Columbus pay transparency law
Local ordinance, effective January 1, 2027
A reasonable salary range or scale, judged by budget flexibility, expected experience, role variation, growth, cost of living and market data
| Who it applies to | 15 or more persons employed within the City of Columbus (City government included; other government units excluded); includes employment agencies acting for a covered employer |
|---|---|
| Which jobs | Employment postings for jobs in Columbus; internal transfers and promotions, and collectively bargained positions, are excluded |
| Penalties | Civil penalties under Columbus City Code § 2331.05 after a Community Relations Commission finding (amounts not reviewed) |
Coming changes
- January 1, 2027: The City begins enforcing the requirement to include a reasonable salary range or scale in job postings (Columbus City Code § 2335.03(C)). (source)
Details and exceptions
- The salary history ban in the same chapter has applied since Ord. No. 0709-2023 (passed 3-13-2023)
- Ord. No. 2898-2025 (11-3-2025) added the posting requirement; Section 3 delays city enforcement until Jan. 1, 2027
- Rehires within 3 years whose salary history the employer already holds are exempt from the salary-history rules
Law: Columbus City Code § 2335.03(C) (Ord. No. 2898-2025)
Running payroll in Columbus, Ohio?
Recent changes
Last verified against the official source on October 9, 2026.
No changes recorded since we started tracking this page.
Sources
- Columbus City Council (Ord. No. 2898-2025, Legistar); codified in Columbus City Codes ch. 2335; enforced through the Columbus Community Relations Commission · data as of October 8, 2026 · last checked October 9, 2026
We copy figures from official sources and re-check them against the source before every update. See our methodology. This is general information, not legal advice.