Pay stub generator
Fill in earnings and deductions, see your pay stub update as you type, and pick a layout. Free to create and preview.
Closing this page clears unsaved changes. Save your draft before leaving.
- Gross
- $2,307.69
- Deductions
- −$0.00
Gross pay minus the deductions on this document.
Three steps, a few minutes
It takes a few minutes with your payroll record open. You’ll copy figures from it, not work them out.
See the six pay stub layouts Making a UK payslip instead?- 1
Who is paid
Employer name and address, the employee’s name, and the pay period and pay date.
- 2
What they were paid
Salary or hours and rate, extra earnings, and each deduction. Totals, net pay and year to date update as you type.
- 3
Check it and choose a layout
Review every figure against your record, pick one of six layouts, and confirm the details are accurate.
What goes on a pay stub
Every PayDocs pay stub has the same six parts, in the order a reader looks for them.
- Employer and employee
- The business paying, the person being paid, and an optional employee reference.
- Pay period and pay date
- The dates the pay covers and the day it was paid.
- Earnings
- Salary for the period, or hours × rate, plus any overtime, bonus or other earnings lines.
- Deductions
- Taxes withheld and other deductions such as benefits or retirement contributions, copied from your payroll record.
- Net pay
- What the person actually received: earnings minus deductions, plus any reimbursements.
- Year-to-date totals
- Running totals for the year, carried from the figures you enter.
PayDocs can calculate federal income tax, social security and Medicare, and state income tax for California, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Ohio, New Jersey, Michigan, Virginia, Massachusetts, Colorado, Minnesota, South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Missouri, Indiana and Connecticut, from the official 2026 rules; every calculated line stays editable. Local taxes and other deductions come from your payroll record, and the arithmetic (totals, net pay, year to date) is done for you.
Pay stubs, explained
What is a pay stub?
A pay stub shows earnings, deductions and net pay for one pay period. What’s on one, and whether US employers must give one.
Gross pay vs net pay
Gross pay is what you earn before anything is taken out; net pay is what you receive. How to get from one to the other, with a worked example.
How to make a pay stub
How to make a pay stub from your payroll record: the information to gather, the order to put it in, and the checks to make before you hand it over.
How do I make a pay stub?
Enter the employer and employee details, the pay period, then the earnings and deductions from your payroll record. The pay stub builds in the preview as you type. Pick one of six layouts and review it before you finish.
Is the pay stub generator free?
Creating and previewing a pay stub is free, with no account or card. The finished PDF, without the watermark, is $4.99; checkout opens at launch.
Does PayDocs calculate taxes?
Yes. PayDocs works out federal income tax withholding from the Form W-4 (IRS Publication 15-T), social security and Medicare for 2026, and state income tax for California, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Ohio, New Jersey, Michigan, Virginia, Massachusetts, Colorado, Minnesota, South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Missouri, Indiana and Connecticut. Local taxes and other deductions are entered from your payroll.
Is this a free check stub maker?
Yes. A check stub and a pay stub are the same document. You can create and preview one free, with federal taxes calculated for you, and pay $4.99 only for the finished PDF.
Can I make pay stubs for hourly employees?
Yes. Choose hourly pay and enter the hours and rate; add an extra rate for overtime and any other earnings as separate lines. Each line is worked out as hours × rate for you.
Does the pay stub show year-to-date totals?
Yes. Enter the totals from the year so far before this payment, and PayDocs adds this period to them.
Which pay stub templates can I choose from?
Six: Classic, Modern, Compact, Executive, Bold and Minimal. You can switch layout at any point while you create, and the figures stay the same.
Can I use a PayDocs pay stub as proof of income?
No. PayDocs lays out figures you provide. It does not verify employment, certify income, or guarantee that anyone will accept the document. Only enter real figures from payroll you are authorized to prepare.
Do I need an account?
No. You can build and preview a pay stub without signing up. With an account, your employees are saved and you can duplicate a pay stub for the next pay period in one click.
Your pay stub, ready to check in minutes.
Free to create and preview, no account needed. $4.99 for the finished PDF.