Free Online Pay Stub Calculator

Pay Stub Estimator

function calculatePayStub() { var grossPay = parseFloat(document.getElementById('grossPay').value); var preTaxDeductions = parseFloat(document.getElementById('preTaxDeductions').value); var federalTaxRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('federalTaxRate').value); var stateTaxRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('stateTaxRate').value); var postTaxDeductions = parseFloat(document.getElementById('postTaxDeductions').value); // Input validation if (isNaN(grossPay) || grossPay < 0) { document.getElementById('result').innerHTML = 'Please enter a valid Gross Pay (non-negative number).'; return; } if (isNaN(preTaxDeductions) || preTaxDeductions < 0) { document.getElementById('result').innerHTML = 'Please enter valid Pre-Tax Deductions (non-negative number).'; return; } if (isNaN(federalTaxRate) || federalTaxRate < 0) { document.getElementById('result').innerHTML = 'Please enter a valid Federal Tax Withholding percentage (non-negative number).'; return; } if (isNaN(stateTaxRate) || stateTaxRate < 0) { document.getElementById('result').innerHTML = 'Please enter a valid State Tax Withholding percentage (non-negative number).'; return; } if (isNaN(postTaxDeductions) || postTaxDeductions grossPay) { document.getElementById('result').innerHTML = 'Pre-Tax Deductions cannot exceed Gross Pay.'; return; } // Fixed tax rates for FICA (Social Security and Medicare) var socialSecurityRate = 0.062; // 6.2% var medicareRate = 0.0145; // 1.45% // 1. Calculate Taxable Gross Pay (Gross Pay minus Pre-Tax Deductions) var taxableGross = grossPay – preTaxDeductions; // 2. Calculate FICA Taxes (Social Security & Medicare) var socialSecurityTax = taxableGross * socialSecurityRate; var medicareTax = taxableGross * medicareRate; // 3. Calculate Federal and State Income Taxes var federalTax = taxableGross * (federalTaxRate / 100); var stateTax = taxableGross * (stateTaxRate / 100); // 4. Calculate Total Deductions (sum of all deductions) var totalDeductions = preTaxDeductions + socialSecurityTax + medicareTax + federalTax + stateTax + postTaxDeductions; // 5. Calculate Net Pay (Gross Pay minus Total Deductions) var netPay = grossPay – totalDeductions; // Display results var resultHTML = '

Pay Stub Estimate:

'; resultHTML += 'Gross Pay: $' + grossPay.toFixed(2) + "; resultHTML += 'Pre-Tax Deductions: $' + preTaxDeductions.toFixed(2) + "; resultHTML += 'Taxable Gross Pay: $' + taxableGross.toFixed(2) + "; resultHTML += 'Federal Income Tax: $' + federalTax.toFixed(2) + "; resultHTML += 'State Income Tax: $' + stateTax.toFixed(2) + "; resultHTML += 'Social Security Tax (FICA): $' + socialSecurityTax.toFixed(2) + "; resultHTML += 'Medicare Tax (FICA): $' + medicareTax.toFixed(2) + "; resultHTML += 'Post-Tax Deductions: $' + postTaxDeductions.toFixed(2) + "; resultHTML += 'Total Deductions: $' + totalDeductions.toFixed(2) + "; resultHTML += 'Net Pay: $' + netPay.toFixed(2) + "; document.getElementById('result').innerHTML = resultHTML; } .calculator-container { background-color: #f9f9f9; border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 600px; margin: 20px auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; } .calculator-container h2 { color: #333; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px; } .input-group { margin-bottom: 15px; } .input-group label { display: block; margin-bottom: 5px; font-weight: bold; color: #555; } .input-group input[type="number"] { width: calc(100% – 22px); padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 4px; box-sizing: border-box; } button { background-color: #007bff; color: white; padding: 12px 20px; border: none; border-radius: 4px; cursor: pointer; font-size: 16px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; } button:hover { background-color: #0056b3; } .calculator-result { margin-top: 25px; padding: 15px; background-color: #e9ecef; border: 1px solid #dee2e6; border-radius: 4px; } .calculator-result h3 { color: #333; margin-top: 0; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; padding-bottom: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; } .calculator-result p { margin-bottom: 8px; line-height: 1.5; color: #444; } .calculator-result p strong { color: #222; } .calculator-result .highlight { font-size: 1.2em; color: #007bff; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 15px; border-top: 1px dashed #ccc; padding-top: 10px; } .error { color: #dc3545; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 10px; }

Understanding Your Pay Stub: A Comprehensive Guide

Your pay stub is more than just a piece of paper; it's a detailed record of your earnings and deductions for a specific pay period. Understanding each component of your pay stub is crucial for managing your finances, verifying your income, and ensuring you're being paid correctly. Our free online pay stub calculator helps you estimate your net pay by breaking down gross earnings, taxes, and various deductions.

What is a Pay Stub?

A pay stub, also known as an earnings statement or paycheck stub, is a document provided by an employer to an employee that details the employee's gross pay, deductions, and net pay for a given pay period. It typically includes information such as the pay period dates, employee's name and address, employer's name, and a breakdown of all financial transactions.

Key Components of a Pay Stub Explained

To effectively use our calculator and understand your actual pay stub, let's look at the common elements:

1. Gross Pay

This is your total earnings before any taxes or deductions are taken out. If you're an hourly employee, it's your hourly rate multiplied by the number of hours worked (including overtime). For salaried employees, it's your salary divided by the number of pay periods in a year.

  • Calculator Input: Gross Pay per Period ($) – Enter your total earnings for the current pay period before any deductions.

2. Pre-Tax Deductions

These are deductions taken from your gross pay before taxes are calculated. Because they reduce your taxable income, they can lower the amount of income tax you owe. Common pre-tax deductions include:

  • Health, dental, and vision insurance premiums
  • Contributions to a 401(k), 403(b), or other traditional retirement plans
  • Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) or Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
  • Commuter benefits
  • Calculator Input: Pre-Tax Deductions ($) – Enter the total amount of all pre-tax deductions for the period.

3. Taxable Gross Pay

This is your gross pay minus any pre-tax deductions. This is the amount on which your federal, state, and FICA taxes are calculated.

4. Federal Income Tax

This is the tax withheld by the federal government based on your earnings, filing status, and the number of allowances claimed on your W-4 form. The more allowances you claim, the less tax is withheld, but you might owe more at tax time.

  • Calculator Input: Federal Tax Withholding (%) – Enter the estimated percentage of your taxable gross pay that is withheld for federal income tax. This can vary significantly based on your income, filing status, and W-4 elections.

5. State Income Tax

Similar to federal income tax, this is withheld by your state government. Not all states have state income tax, so this deduction may not apply to everyone.

  • Calculator Input: State Tax Withholding (%) – Enter the estimated percentage of your taxable gross pay withheld for state income tax. If your state has no income tax, enter 0.

6. FICA Taxes (Social Security and Medicare)

FICA stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act. These are mandatory federal taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare programs.

  • Social Security: Funds benefits for retirees, disabled workers, and survivors. The employee portion is typically 6.2% of your taxable gross pay, up to an annual income limit.
  • Medicare: Funds health insurance for individuals aged 65 or older, and some younger people with disabilities. The employee portion is typically 1.45% of your taxable gross pay, with no income limit.

Our calculator automatically applies these standard percentages to your taxable gross pay.

7. Post-Tax Deductions

These are deductions taken from your pay *after* all taxes have been calculated and withheld. They do not reduce your taxable income. Examples include:

  • Roth 401(k) contributions
  • Union dues
  • Wage garnishments
  • Charitable contributions
  • Life insurance premiums (if not pre-tax)
  • Calculator Input: Post-Tax Deductions ($) – Enter the total amount of all post-tax deductions for the period.

8. Total Deductions

This is the sum of all pre-tax deductions, federal tax, state tax, FICA taxes, and post-tax deductions.

9. Net Pay (Take-Home Pay)

This is the amount you actually receive after all taxes and deductions have been subtracted from your gross pay. It's your "take-home" pay.

How to Use the Pay Stub Estimator

  1. Enter your Gross Pay per Period: Input your total earnings for one pay cycle before any deductions.
  2. Input Pre-Tax Deductions: Add up any amounts deducted before taxes, like 401(k) contributions or health insurance premiums.
  3. Estimate Federal Tax Withholding: Enter the percentage you expect to be withheld for federal income tax. This is often found on a previous pay stub or estimated based on your W-4.
  4. Estimate State Tax Withholding: Enter the percentage for state income tax. If your state doesn't have income tax, enter 0.
  5. Input Post-Tax Deductions: Enter any deductions taken after taxes, such as Roth 401(k) contributions or union dues.
  6. Click "Calculate Net Pay": The calculator will instantly provide a detailed breakdown of your estimated net pay.

Example Calculation

Let's say you earn $2,000 gross pay per bi-weekly period. You have $100 in pre-tax health insurance deductions, and $20 in post-tax union dues. You estimate your federal tax withholding at 15% and state tax at 5%.

  • Gross Pay: $2,000.00
  • Pre-Tax Deductions: $100.00
  • Taxable Gross Pay: $2,000 – $100 = $1,900.00
  • Social Security Tax (6.2% of $1,900): $117.80
  • Medicare Tax (1.45% of $1,900): $27.55
  • Federal Income Tax (15% of $1,900): $285.00
  • State Income Tax (5% of $1,900): $95.00
  • Post-Tax Deductions: $20.00
  • Total Deductions: $100 (pre-tax) + $117.80 (SS) + $27.55 (Med) + $285 (Fed) + $95 (State) + $20 (post-tax) = $645.35
  • Net Pay: $2,000 – $645.35 = $1,354.65

Using the calculator with these inputs should yield a similar result, helping you quickly understand your take-home pay.

Disclaimer

This pay stub calculator provides an estimate based on the information you provide and standard FICA rates. Actual tax withholdings can vary based on specific tax laws, your W-4 elections, additional income, and other factors. Always refer to your official pay stub for accurate figures.

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