Salary in UK Job Ads: What Is Proposed
A government consultation that closes on 27 October 2026 asks whether every UK employer should have to publish pay and conditions in job adverts. It is a proposal, not a law. Here is what is on the table, what is still open, and how to protect yourself while you apply.
What the government is asking
On 14 July 2026 the government published a consultation called "Equal pay and pay discrimination". It closes at 5pm on 27 October 2026, after the period was extended to 15 weeks.[1]
Law firms that have read the consultation document describe the same central idea about recruitment. Employers would have a statutory duty to publish information about pay and conditions in their job adverts.[2] Where a role is not advertised publicly, the employer would give that information to the candidate in writing before the interview.[2][3]
That is the part that matters most if you are applying for jobs. The same consultation also covers a wider reform of equal pay law, including a proposed enforcement body, the Equal Pay Regulatory and Enforcement Unit, and protections for outsourced workers.[2] Those proposals are aimed mainly at employers and tribunals rather than candidates.
It is not law yet
This point is easy to miss in headlines. A consultation asks for views before the government decides. Nothing in it obliges an employer to do anything today.
- The proposed duty would be introduced through legislation and regulations after the consultation ends, and the government has said there would be an extended implementation period.[2][3]
- One law firm stresses that this is just a consultation and that legislation may be some way off yet.[3]
- Another points out that the details are left open: how wide a pay range may be, exactly what counts as pay and conditions, and who is responsible when a recruitment agency posts the advert.[3]
So for now, an advert without a salary is still lawful in the UK. If you see a claim that salary ranges are already compulsory, treat it with caution.
What is still undecided
The consultation asks what should be disclosed rather than fixing it. Law firm summaries list several possibilities: a salary, a pay range, a benchmark rate, or bonuses and other financial benefits.[2][4] Collective bargaining provisions and annual pay adjustments are also mentioned as possible items.[3]
Pay information could also be given at another point in the process, as long as an informed and transparent negotiation is still possible.[3] That flexibility suggests the final rule may not demand exactly the same thing in every advert.
How this differs from the EU rules
You may have read about the European pay transparency directive, which also asks employers to share pay ranges with applicants before interview. The UK proposal is narrower. Compared with the directive, the consultation does not include a ban on asking candidates about their current or previous pay, a right to request pay information about comparators, or a duty to make pay-setting criteria accessible.[3]
That means a UK candidate should not assume the protections described for the EU apply in Great Britain. If you apply to a role with an employer based in another country, check which national rules apply to that vacancy.
What to do while you apply
You do not have to wait for legislation to ask for pay information. A few habits make a real difference.
- Look for the range first. If an advert gives a range, note it in your tracking so you can compare roles on the same footing.
- Ask early, politely. If there is no figure, ask the recruiter for the pay range before investing time in a long application. A short, neutral message is enough.
- Ask for the conditions too. Bonus, pension, holiday and working pattern shape the real value of an offer as much as the base salary.
- Decide in advance how to answer about your current salary. The consultation does not propose a rule stopping an employer from asking, so prepare what you are comfortable saying.
- Keep the advert. Save the text and the date, because adverts change and a written record helps if the offer differs later.
Our guide on salary expectations and negotiating an offer walks through how to answer this question and when to bring up figures. If you are deciding which adverts deserve a full application, the guide on measuring how well you fit a job helps you focus on roles where your experience genuinely matches.
Should you respond to the consultation?
The consultation welcomes responses from employers, workers, trade unions and other interested people. The preferred route is the online form linked from the consultation page; you can also reply by email or by post.[1] If you have lost time on applications for roles that turned out to pay far less than expected, your own experience is exactly the kind of evidence a consultation looks for. The deadline is 27 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Do UK employers have to show a salary in job adverts today?
No. The government is consulting on a new duty, but nothing in the consultation is in force yet.
When could the change happen?
No date has been set. The proposal would need legislation and regulations, and the government has signalled an extended implementation period.
Would employers still be able to ask about my current salary?
The consultation does not propose a ban on questions about current or previous pay, unlike the EU directive.
Does this apply to Northern Ireland?
The summaries of the proposal refer to employers in England, Wales and Scotland. Check the consultation document if you work or apply in Northern Ireland.
Sources
- a b GOV.UK, "Equal pay and pay discrimination" consultation, first published 14 July 2026, closes 27 October 2026 gov.uk
- a b c d e DLA Piper, "Government seeks views on reforms to equal pay and pay transparency laws", July 2026 knowledge.dlapiper.com
- a b c d e f g Lewis Silkin, "UK pay transparency in recruitment: pay ranges in job adverts are under consultation", 16 July 2026 lewissilkin.com
- ↑ DAC Beachcroft, "Government consults on reform of the equal pay and pay discrimination framework", August 2026 dacbeachcroft.com