On November 4, 2025, the City of Columbus passed an ordinance requiring employers to identify salary ranges and pay scales for all employment postings in Columbus. Employers seeking to advertise for positions located in Columbus must now “provide a reasonable salary range or scale for potential employment” in those postings. Moving forward, employers need to consider carefully not only whether their employment postings comply with this statute, but whether the salary itself is “reasonable” under Columbus law.
This ordinance, effective January 1, 2027, does not apply uniformly. First, it applies only to employers with 15 or more employees in the territorial limits of Columbus. Second, it applies only to employment postings soliciting applicants “within the geographic boundaries of the City of Columbus.” Third, those applications must be solicited, received, processed, or considered in the City of Columbus.
Most importantly, the ordinance requires the salary range or pay scale to be “reasonable.” While it does not define reasonable, it affords employers discretion in determining what a reasonable salary range or pay scale is. In doing so, the ordinance explicitly allows employers to consider the following criteria:
- The employer’s budget;
- The experience required to perform the job;
- The responsibilities required of the job;
- The opportunities for growth in and beyond that position;
- The cost of living in the locality or localities in which the employee may work; and
- The salaries of comparable positions.
This is not an exhaustive list. Employers may consider other factors in determining an appropriate salary range for a given job posting.
This new law amends Columbus’s existing anti-discrimination ordinance governing salaries (Columbus City Code 2335.03). Under this ordinance, employers were prohibited from the following:
- Inquiring about an applicant’s salary history;
- Screening applicants based on their prior payment history;
- Relying exclusively on an applicant’s prior payment history in determining whether to make an offer to an applicant; or
- Refusing to hire an applicant for refusing to disclose their prior payment history.
Violations do not create a cause of action for applicants. However, it does permit an applicant to trigger an administrative investigation with the Columbus Community Relations Commission. The Commission may then initiate an investigation into the allegations. Upon a finding of probable cause, the Commission then may choose to refer the matter to the City for prosecution. Employers covered by this ordinance should consider carefully what amount they intend to pay applicants, and their justification for the selected salary range.
At Bailey Cavalieri, our labor and employment practice group is dedicated to helping employers navigate the rapidly changing employment landscape. If you have questions or need assistance regarding workplace matters, please contact us.