Job applicants would see salary information in vacancy notices under legislation the UK government plans to bring forward. The Prime Minister’s Office announced the commitment on 5 November 2026, following a consultation on equal pay. The change would make disclosure a legal duty for employers covered by the eventual rules. It would give candidates a figure or other pay information before they spend time applying, when they can still decide whether a vacancy meets their needs.

Key facts

  • The government has committed to legislation requiring salary information in job adverts.
  • The consultation also proposed written disclosure before an interview when an employer has placed no advert.
  • The consultation covered England, Scotland and Wales and closed on 27 October 2026.
  • Ministers have yet to specify the final scope, disclosure requirements, implementation and enforcement.

What would applicants find out before applying?

Employers can already choose to advertise a salary or range. A disclosure duty would make pay information a standard part of the advertised vacancy for employers within its scope. That would move a decision candidates often make later in recruitment to the point at which they compare vacancies. The Prime Minister’s Office singled out people applying for a first job and women negotiating pay as groups it expects the change to help.

What candidates could compare depends on how the government defines pay information. The consultation questions asked whether employers should give a specific salary, a range or a benchmark rate. A specific figure tells a candidate the amount attached to a job. A range gives the boundaries of the offer, while a benchmark gives a reference point. Those options convey different amounts of information about what an individual applicant might actually be offered.

The consultation also asked whether disclosure should extend beyond salary to conditions such as collective bargaining provisions, annual adjustments or other financial benefits. That distinction matters when two vacancies advertise similar base pay but differ in how pay can change after someone joins. For recruitment without a public advert, the proposed written notice before interview would give candidates an earlier opportunity to assess the offer. The November announcement focused on adverts, so the legislation will show whether that separate route is included.

What has the government decided since the consultation?

The Office for Equality and Opportunity opened its consultation on 14 July. It covered a wider set of reforms, including gaps affecting disabled people, ethnic minority groups and outsourced workers. The recruitment questions formed one part of that exercise. The November commitment singles out a requirement at the hiring stage, where prospective employees are deciding whether to pursue a role.

The Prime Minister’s Office said its early analysis found support for mandatory disclosure among 94% of consultation respondents, including 93% of responding businesses. Those figures describe the people and organisations that responded to the consultation. The consultation invited submissions from groups including employers, unions, public bodies and individuals with relevant experience.

Ministers say they will bring forward legislation as soon as possible. They have asked employers to disclose pay voluntarily in the meantime. The next step is for the government to set out who the duty covers, which pay details an advert must contain and how the rules will be enforced. Those choices will determine how much an applicant can learn before deciding whether to apply.