Why show salary in job offers?

In France, 43% of job postings on Indeed mention a salary, while 66% of people surveyed in France for Indeed say they would be more inclined to apply to a job posting that shows a pay range (Indeed Hiring Lab, May 2026). Thus, not posting the expected salary for the position offered makes you miss out on many potential candidates. Indicating the salary amount in job offers makes a lot more sense than it seems. Above all, this allows be transparent as to remuneration within the company and to ensure equal treatment in the area of discrimination. And it's always good for The employer brand ! So let's see how to write an effective job offer.

The benefits of displaying salaries in job postings

Benefits for employers:

A recent study shows that Candidates consider it “important” or even “very important” that the salary be indicated on a job offer. Indicating a salary gives candidates a benchmark in relation to market references. If he is already employed, this will allow him to judge how your job offer is an opportunity for him. If the candidate is looking for a job, this information will allow him to assess whether it is interesting for him to apply given all his constraints and the perspectives you offer him.

Thus, you will gain:

• Time in processing applications : this will avoid receiving candidates who are clearly not interested in the salary level you are offering.
• On the quality of applications : a salary that is too high risks attracting under-qualified applications.
• On the quantity of qualified responses : a large number of candidates go their way if they cannot find this information, because they do not want to waste time or they are afraid of being disappointed.
• On employer branding : you will be identified as a fair company in the treatment of employees with a policy of pay transparency, equal opportunities and non-discrimination in hiring.

Benefits for candidates:

Above all, it is a question of having common sense! This is essential information in order to decide to apply. You know exactly what salary range is acceptable to you, as a decision maker in the company, so why not post it? Note that, on the other hand, a job offer without salary information is interpreted as the establishment of an outdated and opaque power relationship. There is no reason not to include this information, especially if similar positions already exist within your organization. In this way, the applications will be more in line with your expectations. A successful job offer is synonymous with numerous applications.

Tips for displaying salaries in job offers

How can salaries be displayed in job offers transparently?

To be transparent about the salary of a job offer, you still need to have set up a wage transparency policy in your business beforehand. Thus, depending on the profile you are looking for and the skills and experience required, you can set and justify a relatively accurate hiring salary. If the exercise seems difficult, you can always indicate a salary range, it's better than nothing. But make sure that the range is narrow, because otherwise it will lose meaning. After the job title, you should immediately see the proposed salary level.

Common mistakes to avoid when posting salaries

At the risk of being repeated, the common mistakes that are noticed when posting salaries on job offers are as follows:

• A salary range that is too wide : a salary range that is too wide shows that you are imprecise about the profile you are looking for, or that you have incorrectly defined the profile you need. Do not exceed 10% between the minimum/maximum limits.
• Undervalue the proposed salary : your job offer will be ineffective and will give a poor image of your employer brand.
• Overvaluing the salary : you take the risk of attracting profiles who tend to overvalue their skills. You will need to spend a lot of time identifying them in your hiring process.

Anticipating the regulatory change

EU Directive 2023/970 of 10 May 2023 had to be transposed by Member States by 7 June 2026. Its Article 5 applies to all employers, whatever their size: candidates must receive information on the initial pay or its range before the interview, and employers may no longer ask about their current or past pay. The 100-employee threshold only concerns reporting on the gender pay gap (Article 9 of the directive): first report due by 7 June 2027 for employers with 150 or more employees, and by 7 June 2031 for those with 100 to 149.

In France, transposition bill No. 944 was tabled in the Senate on 10 September 2026 under the accelerated procedure (French Senate legislative file). As of 23 September 2026, it has not been passed. Its Article 4 requires every publicly advertised job posting to state a pay range and, where applicable, the relevant collective agreement provisions; without a posting, the employer gives this information in writing before or during the interview. It also bans asking candidates about their current or past pay.

For the full obligations and timeline, read our article on pay transparency and recruitment.

As you will have understood, writing an effective job offer requires the indication of the salary. It is proof of your overall approach to wage transparency, equity, equal opportunities, parity and non-discrimination in hiring. In the end, the stakes are much higher than recruiting a candidate. Your ad can say a lot about your employer brand and especially about your level of social responsibility.

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