Pay Stub Calculator
Start from the gross pay printed on your stub. The calculator rebuilds every withholding line, adds the year-to-date column, and explains what each line is. Type in the amounts your stub really prints and it tells you which line is off, and why.
How the calculator builds a stub
Enter this check’s gross pay, how often you are paid, your state and the filing status on your W-4. Add year-to-date gross if the stub shows it. Pre-tax benefits, a traditional 401(k) percent, a Roth percent and other after-tax deductions each change a different set of lines.
The engine is the same one behind the paycheck calculator: federal withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T for 2026, FICA follows Publication 15, and every state line carries its source. This page adds the YTD column and the stub checker.
What each stub line means
The table below names each line, the labels payroll systems use for it, and what it does. Employers label these differently, so find the closest match on your stub.
A worked stub: $2,500 every two weeks
A single filer in Texas, paid $2,500.00 biweekly with $15,000.00 gross year to date (six checks). Social Security is 6.2% of $2,500.00, or $155.00. Medicare is 1.45%, or $36.25. Federal tax is $216.15. Net pay is $2,092.60.
Year to date: Social Security is $930.00 and Medicare $217.50, both exact because they come straight from $15,000.00 of wages. Federal tax of $1,296.90 is an estimate that assumes six identical checks.
Checking your stub in five steps
1. Match gross pay. If the printed gross differs from rate times hours, look for overtime, a bonus, shift pay or retro pay.
2. Verify Social Security and Medicare: 6.2% and 1.45% of FICA wages. Pre-tax health premiums lower FICA wages; a traditional 401(k) does not.
3. Compare federal tax with the calculator. Differences usually trace to the W-4: Step 2, Step 3 credits, or the extra amount in Step 4(c).
4. Look at state and local lines. Some states publish employer wage tables that give slightly different results from the brackets used here.
5. Compare net pay. If every tax line matches and net still differs, an after-tax item such as union dues, a garnishment, or a reimbursement is in play. Ask payroll for the code list. See how to read a pay stub and how to check a pay stub.
| Line | This check | Year to date | Also called |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,500.00 | $15,000.00 | Gross wages, total earnings, regular + overtime |
| Federal income tax | -$216.15 | $1,296.90 (est.) | FIT, Fed W/H, federal withholding |
| Social Security | -$155.00 | $930.00 | OASDI, FICA-SS |
| Medicare | -$36.25 | $217.50 | MED, FICA-MED |
| State income tax | -$0.00 | $0.00 (est.) | State W/H, SIT |
| Net pay | $2,092.60 | $12,555.60 | Take-home, net check, deposit amount |
| Line | Also called | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | Gross wages, total earnings, regular + overtime | Everything earned this period before anything comes out. Hourly pay is rate times hours, plus overtime, tips and bonus. |
| Pre-tax benefits | Section 125, medical, dental, vision, HSA, FSA | Health premiums and similar items taken before tax. They normally lower federal, Social Security, Medicare and state taxable wages. |
| Traditional 401(k) | 401K, retirement, deferral | Your own retirement contribution. It lowers income-tax wages but not Social Security or Medicare wages. |
| Federal income tax | FIT, Fed W/H, federal withholding | Advance payment of your income tax, set by your W-4. It is not your final bill; the return settles it. |
| Social Security | OASDI, FICA-SS | 6.2% of Social Security wages until $184,500 of wages in the year. After that the line drops to zero. |
| Medicare | MED, FICA-MED | 1.45% of Medicare wages with no yearly cap. |
| Additional Medicare | Addl Medicare | 0.9% on wages above $200,000 from one employer in the year. |
| State income tax | State W/H, SIT | Your state’s withholding. Some states have none. Whether it is exact or an estimate is flagged in the calculator. |
| Local tax | City, EIT, county | A city or local wage tax, where one applies. |
| Roth 401(k) | Roth | Retirement money taken after tax. It lowers your check but no tax line. |
| Post-tax deductions | Union dues, life insurance, garnishment, other | Amounts taken after tax. They lower net pay only. |
Keep reading
Questions
How do I calculate a pay stub?
Start with gross pay for the period. Subtract pre-tax benefits and traditional 401(k) to get income-tax wages, then figure federal income tax from the W-4. Social Security is 6.2% and Medicare 1.45% of FICA wages, then add state and local tax and after-tax deductions. Net pay is gross pay minus every line. The calculator above does these steps and shows each line.
What does YTD mean on a pay stub?
YTD is year to date: the running total from January 1 (or your first paycheck) through this check. The YTD gross pay is the figure to type in the calculator. YTD Social Security stops growing once wages reach $184,500 in 2026.
Why is my net pay different from the calculator?
Common reasons: a benefit code the calculator does not know, a garnishment, a bonus or overtime in the period, a different W-4, a local tax, or a state that uses an employer wage table rather than published brackets. Use the Check my stub box to see which line differs.
Why did Social Security stop coming out of my check?
Social Security tax applies only to the first $184,500 of wages in 2026. Once YTD Social Security wages pass that amount, the line is zero for the rest of the year. Medicare has no cap.
Can I use this to make a pay stub for an employee?
No. This is an estimator and checker, not payroll software. It does not produce a document for filing, loans or proof of income. An employer needs a payroll system that tracks exact wages, benefits and deposits.
Are the YTD figures exact?
Social Security and Medicare YTD follow directly from YTD wages, so they are exact for wages that follow the same pattern. Federal and state YTD assume every earlier check was the same as this one, so they are estimates and are labeled that way.