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BC pay transparency: job posting rules

British Columbia asks employers to show pay in public job postings. Here is what the Act and the province's guidance say.

Not legal advice. This is general information. Date checked: October 23, 2026. Rules can change, so read the sources at the bottom.

The basic rule

Section 2 of the Pay Transparency Act says an employer must state the expected salary or wage, or the expected range, in a publicly advertised job opportunity. A publicly advertised job opportunity is a specific job that an employer advertises to the public in any manner.

Section 2 came into force on November 1, 2023.

Who it covers

The BC government guidance says the rule applies to:

  • All employers with employees in B.C., except federally regulated employers.
  • Jobs posted on public websites.
  • Jobs posted by third parties on job boards and other platforms for the employer.
  • Jobs advertised outside B.C. if the position is open to B.C. residents and may be filled by someone living in B.C., in person or remotely.

What it does not cover

  • General “help wanted” posters that do not advertise a specific opportunity.
  • General recruitment campaigns that do not mention specific jobs.
  • Jobs that are not posted publicly.

What counts as pay information

The province says the pay you post should be your reasonable expectation of pay at the time of posting.

Examples it gives that meet the rule:

  • $20 to $25 per hour
  • $40,000 per year
  • $40,000 to $60,000 per year

Examples it gives that do not meet the rule:

  • $20 per hour and up
  • Up to $30 per hour
  • Competitive wage

You do not have to include bonus pay, overtime, commissions, tips or benefits. You may include them if you want to.

Applicants can still ask for pay outside your posted range. You can still offer pay outside it.

A quick posting check

Before you publish a B.C. posting, ask yourself:

  • Does the ad show a dollar figure or a dollar range?
  • Is it a rate or range you reasonably expect to pay today?
  • Does it avoid open-ended wording such as “and up”, “up to” or “competitive”?
  • If a recruiter or job board posts it for you, does their copy show the same pay?
  • If the job could be done remotely by someone in B.C., have you counted it as covered?

How wide can a range be?

The BC guidance says the province is not setting limits on how wide a range can be right now. It says it may do so in future. Ontario is different. It limits posted ranges to $50,000 a year. See our Ontario checklist.

Do not ask about pay history

Section 3 says an employer must not seek pay history information about an applicant, directly or through a third party. The exception is pay history that is publicly accessible.

Other parts of the Act

  • Section 4 bars reprisals against employees for asking about pay and similar actions.
  • Separate from postings, larger employers must publish pay transparency reports. The Act says that for 2026 this covers employers with 50 or more employees, unless exempted by regulation.

What we could not confirm

Not confirmed: The Act lets the government make regulations that exempt some employers, limit ranges, or add required information to postings. We did not review regulations for this guide. Check the BC page below for current guidance.

Questions go to the province at [email protected], as listed on its guidance page.

Sources

Date checked: October 23, 2026. Not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules change, so check the official pages before you act.

Want this in a ready-to-use tool? The kit puts these rules into a checklist and a spreadsheet checker you can reuse for each posting. See the Canadian Job Posting Compliance Kit (CA$39) or buy it now.

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