Taiwan Job Ads Under NT$40,000 Must Show a Pay Range; Fines Run NT$60,000 to NT$300,000

A job advert that leaves out the pay range can draw a fine of up to NT$300,000.

Article 5 of Taiwan's Employment Service Act says that when an employer recruits or hires staff, any vacancy with regular salary below NT$40,000 must have its pay range openly disclosed or communicated. The Laws and Regulations Database's consolidated text, current to 16 October 2026, still shows the NT$40,000 threshold. Under Article 67 of the same Act, a breach can bring a fine of between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000.

Whether the threshold will be raised, and how, has not been settled. According to a United Daily News report of 6 August 2026, Ministry of Labor officials said the proposals were still in the legislative process. This article first covers the current rule, then how far the amendment has got, and ends with a checklist to run through before writing a job advert.

Current rule: below NT$40,000, state the figure

The Ministry of Labor's explanation says the pay-disclosure rule has applied since 30 November 2018. Whether an employer advertises through a job bank or places its own recruitment advert, it must disclose the pay range for the vacancy. In other words, the platform differs but the duty is the same.

What counts as disclosure? According to a United Daily News report of 6 August 2026, an employer may state a range, a fixed amount or a minimum amount; the guidelines suggest a range no wider than NT$5,000. For this NT$5,000 suggestion, this article has only the United Daily News report and has not seen the Ministry's original interpretation.

Note that the statute says "regular salary", not the everyday term "monthly salary". Whether the two cover the same items, for example whether bonuses count, has not been verified here. Before writing a vacancy, check with the competent authority or a licensed professional.

Where the NT$40,000 figure comes from

United Daily News reports that NT$40,000 was derived by multiplying the 2017 (ROC year 106) average salary for new entrants, NT$27,055, by 1.48.

The problem is that salaries rise while the threshold has not moved. United Daily News cites the National Audit Office as saying the 2025 average salary for new entrants had reached NT$39,000, close to the NT$40,000 threshold; it also said the Ministry of Labor had not reviewed the threshold for more than seven years and had so far taken no action.

Applying the same formula to the 2023 (ROC year 112) new-entrant average of NT$35,000, multiplied by 1.48, gives about NT$51,800. United Daily News reports that the Ministry's preliminary idea is to set the threshold at NT$50,000, which would cover about 90 per cent of new-entrant vacancies.

Progress on the amendment: two routes, neither finished

Discussion of adjusting the threshold goes back to 2024 at least.

• October 2024: United Daily News reported that the Executive Yuan's economic development council asked the Ministry of Labor to consider linking the threshold to 1.75 times the minimum wage, to avoid frequent amendments later.
• November 2024: Newtalk reported that the Ministry planned to start the amendment in 2025, raising the threshold from NT$40,000 to NT$50,000, and said this would cover more than 90 per cent of new-entrant vacancies. The same report noted that some legislators had proposed setting the threshold at 1.75 times the basic wage so that it adjusts every year with the basic wage, but this was only a proposal.
• August 2026: United Daily News quoted Ministry of Labor staff as saying the 1.75-times linked proposal was still in the legislative process.

Using the 2026 basic wage of NT$29,500 cited by United Daily News, 1.75 times comes to about NT$51,625. However, this article found no official Ministry document showing whether the NT$50,000 and 1.75-times proposals run in parallel or are alternatives, or whether the 1.75-times link would sit in the Act or in its enforcement rules, so it cannot confirm either. Nor could it verify whether the Legislative Yuan or the Executive Yuan has passed or pre-announced a draft amendment.

Until new provisions take effect, employers must still follow the NT$40,000 threshold in the current text.

What academics say: transparency is not a pay rise

The same United Daily News report quotes two academics. Hsin Ping-lung supports a threshold that floats with the basic wage and suggests reviewing the NT$5,000 range width at the same time. Cheng Chih-yueh argues that disclosing pay can narrow the information gap but may not raise low pay, and asks the Ministry to explain why 1.75 times was chosen.

Checklist before writing a job advert

This checklist only gathers the current rules and reports above. It is general information, not legal advice; for individual cases, consult a licensed professional or the competent authority.

1. First estimate whether the vacancy's regular salary is below NT$40,000; if it is, the pay range must be openly disclosed or communicated.
2. Choose how to disclose: a range, a fixed amount or a minimum amount (according to United Daily News).
3. If you state a range, United Daily News reports that the guidelines suggest a width of no more than NT$5,000.
4. Adverts on job banks or placed by the employer itself must equally state the pay range.
5. Confirm which items "regular salary" covers, rather than relying on the everyday term "monthly salary".
6. Keep a record of the date and content of each advert and watch the amendment; in the consolidated text current to 16 October 2026, the threshold is still NT$40,000.

For job seekers, a vacancy with regular salary below NT$40,000 should, under the current text, already show you its pay range.

Sources

• Laws and Regulations Database (Ministry of Justice): Employment Service Act, Article 5, https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawSingle.aspx?pcode=N0090001&flno=5 (checked 2026-10-27)
• Laws and Regulations Database (Ministry of Justice): Employment Service Act, Article 67, https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawSingle.aspx?pcode=N0090001&flno=67 (checked 2026-10-27)
• Ministry of Labor: pay-disclosure rule added to Article 5 of the Employment Service Act, in force from 30 November 2018, https://www.mol.gov.tw/1607/1632/1640/44243/ (2018-11-28)
• United Daily News: plan to bar "negotiable" pay below NT$50,000 and raise the disclosure threshold to cover 90 per cent of vacancies, https://udn.com/news/story/7269/9673564 (2026-08-06)
• Newtalk: vacancies under NT$50,000 barred from saying "negotiable"; Ministry of Labor to start amendment in 2025, https://newtalk.tw/news/view/2024-11-09/943861 (2024-11-09)

Prices and details correct as of October 2026

Compiled by the F50 Editorial Team from public sources, for general reference only and not professional advice. Details are correct as of the publication date and may change.