond to the consultation before 27 October.

What candidates can do

If an advert does not show pay, it is reasonable to ask for the range before you spend time on interviews. In EU countries that have brought in the directive, employers should give it to you anyway. You do not have to share your current salary; you can tell an employer what you are looking for instead.

How we can help

We talk to candidates about pay every day, so we can tell you what a realistic range looks like for your role and location, and whether your package will attract the people you want. Send us the role and we will benchmark it for you.

This article is a summary for employers, not legal advice. Sources: GOV.UK, Equal pay and pay discrimination consultation, July 2026; Lewis Silkin on the recruitment proposals; EU Pay Transparency Directive (2023/970).