A pay stub shows what you earned (gross pay), what was taken out (taxes and deductions) and what you received (net pay), for this pay period and year to date (YTD).
The main sections
| Section |
What it shows |
| Employee and pay period |
Your name, employee ID, pay period dates and pay date |
| Earnings |
Regular hours, overtime, bonuses, commissions, PTO: rate × hours |
| Pre-tax deductions |
401(k)/403(b), health, dental and vision premiums, HSA/FSA |
| Taxes |
Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state and local taxes |
| Post-tax deductions |
Roth 401(k), union dues, garnishments, some insurance |
| Net pay |
What was deposited to your account |
| YTD |
Running totals for the calendar year |
Common abbreviations
| Abbreviation |
Meaning |
| FIT / FITW / FED WH |
Federal income tax withholding |
| SS / OASDI / FICA-SS |
Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) |
| MED / FICA-MED |
Medicare (1.45%) |
| SIT / SWT |
State income tax |
| LIT / LWT |
Local income tax |
| SDI / PFL / PFML / FLI / TDI |
State disability or paid-leave programs |
| PTO |
Paid time off |
| YTD |
Year to date |
Check these every payday
- Hours and rate are right, including overtime.
- Federal withholding matches your W-4 choices: a big change may mean your W-4 or a bonus changed it.
- Benefits deductions match what you enrolled in.
- YTD Social Security stops once wages reach $184,500.
Compare your stub with our paycheck calculator, if the numbers are far apart, ask payroll why.
