Salary Transparency 2026: Will salary really be mandatory in all job advertisements?

Many people are waiting for the European Union's new wage transparency directive to come into force in Hungary, and with it the question of whether it will be mandatory to indicate salary in all job advertisements from 2026.

While the regulation aims to be transparent, the details are often confusing. Let's take a look at what this means in practice for employers and employees.

When does the EU Pay Transparency Directive come into force?

Under the EU's Pay Transparency Directive, member states were supposed to enact their own national legislation by June 7, 2026. It is important to note that the Hungarian regulation is still pending at the time of this blog post.

Will it be mandatory to specify the salary range in the job advertisement?

Article 5 of the Directive clearly states that a job applicant has the right to know the starting salary or salary range for the given position. However, here is the essential difference:

The Directive does not require that the salary range be included in the job advertisement. The aim is for the applicant to receive this information in good time, before transparent salary negotiations begin. This can be done by:

- in the job advertisement,
- during the job interview,
- before starting the wage negotiation,
- or in another appropriate manner chosen by the employer.

What does the directive prohibit and what does it require in selection?

In addition to the wage band, the directive also introduces two additional, critical rules:

1.) Prohibition on previous salary: The employer may not ask about the applicant's previous salary during the selection process.

2.) Non-discrimination: Job advertisements and the entire selection process must be non-discriminatory in all aspects.

What's the next step?

The final form of the domestic legislation is still being developed. If you want to stay up to date and know whether the Hungarian legislator will eventually make it mandatory to indicate the salary range in job advertisements, follow my blog, where I will explain the changes in detail after the domestic legislation comes into force.

Do you have questions about wage transparency or labor law obligations? Request a consultation here!