Reviewed by the PayStubPro Payroll Standards Team
Quick answer
To create a pay stub for an employee, gather the employer and employee details, the pay period and pay date, gross earnings, all tax withholdings and deductions, and the resulting net pay. Enter accurate figures, verify the math, and keep a copy for your payroll records.
Before you begin
Creating a pay stub is a recordkeeping task, not a calculation shortcut. The figures you enter should reflect wages you have actually agreed to pay and taxes you are actually withholding. Confirm your numbers against your payroll system, timesheets or accounting records first.
Information you will need
- Legal business name and address (the employer)
- Employee name and, where used, an employee ID
- Pay period start and end dates, plus the pay date
- Hours worked and pay rate (for hourly staff) or salary amount
- Gross earnings, including any overtime, bonuses or commissions
- Tax withholdings: federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and state/local taxes where they apply
- Other deductions such as health insurance or retirement contributions
- Net pay and year-to-date (YTD) totals
A simple example
Consider a fictional employee, Dana Reyes, paid $22.00 per hour who worked 80 regular hours in a biweekly period. Gross pay is 80 x $22.00 = $1,760.00. After withholdings for federal tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%) and a state tax, plus a $60 health premium, the pay stub shows the total deductions and the net pay Dana actually receives.
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Regular pay (80 hrs x $22.00) | $1,760.00 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | -$109.12 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | -$25.52 |
| Federal income tax (example) | -$158.00 |
| State income tax (example) | -$52.00 |
| Health insurance premium | -$60.00 |
| Net pay | $1,355.36 |
The tax figures above are simplified examples for illustration only. Actual withholding depends on the employee’s tax elections and current rates.
Step-by-step
- 1Enter the employer and employee identifying details.
- 2Add the pay period dates and the pay date.
- 3Record gross earnings, broken out by pay type.
- 4Add each tax withholding and deduction as a separate line.
- 5Confirm net pay equals gross earnings minus total deductions.
- 6Update year-to-date totals and save a copy for your records.
Create it with PayStubPro
PayStubPro guides you through each field, keeps the layout professional and produces a clean, print-ready document. You enter the numbers; the tool handles the formatting.
Ready to create your pay stub?
Open the PayStubPro application and follow the guided, step-by-step process.