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What Is a Pay Stub? A Plain-English Definition

Last updated: October 15, 2026

A pay stub is the receipt for your paycheck: it shows what you earned, what was taken out, and what you kept — every pay period, in writing.

The 30-second definition

Your employer pays you $X. Before it reaches you, taxes and deductions come out. The pay stub is the itemized list of that journey: gross pay at the top, every deduction in the middle, net (take-home) pay at the bottom — plus year-to-date running totals. It's generated by payroll, and you get one each payday.

Pay stub vs. paycheck

The paycheck — or these days, the direct deposit — is the money. The stub is the math. Keep the two concepts separate and stubs stop being confusing: if the money is ever wrong, the stub is where you find out why.

The fields you'll always see

• Gross pay — earnings before anything is removed
• Federal income tax — withheld for the IRS per your W-4
• State income tax — withheld for your state (nine states have none)
• Social Security (OASDI) — 6.2% up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500
• Medicare — 1.45% on all wages
• Pre-tax deductions — 401(k), health premiums, HSA
• Net pay — what hits your account
• YTD totals — running figures since January 1

For the full tour, see our line-by-line guide to reading a pay stub.

Who issues pay stubs — and who doesn't

Employers issue them to employees. Independent contractors, freelancers, and gig workers don't get them — there's no payroll withholding on contractor pay — so they keep earnings statements instead.

Make a sample stub

Frequently asked questions

What is a pay stub in simple terms?

A pay stub is the receipt for your paycheck: a document — paper or electronic — that shows what you earned in a pay period, what was deducted, and what you actually took home. Your employer issues one every payday.

What's the difference between a pay stub and a paycheck?

The paycheck (or direct deposit) is the money; the pay stub is the explanation. One pays you, the other shows the math: gross pay, each deduction, and net pay, usually with year-to-date totals.

Who gives you a pay stub?

Your employer, every pay period — it's generated by their payroll process. Contractors and gig workers don't get them (nobody runs payroll for them), which is why they keep earnings statements instead.

Is a pay stub proof of income?

A pay stub documents what an employer paid you in a given period, and people keep them with their tax and financial records for exactly that reason. Our generator creates sample documents for small-business payroll records, novelty, and personal record-keeping.

How often do you get a pay stub?

Every time you're paid — weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly, matching your employer's pay schedule.

Do you get a pay stub with direct deposit?

Yes. Direct deposit replaces the paper check, not the stub — you still get the full statement, usually electronically, every payday.

Sample documents for personal record-keeping. Not tax advice — verify calculations with your payroll provider or tax professional.