A check stub is a one-page document, either printed or digital, divided into clearly labeled sections that show how much you earned, what was taken out, and what you actually take home. Whether you receive a physical paycheck with a tear-off stub or access yours through an online payroll portal, the layout follows the same basic structure: employer and employee identification at the top, earnings in one column, deductions in another, and your net pay at the bottom.
The Three Main Sections
Every check stub is built around three blocks of information: who’s involved, what was earned, and what was subtracted. The specifics can vary slightly by employer or payroll provider, but the bones are always the same.
Company information typically appears along the top or bottom of the stub. It includes the employer’s business name (sometimes listed as a “DBA” name) and address. Employee information sits near the top as well and includes your full legal name, an employee ID number, and sometimes the last four digits of your Social Security number. If your employer mails physical checks, your mailing address will appear here too.
Payment details make up the bulk of the stub. This section spells out the pay period (start and end dates), the pay date (the day the check was actually issued), and a check number if a physical check was printed. Below that, you’ll see your earnings broken into types, your deductions listed line by line, and your final net pay.
How the Earnings Section Is Laid Out
The earnings area shows every type of income you received during that pay period. For hourly workers, it lists the number of regular hours and overtime hours separately, along with the hourly rate for each. Salaried employees typically see a single line for their salary amount per period. If you earned commissions, bonuses, or shift differentials, each one gets its own row.
Two columns run side by side: one for the current pay period and one labeled YTD (year-to-date). The YTD column is a running total of everything you’ve earned since January 1 of the current year. It’s useful at tax time and when you need to verify your income for a loan or rental application.
The number at the bottom of this section, before anything is subtracted, is your gross pay, the total amount you earned before taxes and deductions.
What the Deductions Section Shows
Directly next to or below the earnings section, you’ll find an itemized list of everything subtracted from your gross pay. Each deduction has its own line with a current-period amount and a YTD total. Common line items include:
- Federal tax (often labeled FWT or Fed WH): The amount withheld for federal income tax, based on the W-4 you filled out when you were hired.
- State tax (ST or SIT): State income tax withholding. Not every state has an income tax, so this line may be zero or absent on your stub.
- FICA Social Security (sometimes labeled FCA or OASDI): Your share of Social Security tax. You and your employer each pay a percentage of your wages into this program, which funds retirement and disability benefits.
- FICA Medicare (MED): Your share of Medicare tax, which funds the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older and certain individuals with disabilities.
- Health insurance: If you enrolled in employer-sponsored medical, dental, or vision coverage, your premium contribution is deducted here.
- Retirement contributions: Any money going into a 401(k), 403(b), or similar plan. You may see this listed as a dollar amount or a percentage.
At the bottom of the deductions section, you’ll see a total representing everything withheld for the current period. The stub must provide both the itemized list and the combined sum.
Where Net Pay Appears
Your net pay, sometimes called take-home pay, is the final number on the stub. It equals your gross pay minus total deductions. On a physical check stub, this number matches the dollar amount printed on the actual check. On a digital stub accessed through your employer’s payroll portal, it matches the amount deposited into your bank account.
If the net pay on your stub doesn’t match what landed in your bank account, check whether your employer splits your direct deposit across multiple accounts. Some stubs show the breakdown of how net pay was distributed, listing each bank account by the last four digits of the account number and the amount sent to each.
Physical Stubs vs. Digital Stubs
A physical check stub is printed on the same piece of paper as the paycheck itself, usually separated by a perforated line. You tear off the check to deposit it and keep the stub for your records. The layout is compact, often fitting everything into a space roughly the size of a standard check.
Digital stubs contain the same information but are accessed through your employer’s online payroll system. If you’re paid by direct deposit, this is likely how you’ll get yours. Most payroll platforms let you view, download, or print stubs as PDFs. The digital version may look slightly more polished, with color-coded sections or expandable rows, but the data is identical.
Decoding Common Abbreviations
Check stubs are notorious for cramming information into tight spaces, which means abbreviations are everywhere. Here are the ones you’ll encounter most often:
- YTD: Year-to-date, your running total since January 1.
- FWT: Federal withholding taxable wages, the income amount subject to federal tax.
- FCA: FICA/Social Security wages.
- MED: Medicare wages or Medicare tax amount.
- ST: State taxable wages.
- SDI: State disability insurance, a deduction in states that require it.
- SUT: State unemployment taxable wages.
- FUT: Federal unemployment taxable wages (this is usually an employer-paid tax, but the wage amount may still appear on your stub).
- TTL: Total.
Your employer’s payroll system may use slightly different codes, but these cover the most common ones. If an abbreviation on your stub doesn’t match anything here, your company’s HR department or payroll portal usually has a glossary.
Why Your Check Stub Matters Beyond Payday
Your stub is more than a receipt. Landlords and mortgage lenders routinely ask for two to three recent pay stubs as proof of income. When you file your taxes, comparing your final December stub’s YTD figures against your W-2 is a quick way to spot errors. And if you ever notice a deduction you don’t recognize or a missing overtime payment, the stub is your first piece of evidence when raising the issue with your employer.
Keep at least a full year’s worth of stubs, whether physical copies in a folder or PDFs saved on your computer. If your employer’s payroll portal only stores a limited history, download each stub when it’s issued so you have it when you need it.