Guides › Reading your pay stub

How to Read Your Pay Stub (2026)

A printed US pay stub with line items, a pen, and a calculator on a desk

A pay stub looks like a wall of abbreviations, but it tells a simple story: here is what you earned, here is everything taken out, and here is what is left. Once you know what each line means, you can spot errors, understand your real hourly value, and make smarter decisions about deductions. Here is every line you will see on a 2026 US pay stub, in order.

1. Gross pay

The top number — your total earnings for the pay period before anything is removed. For a salaried worker it is your annual salary divided by the number of pay periods (24 for semi-monthly, 26 for biweekly). For hourly workers it is hours times rate, plus any overtime. Every deduction below is calculated from this figure or a version of it.

2. Pre-tax deductions

These come out before income tax is calculated, which is what makes them so valuable. The common ones are traditional 401(k) contributions, traditional HSA/FSA contributions, and your share of health-insurance premiums. Because they lower your taxable income, a dollar contributed costs you less than a dollar of take-home pay — see our 401(k) take-home guide for the exact math.

3. Federal income tax (Fed / FIT)

Withheld based on your W-4 and the 2026 IRS brackets (10% to 37%), applied after the standard deduction ($16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly in 2026). Remember this is withholding, an estimate — your actual tax is settled when you file. If too much is withheld you get a refund; too little and you owe. Learn how the brackets really work in 2026 federal tax brackets explained.

4. Social Security (FICA / OASDI)

A flat 6.2% of your gross wages, up to an annual wage base of $184,500 in 2026. Earn above that and Social Security stops coming out for the rest of the year. Unlike income tax, pre-tax 401(k) contributions do not reduce this — Social Security is charged on your full wages.

5. Medicare

1.45% of all wages, with no cap. High earners pay an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married). Together, Social Security and Medicare are your "FICA" taxes — the payroll taxes that fund those programs.

6. State (and sometimes local) income tax

Depends entirely on where you live. Nine states take nothing; others use a flat rate or graduated brackets, and some cities (New York, Philadelphia, and many in Ohio, Indiana, and Maryland) add their own local tax. See exactly what your state takes in the state-by-state calculator, or compare states in take-home pay by state.

7. Post-tax deductions

Anything taken out after taxes: Roth 401(k) contributions, wage garnishments, union dues, or charitable payroll giving. These do not lower your taxable income, so they reduce take-home dollar-for-dollar.

8. Net pay (take-home)

The bottom line — what actually lands in your bank account: gross pay minus pre-tax deductions, minus all taxes, minus post-tax deductions. This is the number that matters when you budget or compare job offers, and it is what our calculators estimate for every state.

Two things worth checking every stub

  • Year-to-date (YTD) columns. Most stubs show a running total for the year. Use them to confirm Social Security stops at the wage base and to catch withholding that drifts too high or low.
  • Your filing status and allowances. If your refund or bill is consistently large, your W-4 may be off. Adjusting it changes line 3 and your take-home immediately.

Want to see all of this computed for your salary and state? Use the free 2026 paycheck calculator.

Sources

  • IRS — 2026 brackets, standard deduction, and FICA rates and wage base.