44% won't apply without pay transparency: What job seekers expect in 2026

44% won’t apply without pay transparency: What job seekers expect in 2026

Pay transparency is quickly turning into a front-end requirement, not a late-stage negotiation. In a new 2026 hiring survey from Patriot Software, an accounting and payroll software provider for small businesses, job seekers describe salary visibility as a trust signal and a time-saver, especially in a market shaped by layoffs, role consolidation, and longer hiring cycles.

The clearest line in the sand: 44% say they’re unlikely to apply when a posting doesn’t include a pay range.

Key findings (the stats doing the most damage)

• 44% are unlikely to apply to a job posting without a listed pay range.
• 84% believe companies hide pay to reduce workers’ negotiating power.
• 17% received an offer below the posted range when pay was disclosed.
• Among Gen Z, 42% say the top transparency practice that would boost applying and accepting is a clear explanation of how pay is set.

Pay transparency has become an application filter

Employers have long framed pay silence as “flexibility.” Candidates are increasingly treating it as a reason to walk away. Nearly half of respondents say they won’t apply if a pay range is missing, turning compensation disclosure into a first-round screening tool before any recruiter ever reaches out.

Candidates think secrecy is a strategy, not oversight

Job seekers aren’t guessing at why pay is hidden. A striking 84% say companies keep pay vague to limit negotiation leverage. That suspicion runs even deeper among higher earners, where 35% of respondents making over $150,000 believe delayed pay disclosure is used to underpay.

Transparency without follow-through backfires

Posting a pay range isn’t a credibility win if it doesn’t hold through the offer stage. Seventeen percent of respondents say they were offered below the posted range when a range was disclosed. For candidates, that gap turns “transparency” into a broken promise and can erode trust faster than saying nothing at all.

Gen Z wants the logic, not just the number

Younger workers are pushing beyond “What’s the range?” to “How does pay actually work here?” Among Gen Z respondents, 42% say the single most helpful transparency practice is a clear explanation of how pay is set, pointing to rising demand for clarity on progression, criteria, and fairness, not just a band of numbers.

Summary

The takeaway is less philosophical than practical: Pay transparency is already changing hiring behavior. Job seekers are using salary visibility to decide where to spend their time, and they’re reading compensation clarity as a proxy for respect and trust. For small businesses trying to compete on speed and credibility, visible pay ranges and consistent follow-through are rapidly becoming baseline expectations.

Methodology

Patriot Software reports results from a January 2026 survey conducted via Pollfish of 1,000 U.S. adults who applied for at least one job in the past 12 months, across multiple industries.

In the survey, participants answered questions about job postings, pay disclosure, interview experiences, and how compensation transparency shaped their decisions.

Results from the survey were analyzed across income and age groups to identify patterns in job-seeker behavior and perception.

This story was produced by Patriot Software and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.