Online Paystub Generator

What Does a Pay Stub Look Like?

Most pay stubs follow the same basic layout, no matter which template or payroll system produced them. The top identifies the employer and the worker, the middle breaks down earnings, taxes and deductions and the bottom shows net pay with year-to-date totals beside each figure. Once you know that structure, any stub becomes easy to read.

The design is what changes. A stub from a large payroll provider may run two columns with dozens of deduction codes, while a small business stub might fit on a single compact block. The information underneath is the same and each section answers one question: who was paid, for which period, how much was earned, what was withheld and what was left over. If you want to see every field labeled on a real document, our annotated pay stub example walks through a full stub from top to bottom.

Employer and Employee Information

The top of the stub identifies who paid and who was paid. This usually includes the company name, address and EIN, along with the employee’s name, address and the last four digits of their Social Security number or an employee ID.

Pay Period, Pay Date and Pay Frequency

This section shows the start and end dates of the pay period, the date the payment was issued and how often the worker is paid: weekly, biweekly, semimonthly or monthly. Pay frequency affects how federal and state withholding is calculated.

Earnings: Regular Hours, Overtime, Bonuses and Commissions

The earnings section lists each type of pay separately. Hourly workers see regular hours, overtime hours and their rates. Salaried workers see their salary amount for the period. Bonuses, commissions, tips and holiday pay appear as additional lines and together they make up gross pay.

Taxes Withheld: Federal Income Tax, State Tax, Social Security and Medicare

Here you will find federal income tax, state income tax where it applies and any local taxes. FICA taxes are listed as two lines: Social Security (6.2% up to the annual wage base) and Medicare (1.45%, plus an Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9% on wages above $200,000 for the year).

Pre-Tax and Post-Tax Deductions

Deductions reduce the amount the worker takes home. Pre-tax deductions, such as 401(k) contributions, HSA or FSA contributions and some health insurance premiums, lower taxable income. Post-tax deductions include items like Roth contributions, child support and wage garnishments.

Net Pay and Year-to-Date (YTD) Totals

Net pay is the final take-home amount after all taxes and deductions. Next to each current-period figure, most pay stubs show a year-to-date total, which is the running sum from January 1 through the current pay date. YTD figures are what lenders and tax preparers look at first.

Common Pay Stub Abbreviations

Pay stubs use short codes to save space. Some of the most common are FED TAX or FIT (federal income tax), ST TAX or SIT (state income tax), FICA or OASDI (Social Security), MED (Medicare), YTD (year-to-date), OT (overtime) and NET (net pay). The full list is in our guide to pay stub abbreviations.

What You Need Before You Create a Pay Stub

Having the right information ready makes the process faster and helps avoid mistakes. Here is what to gather before you start.

Company Details

You will need the business name, business address and Employer Identification Number (EIN). Self-employed individuals without an EIN can use their own business details.

Employee or Contractor Details

Have the worker’s full name, address, the last four digits of their SSN and their worker type (W-2 employee or 1099 contractor). For employees, you will also need their federal filing status and any adjustments from their Form W-4, plus state withholding information where applicable.

Pay Details

Know whether the worker is paid hourly or by salary, their pay rate, hours worked (including overtime), pay frequency and the pay dates you need stubs for.

Prior YTD Amounts and Deductions

If the worker was paid earlier in the year through another system, have their prior year-to-date earnings and taxes ready so the new stubs continue the totals correctly. List any recurring deductions such as retirement contributions or insurance premiums.

Can Pay Stubs Be Used as Proof of Income?

Pay stubs are one of the most common documents used to show proof of income, because they show current earnings, pay frequency and year-to-date totals in one place. Whether a specific pay stub is accepted always depends on the organization reviewing it and many will also verify income through other sources.

Renting an Apartment

Landlords and property managers usually ask for two or three recent pay stubs as proof of income, so they can confirm that an applicant earns enough to cover the rent each month.

Mortgages and Personal Loans

Lenders usually request recent pay stubs along with W-2 forms or tax returns to confirm steady income before approving a mortgage or personal loan.

Car Loans and Leases

Auto lenders and dealerships commonly ask for recent pay stubs to confirm income and employment before approving financing or a lease.

Visa, Benefits and Disability Applications

Some government agencies and benefit programs request pay stubs to verify earnings as part of an application or review.

Tax Filing and Personal Records

Pay stubs help you check that your W-2 is accurate, estimate taxes owed and keep a clear record of your income throughout the year.

Why Choose Online Paystub?

Not every paystub maker is built the same. Some bury you in confusing fields, others charge before you can see the result. Online Paystub is designed to be accurate, transparent and simple from the first field to the final PDF.

Accurate Federal and State Tax Calculations

Federal withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T and the current Form W-4 method. State income tax rules are built in for all 50 states, including the states with no income tax and tax tables are updated for each new tax year.

Free Preview Before You Pay

You can build your entire pay stub and review the full preview without paying anything. You only pay when you are ready to download the final PDF.

Unlimited Edits Before Checkout

Change a name, fix a date, adjust hours or switch templates as many times as you like before you complete your order. Every change recalculates taxes, deductions and net pay instantly.

One Flat Price, No Subscription

Each pay stub costs $4.99. There are no plans, no recurring charges and no hidden fees.

Instant PDF Download

As soon as your order is complete, your print-ready PDF is ready to download, save, print or share.

Private and Secure Process

Your information is transmitted over an encrypted connection and payments are processed through a secure checkout. We only use your details to generate your documents.

Money-Back Guarantee

If your paystub cannot be delivered or our generator fails to produce the document you ordered, you are covered by our money-back guarantee. Contact our support team with your order details and we will review your request under the terms set out in our refund policy.

Satisfaction Guarantee

We want every document to be right the first time. That is why you can preview your pay stub in full, edit any field and switch templates before you pay. If something still is not right after checkout, reach out to our support team and we will work with you until your paystub is correct.

100% Secure Ordering

Every page is served over an encrypted SSL connection and payments are handled by a PCI-compliant payment processor, so your card details never touch our servers. We use the information you enter only to generate your documents.

W-2 Employee vs. 1099 Contractor Pay Stubs

Online Paystub supports both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors and the calculations change depending on which one you choose.

What Changes on a 1099 Pay Stub

For W-2 employees, federal income tax, state tax, Social Security and Medicare are withheld from each paycheck. For 1099 contractors, no taxes are withheld by the payer, so a contractor pay stub typically shows gross payments and any agreed deductions, with net pay equal to the amount actually paid.

Self-Employment Tax and Withholding

Contractors are responsible for paying their own taxes, including self-employment tax of 15.3% (Social Security and Medicare combined) on net earnings, usually through quarterly estimated payments. Keeping accurate pay stubs makes it easier to calculate these payments. Our guide to pay stubs for independent contractors walks through a full 1099 example.

Paystub Requirements by State

There is no single national rule for pay stubs. Each state decides whether employers must provide them and whether electronic copies are enough. Browse our state-by-state paystub requirements to see the rules and tax details for your state.

States With No Pay Stub Requirement

A handful of states do not require employers to give employees pay stubs at all. Employers in these states still need to keep accurate payroll records under federal law.

Access States (Electronic or Paper)

In access states, employers must give employees access to their pay information. Electronic pay stubs are generally acceptable as long as employees can view them.

Access and Print States

These states allow electronic pay stubs, but employees must be able to print them or receive a paper copy on request. California, for example, requires employers to provide itemized wage statements with specific information on each one.

Opt-Out States

In opt-out states, employers can switch to electronic pay stubs, but employees can choose to keep receiving paper copies.

Opt-In State: Hawaii

Hawaii requires employee consent before an employer can provide pay stubs electronically. Without consent, employers must provide paper statements.

Find Your State’s Paystub Generator

Each state has its own income tax rules and some have no state income tax at all. Use our state pages to create pay stubs with the correct state calculations:

• California paystub generator
• Texas paystub generator
• New York paystub generator
• Florida paystub generator
• Georgia paystub generator
• See all 50 states

Do Employers Have to Provide Pay Stubs?

Whether an employer must provide pay stubs depends on where the business operates. Federal law and state law treat the question differently.

Federal Rules: FLSA Recordkeeping Requirements

No federal law requires employers to give employees pay stubs. However, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to keep accurate records of each employee’s hours worked, wages paid and deductions. Issuing pay stubs is the simplest way to maintain those records and share them with employees.

Electronic vs. Printed Pay Stubs

Most states allow electronic pay stubs, but some require a printable version or a paper copy on request and Hawaii requires employee consent first. Check your state’s rules before switching to fully digital pay stubs.

Real vs. Fake Pay Stubs

A pay stub is only legitimate when it reflects real employment, real earnings and real payments. Online Paystub is built for lawful payroll and recordkeeping and every user agrees to our acceptable use terms.

Legitimate Uses of a Paystub Generator

Employers creating stubs for their employees, contractors documenting client payments and self-employed individuals recording their own income are all legitimate uses. In every case, the information entered must be accurate and truthful.

How to Spot a Fake Pay Stub

Fake pay stubs often contain math that does not add up, such as taxes that do not match gross pay, YTD totals that do not match the number of pay periods or a Social Security amount that is not 6.2% of wages. Other warning signs include missing employer details, inconsistent fonts or spacing and pay dates that fall on weekends or holidays.

Legal Consequences of Falsified Pay Stubs

Using a pay stub with false employer, income or payment information to obtain a loan, housing, credit or benefits can be treated as fraud. Consequences may include denied applications, financial penalties and criminal charges depending on the circumstances and the state.