Lesson 2 of 10
How to read a pay stub
Every pay stub has three parts.
1. What you earned. This is your gross pay for this paycheck.
2. What was taken out. Taxes, plus things like health insurance or a 401(k).
3. What you got. This is your net pay.
Most stubs also show a YTD column. YTD means "year to date": the total so far this year.
Example: one paycheck, paid every two weeks
Gross pay$1,923.08
Federal income tax−$146.92
Social Security−$119.23
Medicare−$27.88
Net pay$1,629.04
Same $50,000 Texas example, split into 26 paychecks. Real withholding can differ a little from the yearly tax.
Key idea
Check your stub every time. Make sure the hours, pay rate, and deductions are right. Mistakes happen.