Employers will have to publish salary information in job adverts under government plans to rewrite anti-discrimination laws.
Details of other job conditions could also have to be disclosed to candidates, under the draft proposals.
Ministers argue greater transparency will help people navigate the jobs market and could prevent future pay discrimination claims.
However, details of exactly what salary information will have to be shared are yet to be hammered out.
Officials plan to consult on whether exact salaries will have to be displayed, or potentially a pay range or “benchmark rate” for open roles.
They also plan to ask industry groups whether information beyond basic salary, such as bonuses, should be made available.
Employers that do not publish a job advert for a role would have to give candidates the information in writing prior to a job interview.
In a policy document, the Cabinet Office said salary information would help jobseekers make informed application decisions, and improve the hiring process for companies by weeding out candidates with “misaligned pay expectations”.
Citing various academic studies, it also said transparency would help prevent “unequal outcomes” when salaries are offered to successful applicants.
“When pay is opaque, salary decisions can be influenced by stereotypes – such as stereotypes of women, ethnic minorities, or disabled people,” it added.
