The Effects of Pay Range Requirements

Last registered on November 17, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The Effects of Pay Range Requirements
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0017215
Initial registration date
November 10, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
November 17, 2025, 6:55 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Carl Meyer
Affiliation
Stanford
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Adrian Blattner
PI Affiliation
Stanford University
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PI Name
Mariana Guido
PI Affiliation
Stanford University
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-12-01
End date
2027-01-01
Keywords
Behavior, Gender, Labor
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We study how pay‑range posting in job ads affects applicants’ willingness to apply, ask wages, and beliefs. We separate three channels: (i) WTP calibration (ranges inform beliefs about the firm’s willingness to pay); (ii) perceived competitiveness (ranges change beliefs about how hard it is to clear the hiring bar); and (iii) mechanical clamping (bounds force asks into the posted range, which sorts marginal types). We run a within‑respondent, randomized discrete‑choice experiment (DCE) that shows pairs of realistic ads while manipulating range midpoints, and the lower/upper bounds.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Blattner, Adrian, Mariana Guido and Carl Meyer. 2025. "The Effects of Pay Range Requirements." AEA RCT Registry. November 17. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17215-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2025-12-01
Intervention End Date
2027-01-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
1. Application decision.
2. Ask wage.
3. Perceived acceptance probability.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Expectations about wage position within the range (probabilities for percentiles/bins).
Beliefs about competitor strength (share of applicants you think exceed your profile).
Response time and comprehension score (for attention diagnostics).
Free‑ask in diagnostic blocks (not clamped) to measure binding of bounds.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We run a within‑respondent, randomized discrete‑choice experiment (DCE) that shows pairs of realistic ads while manipulating the ranges. For each ad we elicit the application decision, ask wage, and beliefs about acceptance and within‑range pay.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done by a computer
Randomization Unit
Order of ads is randomized
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
5000 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
5000 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
5000 individuals
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
IRB Approval Date
2025-07-28
IRB Approval Number
72384
Analysis Plan