There isn't much value in receiving 100 applications if half of the candidates are expecting a salary well above your budget.
Including a realistic range helps candidates self-select before applying.
If you're offering $90,000–$100,000 and someone is looking for $130,000, both sides can work that out before spending time on applications, screening calls and interviews.
Candidates are making quick decisions when browsing job boards.
Salary, location, flexibility and the role itself are often among the first details they're looking for.
Indeed encourages employers to include clear pay information because compensation is one of the key things job seekers consider when deciding whether a role suits them.
If two similar jobs appear next to each other and only one tells the candidate what they'll be paid, which one would you click first?
Salary conversations are going to happen eventually.
Keeping the salary hidden doesn't remove the conversation. It just pushes it further into the recruitment process.
Being upfront means recruiters, hiring managers and candidates can establish alignment much earlier.
And that's particularly important when you're running a multi-stage interview process.
Nobody wants to reach final interview only to discover there's a $20,000 difference between what the candidate expects and what the business can offer.
A job advertisement is often someone's first interaction with your business.
Clear information around salary, responsibilities, flexibility and expectations creates a much better candidate experience than making people chase basic information.
Salary transparency can also signal that the business has thought properly about the position, its market value and where it sits internally.
You don't necessarily need to advertise one exact figure.
For many roles, a realistic salary range makes more sense.
For example:
Salary: $110,000–$125,000 + super, depending on experience
This gives the business flexibility while still giving candidates enough information to decide whether the opportunity is suitable.
The important word is realistic.
Advertising an enormous range such as $80,000–$150,000 isn't particularly useful if you already know the successful candidate is most likely to be offered around $90,000.
Your advertised range should reflect what you're genuinely prepared to pay.
Indeed also recommends clearly stating whether compensation is hourly or annual and separately explaining bonuses, commissions or other variable components.
That's a different problem — and one worth solving before the job goes live.
Before advertising, employers should have a reasonable understanding of:
Current market salaries for the position
The level of experience required
Internal salary bands
What comparable businesses are paying
Candidate availability
How urgently the position needs to be filled
Whether additional benefits or flexibility form part of the overall package
If you're consistently finding that suitable candidates want considerably more than you've budgeted, the problem might not be the candidates.
It could be the salary benchmark.
This is where speaking with a recruiter who works in that market every day can be particularly valuable.
Salary is important, but it's only one part of a strong advertisement.
Candidates should be able to quickly understand:
What is the role?
Explain what they'll actually be responsible for.
What's the salary?
Provide a genuine figure or range.
Where is it?
Be clear about location and any remote or hybrid arrangements.
Why should they join?
Talk about progression, flexibility, benefits, culture and the opportunity itself.
What do you actually need?
Separate genuine requirements from the nice-to-haves.
The best job ads make it easy for someone to decide:
Is this role right for me?
Should you put a salary on a job ad?
In most cases, including a realistic salary or salary range gives candidates useful information upfront, helps align expectations and may increase application engagement.
Does including salary increase job applications?
It can. Indeed reports that job descriptions containing pay information can receive up to 31% more application starts per impression.
What does competitive salary mean in a job advertisement?
“Competitive salary” generally means the employer believes its remuneration is comparable with the market. However, without an actual figure or range, candidates have no way of knowing what the employer considers competitive.
Is a salary range better than saying salary negotiable?
Usually. A genuine salary range gives candidates a clearer understanding of the opportunity while still allowing employers flexibility based on experience.
How wide should a salary range be?
The range should represent what the business could realistically offer successful candidates. Extremely broad ranges can undermine the purpose of salary transparency.
No, “competitive salary” is not a salary.
If you know what you're prepared to pay, tell candidates.
A clear salary range can help your job stand out, attract people with more closely aligned expectations and prevent unnecessary salary conversations later in the recruitment process.
And if you're not sure what the role should be paying, that's worth working out before you hit Post.
At Woods & Co, we're speaking with businesses and candidates every day, giving us a real-time view of salary expectations and what's happening across the market.
If you're preparing to hire and want to understand where your salary sits, get in touch with our team.