Free Pay Stub Generator
Build a printable pay stub for a paycheck you already ran, with 2026 federal, Social Security, Medicare, and state withholding plus year-to-date columns.
Free Pay Stub Generator
Employer / payer
Worker
Never enter a full SSN. If you do, only the last 4 are shown on the stub.
Pay period and schedule
Earnings
Taxes and deductions
W-4 Step 4c. State rates are flat estimates. Override any tax below with what you actually withheld.
Override calculated taxes (optional)
Leave blank to use the estimate. Type the actual amount withheld to make the stub match the real payment.
Year-to-date
Auto multiplies this check by the period number and assumes identical prior checks. For a real record, switch to Manual and paste the prior stub totals.
Add employer name, worker name, and the pay-period and pay dates to enable printing.
| Earnings | Hours | Rate | Current | YTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Taxes | Current | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Social Security | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Medicare | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| State income tax | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total taxes | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Deductions | Current | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| Total deductions | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Estimated withholding for a payment already made. Verify against the amounts you actually withheld and paid.
What belongs on a compliant US pay stub
A pay stub is the itemized record that goes out with a paycheck. A complete US stub shows gross wages, the hours worked and the pay rate, each tax and each deduction on its own line, net pay, the pay-period start and end dates, the pay date, the employer legal name and address, and the worker name with an employee ID or the last four digits of their SSN. California Labor Code 226 sets the strictest common itemization standard, and most states want the same core items. This tool fills in every one of those fields, so the finished stub reads like a real wage statement. It records a payment that already happened, which means the figures on it have to match the money you actually paid.
How the 2026 tax math works
Federal income tax uses the IRS Publication 15-T (2026) percentage method: the tool annualizes your taxable wages (gross minus pre-tax deductions), applies the bracket for your filing status, then divides the annual tax back down to the pay period. Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, and it stops once year-to-date wages pass that base. Medicare is 1.45% on all wages, plus an extra 0.9% on the portion of year-to-date wages above $200,000. State tax is a single flat estimate per state. That is on purpose. Modeling 50 sets of progressive brackets and local taxes in the browser is more than a single stub needs.
Every tax figure is an estimate of withholding, and you can override any of them. Since you are documenting a payment you already made, type the amount you actually withheld into the override fields so the stub matches reality. The percentage method here does not model W-4 Step 2 (multiple jobs) or Step 3 dependent credits; the full detail lives in the app. For related math, see the Salary to Paycheck Calculator, the Bonus Tax Calculator, and the 401(k) Paycheck Impact Calculator.
Current versus year-to-date, and why accuracy matters
A real stub has two columns. "Current" is this paycheck. "Year-to-date" is the running total for the calendar year, including this check. Auto mode estimates the year-to-date figures by multiplying this check by the pay-period number, which assumes every prior check was identical. For an accurate recordkeeping stub, switch to Manual mode and paste the running totals straight off the prior stub. That keeps the Social Security wage base and the Medicare surtax threshold on track across the year. Either way, the stub has to reflect wages actually paid, not a number you wish were true.
From a single stub to full payroll
This page prints one stub for one worker at a time. When you need to run the whole team, the Payroll Calculator (WorkLogs44) app handles full per-employee federal, state, and FICA withholding, employer SUTA and FUTA, year-to-date wage-base tracking, and multi-employee runs across all 50 states plus DC. To total a batch of paychecks on the web, use the Multi-Employee Payroll Calculator. Everything on this page is computed in your browser, so nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about free pay stub generator
What is a pay stub and what should it show?
A pay stub is the itemized record attached to a paycheck. A complete US stub shows gross wages, hours worked and pay rate, each tax and deduction, net pay, the pay-period dates and pay date, the employer legal name and address, and the worker name with an ID or the last four of their SSN. California Labor Code 226 is the common itemization benchmark, and most states expect the same core items.
Must a pay stub reflect wages that were actually paid?
Yes. A pay stub is a record of a real payment. Use this tool only to document wages you actually paid an employee, or a real draw you paid yourself. It is not a way to create or inflate income, and a stub that misstates pay is not a legitimate record. The numbers on the stub must match the money that actually changed hands. Falsifying a pay stub is fraud.
Is this pay stub generator really free?
Yes. No watermark, no per-stub charge, and no email required. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing you enter is sent to a server.
How is the tax withholding calculated?
Federal income tax uses the IRS Publication 15-T (2026) percentage method based on filing status and pay frequency. Social Security is 6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base. Medicare is 1.45%, plus 0.9% on wages above $200,000 year-to-date. State tax uses a flat per-state estimate you can override with the amount you actually withheld. For related paycheck math, see the Salary to Paycheck Calculator.
Can a self-employed person make a pay stub?
You can document an owner draw or wages you actually paid yourself from your business. Set worker type to "Self-employed / owner draw." Self-employment income is usually taxed through self-employment tax and estimated payments rather than employee withholding, so use the override fields to match what you actually set aside.
What's the difference between current and YTD columns?
"Current" is this paycheck. "YTD" (year-to-date) is the running total for the year including this check. For an accurate stub, switch to Manual YTD mode and paste the running totals from the prior stub.
Does this replace real payroll software?
No. It produces a single printable stub for recordkeeping. For running an actual multi-employee payroll with full state withholding, W-4 detail, and employer SUTA and FUTA, use the Payroll Calculator (WorkLogs44) app or the Multi-Employee Payroll Calculator.
Which states have no income tax on wages?
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming don't tax wage income, so the state tax line is $0.00 for those.