What Is a Pay Stub? Definition, What's on It, and How to Get Yours
A pay stub is the statement that shows how your paycheck was calculated. Learn what's on one, how it differs from a W-2, whether employers must give one, and how to get yours.
A pay stub is the statement that explains your paycheck. It shows what you earned in the pay period (gross pay), every tax and deduction taken out, what you actually received (net pay), and running totals for the year. It's also called an earnings statement, wage statement, pay slip, or, with direct deposit, a direct deposit advice.
What surprises most people is that federal law doesn't require your employer to give you one. The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to keep detailed payroll records, but according to the U.S. Department of Labor, it does not require employers to provide pay stubs. Whether you're entitled to a pay stub, and what has to be on it, is decided by your state.
This guide covers what's on a pay stub, how it differs from a paycheck and a W-2, and how to get yours, from someone who builds pay stubs for a living.
What's on a Pay Stub
Layouts vary by payroll provider, but nearly every US pay stub contains the same building blocks. Here is a sample, with each section labeled:
| 4Earnings | Hrs | Rate | Current | 9YTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | 80.00 | 28.50 | 2,280.00 | 43,320.00 |
| Overtime | 4.00 | 42.75 | 171.00 | 3,249.00 |
| Gross pay | 2,451.00 | 46,569.00 |
| 5Pre-tax deductions | Current | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| 401(k) 5% | 122.55 | 2,328.45 |
| Medical (Sec. 125) | 85.00 | 1,615.00 |
| 10Leave | Accrued | Used | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| PTO (hrs) | 87.40 | 40.00 | 47.40 |
| Sick (hrs) | 29.30 | 8.00 | 21.30 |
| 6Taxes | Current | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | 185.37 | 3,522.03 |
| Social Security (OASDI) | 146.69 | 2,787.11 |
| Medicare | 34.31 | 651.89 |
| CA state income tax | 60.85 | 1,156.15 |
| CA SDI | 30.76 | 584.44 |
| 7Post-tax deductions | Current | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| Union dues | 25.00 | 475.00 |
- 1Employer information. Company name and address. Some states also require the employer FEIN or legal entity name.
- 2Employee information. Your name, employee ID, and usually only the last four digits of your SSN.
- 3Pay period and pay date. The dates you worked versus the date you were paid. They are rarely the same.
- 4Earnings. Each pay type on its own line: hours, rate, this period, and year to date.
- 5Pre-tax deductions. Taken out before income tax is figured, which lowers your taxable wages.
- 6Taxes. Federal income tax, Social Security (OASDI), Medicare, and any state or local taxes.
- 7Post-tax deductions. Taken out after taxes: Roth 401(k), union dues, garnishments.
- 8Net pay. What actually lands in your bank account.
- 9Year-to-date (YTD) column. Running totals since January 1. Lenders and landlords read this column first.
- 10Leave balances. PTO and sick hours accrued, used, and remaining.
Sample pay stub with illustrative figures: biweekly pay period 19 of 26 in 2026, single filer, California employee. Built with the MakeMyPaystub builder.
In short:
| Section | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Employer and employee info | Who paid whom, often with an employee ID and the last four digits of your SSN |
| Pay period and pay date | The dates worked versus the date paid |
| Earnings | Each type of pay (regular, overtime, bonus) with hours, rate, and amount |
| Pre-tax deductions | Benefits taken out before income tax, like a traditional 401(k) |
| Taxes | Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state and local taxes |
| Post-tax deductions | Roth contributions, union dues, garnishments |
| Net pay | What reached your bank account |
| Year to date | Running totals since January 1 |
Our guide to reading a pay stub walks through each section line by line, and the abbreviations glossary decodes labels like FITW, OASDI, and SDI.
Pay Stub vs Paycheck vs W-2 vs Earnings Statement
These terms get used interchangeably, but they're different documents:
| Document | What it is | How often | Who issues it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paycheck | The payment itself (check or direct deposit) | Every payday | Employer |
| Pay stub | The breakdown of that payment | Every payday | Employer or its payroll provider |
| Earnings statement / wage statement | Formal names for a pay stub (state laws often use "wage statement") | Every payday | Employer |
| Direct deposit advice | A pay stub for a direct deposit, often marked "non-negotiable" | Every payday | Employer |
| W-2 | IRS form summarizing a full year's taxable wages and withholding | Once a year, by January 31 | Employer, filed with the IRS and SSA |
| 1099-NEC | IRS form reporting payments to an independent contractor | Once a year | Client or business that paid you |
The biggest practical difference is between a pay stub and a W-2. A pay stub covers one pay period; a W-2 covers the year. Your final stub's YTD column is the raw material for your W-2, but the W-2 shows taxable wages, which are usually lower than gross pay because of pre-tax deductions. Our post on what YTD means shows exactly how the numbers reconcile, and gross vs net pay explains why there are three different "wages" on one stub.
Are Employers Required to Give You a Pay Stub?
Federally, no. The FLSA requires employers to record hours worked, pay rates, wages, and every addition or deduction, and to keep payroll records for at least three years (two years for time cards and wage rate tables), per the Department of Labor's recordkeeping fact sheet. Those records are the employer's to keep, not to hand out.
At the state level, usually yes. Most states require employers to give a wage statement each payday, and many specify what it must show (hours, rates, gross, deductions, net, pay period dates, employer name). Some allow electronic delivery only with the employee's consent; a few only require access on request. Six states have no general pay stub requirement at all: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Tennessee. Florida and Georgia require statements only for narrow groups such as farm labor contractors and labor pools. Ohio, long on these lists, has required pay stubs since April 9, 2025 (Ohio Rev. Code 4113.14), so older lists are out of date. State law changes, so check our state-by-state breakdown in pay stub requirements by state for your state's current rule and statute.
Even in states without a pay stub law, employers must still keep the underlying records, and most issue stubs anyway because their payroll software produces them automatically.
How to Get Your Pay Stub
Current employees
- Check your payroll portal. Most employers use an online system where every stub is posted on payday. Common ones include ADP (the MyADP app or website), Paychex Flex, Gusto, Workday, UKG (formerly Kronos and Ultimate), Paycom, Paylocity, and QuickBooks Workforce. Your onboarding email usually has the login link.
- Look for a mobile app. Most of the providers above have one, and stubs can be downloaded as PDFs.
- Ask HR or payroll. If you don't have portal access, payroll can email or print copies. Many state laws give employees the right to request their pay records.
If you work for ADP's system specifically, our guide to reading an ADP pay stub explains its layout and codes.
Former employees
- Try your old portal login first. Providers often keep former employees' access active for a period after separation, so you can download past stubs and W-2s.
- Request copies in writing. Email or write to the former employer's HR or payroll department with your name, dates of employment, and the pay periods you need. Employers must keep payroll records for at least three years under the FLSA, and the IRS requires employment tax records to be kept for at least four years (IRS employment tax recordkeeping).
- If the company has closed, your W-2 and an IRS wage and income transcript (available through your IRS online account) can document a full year's earnings even without the stubs.
Gig workers and independent contractors
If you drive, deliver, or freelance as a 1099 contractor, you generally won't receive pay stubs. You'll get Form 1099-NEC or 1099-K at year end, and most platforms offer weekly or monthly earnings summaries in the app. Those summaries, your bank deposits, and your tax return are the usual records of your income. Our guide to proof of income covers what lenders and landlords accept from self-employed applicants.
Making a Pay Stub as an Employer or Self-Employed Person
If you run payroll for a small business or a household employee and your system doesn't produce stubs, you can create them from your payroll records. Our pay stub builder and templates cover hourly, salaried, and state-specific formats, and the paycheck calculator estimates 2026 federal and state withholding to fill them in.
Self-employed people can do the same to keep a consistent record of what they pay themselves; the 1099 contractor pay stub is built for that.
One firm rule: a pay stub must reflect pay that actually happened. Lenders and landlords don't take a stub at face value. They verify income with employers, bank statements, and IRS transcripts, and knowingly misstating income on a loan application is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 1014. A pay stub is a record of real income, not a substitute for it.
How Long to Keep Your Pay Stubs
There's no law telling employees how long to keep their own stubs, but a practical approach:
- Keep every stub until you receive your W-2 and confirm the totals match.
- Keep the final stub of each year with your tax records, since it's the most complete single summary of your pay.
- Keep recent stubs (the last two or three months) whenever you're applying for a loan, lease, or benefits, since those are the ones applications ask for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pay stub?
A pay stub is the statement that comes with each paycheck or direct deposit and shows how your pay was calculated: gross earnings, each tax and deduction, net pay, and year-to-date totals. It's also called an earnings statement, wage statement, pay slip, or direct deposit advice.
Are employers required to give pay stubs?
Not under federal law. The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to keep payroll records but does not require them to give employees pay stubs. Most states fill the gap with their own wage statement laws; six (Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Tennessee) have no general requirement, and Florida and Georgia cover only narrow groups like labor pools. Ohio joined the states that require one in April 2025.
What is the difference between a pay stub and a W-2?
A pay stub covers one pay period and arrives with every paycheck. A W-2 is an annual IRS form your employer sends by January 31 that summarizes the whole calendar year's taxable wages and withholding. Your final pay stub's YTD figures are the raw material for the W-2, but W-2 wages are usually lower than YTD gross because of pre-tax deductions.
How do I get my pay stubs?
Most employers post them in an online payroll portal such as ADP, Paychex Flex, Gusto, Workday, or UKG. If you can't log in, ask HR or payroll for copies. Many states require employers to provide past pay records on request.
How do I get pay stubs from a previous employer?
Try your old payroll portal first, since access often continues for a while after you leave. Otherwise contact the former employer's HR or payroll department in writing. Employers must keep payroll records for at least three years under the FLSA, and four years for employment tax records under IRS rules.
Is a pay stub the same as a paycheck?
No. The paycheck is the payment itself (a check or direct deposit). The pay stub is the record that explains it. With direct deposit, you get the stub without a physical check, often called a direct deposit advice or non-negotiable statement.
Do 1099 contractors get pay stubs?
Usually not. Independent contractors are paid by invoice or through a platform, and they receive Form 1099-NEC or 1099-K at year end instead of a W-2. Gig platforms typically offer earnings summaries in the app. Contractors who need to document income often create their own pay records from their actual payments.
Can I make my own pay stub?
Yes, if you're an employer issuing stubs to your employees, or self-employed documenting income you actually received. A pay stub must reflect real pay. Lenders and landlords verify income through employers, bank statements, and IRS transcripts, and misstating income on a loan application is a federal crime.
How long should I keep my pay stubs?
At minimum, keep them until you've checked them against your W-2 and filed your tax return. Many people keep the final stub of each year for longer as an income record. Employers must keep payroll records for at least three years under federal law.
What is an electronic pay stub?
An electronic pay stub is the same statement delivered online or by email instead of on paper. Federal law doesn't regulate the format, but some states require employee consent or paper on request, so whether an employer can go paperless depends on the state.
The Takeaway
A pay stub is the receipt for your paycheck: what you earned, what came out, and what you kept, for the period and the year so far. Federal law leaves it to the states, most of which require one. If you need yours, start with your payroll portal, then HR; if you need old ones, ask in writing, because employers have to keep those records for years.
Once you have it in hand, our line-by-line guide will help you check that every number on it is right.
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