A stub you can click
How to Read a Pay Stub
Open each line on this sample stub. The numbers match the $55,000 a year, biweekly example on the paycheck calculator, with 12% federal tax, 5% state tax, and $3,300 of yearly pre-tax deferral. This is a teaching page, not a document from an employer.
Sample stub Paycheck Book teaching example
Period: biweekly
Gross this year: $55,000.00
What this line means
Click a line on the sample stub to read a plain-language note.
Then open the paycheck calculator and use the same sample to see the yearly split.
How this sample was built
Annual gross pay is $55,000. Each biweekly gross amount is that figure divided by 26. Social Security is 6.2% of this check. Medicare is 1.45% of this check. The pre-tax amount is $3,300 a year, or $126.92 on the check. Federal tax is 12% of pay after that pre-tax amount. State tax is 5% on the same base. Net pay is gross minus the pre-tax amount, minus FICA, minus those two income-tax figures.
Those are the same steps as the paycheck calculator. If you change a number there, this sample page will not change with it. It is a fixed walkthrough, so the lines stay stable while you read.
Common questions
Why do some stubs show more lines?
Health premiums, dental, Roth 401(k), garnishments, local tax, and employer matches often appear as extra rows. This sample keeps the lines that match the site’s model, so the page stays short enough to finish in one sitting.
Is year-to-date the same as this check in January?
On the first check of the year, the two columns often match. Later checks add. Social Security uses the year-to-date total against the $184,500 wage base for 2026.
Can I upload my own stub?
No. This site does not read files or store pay data. Enter figures you already see on a stub into a calculator if you want a custom estimate.