Decades of progress toward equal pay in CA

California has long been a national leader in advancing pay equity and workplace fairness. Over the past decade, the state has strengthened protections to help ensure employees are paid fairly and have greater transparency about compensation.

1949     Original Equal Pay Act

California enacted its original Equal Pay Act, requiring equal pay for equal work based on sex.

2016     California Fair Pay Act

Significantly strengthened the law by requiring equal pay for employees performing "substantially similar work," expanding comparisons beyond the same workplace, and protecting employees who discuss wages or raise concerns about unequal pay.

2017     Race and Ethnicity Protections

The Equal Pay Act was expanded to prohibit pay discrimination based on race and ethnicity, in addition to sex.

2018     Salary History Ban

California prohibited employers from asking most job applicants about their salary history and required employers to provide a pay scale upon request to applicants. The Equal Pay Act was also extended to public employers.

2023     SB 1162 — pay transparency

Employers with 15 or more employees became required to include a pay scale in job postings and maintain pay records, giving job seekers and employees greater transparency.

2026     SB 642 — expanded protections

Further strengthened California's Equal Pay Act by expanding the definition of protected employees (including nonbinary workers), broadening the definition of wages and compensation, extending the statute of limitations to three years (with potential recovery of up to six years of lost wages), and clarifying what constitutes an unlawful pay practice. It also updated pay transparency requirements by requiring employers to post pay ranges that reflect what they reasonably expect to pay for the position.

California Today

California's pay equity laws now include protections that:

●Require equal pay for employees performing substantially similar work.

●Prohibit employers from relying on salary history when making hiring decisions.

●Require many employers to include salary ranges in job postings.

●Protect employees who discuss wages or raise concerns about unequal pay.

●Provide avenues for employees to file complaints if they believe they have experienced pay discrimination.

California's pay equity laws continue to evolve to promote fair compensation, increase transparency, and help ensure that all workers have equal opportunity to succeed