diff --git a/apps/api/src/tests/job.test.js b/apps/api/src/tests/job.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d718562be4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/tests/job.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { createJobSchema, updateJobSchema } from "../validators/job.js";
+
+const validJob = {
+  title: "Build a website",
+  description: "We need a responsive website built",
+  budgetMin: 100,
+  budgetMax: 500,
+  categoryId: "cat_1",
+  skills: ["javascript", "react"],
+};
+
+test("createJobSchema accepts valid budget range", () => {
+  const result = createJobSchema.safeParse(validJob);
+  assert.equal(result.success, true);
+});
+
+test("createJobSchema accepts equal budgetMin and budgetMax", () => {
+  const result = createJobSchema.safeParse({ ...validJob, budgetMin: 300, budgetMax: 300 });
+  assert.equal(result.success, true);
+});
+
+test("createJobSchema rejects inverted budget range", () => {
+  const result = createJobSchema.safeParse({ ...validJob, budgetMin: 500, budgetMax: 100 });
+  assert.equal(result.success, false);
+  assert.ok(result.error.issues.some((i) => i.message.includes("budgetMax")));
+});
+
+test("createJobSchema rejects zero budgetMax with positive budgetMin", () => {
+  const result = createJobSchema.safeParse({ ...validJob, budgetMin: 100, budgetMax: 0 });
+  assert.equal(result.success, false);
+});
+
+test("updateJobSchema accepts partial update with valid range", () => {
+  const result = updateJobSchema.safeParse({ budgetMin: 100, budgetMax: 500 });
+  assert.equal(result.success, true);
+});
+
+test("updateJobSchema rejects inverted range when both fields present", () => {
+  const result = updateJobSchema.safeParse({ budgetMin: 500, budgetMax: 100 });
+  assert.equal(result.success, false);
+});
+
+test("updateJobSchema accepts single budget field without the other", () => {
+  const result = updateJobSchema.safeParse({ budgetMin: 100 });
+  assert.equal(result.success, true);
+
+  const result2 = updateJobSchema.safeParse({ budgetMax: 500 });
+  assert.equal(result2.success, true);
+});
+
+test("createJobSchema rejects missing required fields", () => {
+  const result = createJobSchema.safeParse({ title: "Hi" });
+  assert.equal(result.success, false);
+});
diff --git a/apps/api/src/validators/job.js b/apps/api/src/validators/job.js
index 5593a844af..66bc556054 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/validators/job.js
+++ b/apps/api/src/validators/job.js
@@ -1,12 +1,31 @@
 import { z } from "zod";
 
-export const createJobSchema = z.object({
+const jobBaseSchema = z.object({
   title: z.string().min(4),
   description: z.string().min(10),
   budgetMin: z.number().nonnegative(),
   budgetMax: z.number().nonnegative(),
   categoryId: z.string().min(1),
-  skills: z.array(z.string().min(1)).default([])
+  skills: z.array(z.string().min(1)).default([]),
 });
 
-export const updateJobSchema = createJobSchema.partial();
+const budgetRangeCheck = {
+  refine: (data) => {
+    if (data.budgetMin !== undefined && data.budgetMax !== undefined) {
+      return data.budgetMax >= data.budgetMin;
+    }
+    return true;
+  },
+  message: "budgetMax must be greater than or equal to budgetMin",
+  path: ["budgetMax"],
+};
+
+export const createJobSchema = jobBaseSchema.refine(budgetRangeCheck.refine, {
+  message: budgetRangeCheck.message,
+  path: budgetRangeCheck.path,
+});
+
+export const updateJobSchema = jobBaseSchema.partial().refine(budgetRangeCheck.refine, {
+  message: budgetRangeCheck.message,
+  path: budgetRangeCheck.path,
+});